The University of California Davis (UCD) bought a Main Street pedal truck for their grounds maintenance. View the video below and at http://www.pedicab.com/pedicab-videos.html. They are very happy with the performance and the price of this version of a pedicab. We think many college campuses and private facilities would benefit from this type of maintenance vehicle, zero-emission, human powered vehicle.
The South by Southwest music festival bills itself as “the premier destination for discovery.” It’s also the destination for truckloads of cash, as music and art fans flock to Austin, Texas, each March. Last year’s event brought nearly $100 million to the city, according to one analyst.
The more than 200,000 “creative class” types — musicians, media gurus, filmmakers — who come to South by Southwest (often known merely as SXSW) spend money not only at the official event, but also in Austin’s rich underground economy.
The annual festival has become a cash cow for the city, says Ben Loftsgaarden, an economic analyst with Greyhill Advisors who studied the economic impact of last year’s event.
When Bill Wildman was approached about buying advertising on a bicycle, he was convinced the idea was so good he decided to buy his own billboard bicycle instead.
Wildman, who owns Malibu Yogurt at 825 E. University Blvd, uses his Main Street Pedicabs manufactured Billboard Bike to get to and from his store.
“Because it is my bike and because I ride it, I can park it just like any other car,” Wildman said.
Popular at such tourist haunts as Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, the bicycle rickshaw has arrived at the Sundial Bridge in Redding.
Bob Frost, a 57-year-old retired U.S. Forest Service worker, opened Sundial Pedicabs last month.
Starting with one cab and operating intermittently when weather permits, Frost will take visitors around the Sundial Bridge, along the Sacramento River Trail and even through the McConnell Arboretum at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.
“Hey, Rickshaw Willie,” someone calls out as Tim Wilhelm drives his Pedicab down Main Street in Akron, Ohio. It’s a common occurrence these days, as Wilhelm, aka “Rickshaw Willie,” has become somewhat of a local celebrity.
“Everybody has to have their picture taken with Rickshaw Willie,” Wilhelm says. “People are hugging me all the time, and kids will run out to the edge of the curb to high-five me as I drive down the road. Even some local business owners came up to me while I was eating dinner and told my wife that I had become a downtown Akron icon.”
But it was only about a year ago when the 54-year-old Wilhelm found himself depressed and at a crossroads in his life. A truck driver for 31 years, Wilhelm became the victim of a sagging economy when the trucking company he works for merged with another and then decided to take him out of his truck and onto the loading dock.
“It was about the lowest point I had ever been in my life,” he says. “I didn’t know if I’d pull out of the depression, but I’m not a quitter, so I kept thinking about what I could do.”
Tony Benedict, right, pedals four pedestrians home from a night of partying Friday from Albert Avenue.
By Daniel Luscombe
Wearing a black leather jacket reminiscent of Johnny Ramone, well-manicured facial hair and a big grin, Tony Benedict, owner of Pure Power Pedicab, is East Lansing’s one and only bicycle taxi.
Benedict, an East Lansing resident and former paramedic, has been serving the East Lansing community since November 2008 with his human-powered mode of transportation.
“I go completely on tips, and I do that because I don’t want to set a set rate,” Benedict said. “Some people just want a ride and they really don’t have a lot of money. I figure everyone should have a ride if they just want to go home and they don’t live too far away.”
On average, Benedict said he is tipped $5-$6 for rides that average about a quarter mile, although a particularly generous customer once gave him $100.
Main Street Pedicabs, Inc.™ has been perfecting the design of human-powered vehicles since 1992. Available in pedicab, truck, and delivery van configurations, each vehicle shares the refinements gained from Main Street's fleet operations in Denver, Colorado and of our customers. The Boardwalk Pedicab™, Classic Pedicab™, Broadway Pedicab™, Billboard Bike™, Pedal Pick-Up™, Pedicabvertising™ and all trademarks and logos appearing on this website, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Main Street Pedicabs, Inc.™ or their respective trademark holders. Price and availability subject to change without notice. We are a proud supporter of all green initiatives that contribute to reducing our carbon footprint.
When Bill Wildman was approached about buying advertising on a bicycle, he was convinced the idea was so good he decided to buy his own billboard bicycle instead.
By Dan Werner
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