April 17, 2012 Buzz: Outdoors News Shorts
Pedal Your Pub—the Cycle Pub
Photo at right: A pub you pedal—with 11 of your friends. Photo courtesy of Cycle Pub
This is no bicycle built for two. Try 12!
When James Watts spotted a 12-seat “refreshment dispensing cycle” on a visit to Germany a few years back, he knew he had to have one. It would be perfect for his town of Bend, the central Oregon town famous for beer and biking.
Hang on to your beer!
Watts contacted a local fabricator who used to build Cessna airplanes and they got to work building this “beer wagon,” which is reminiscent of a pedal-powered trolley car. On Feb. 18, 2011 the Cycle Pub debuted at the Bend Winterfest and hasn’t stopped rolling since.
The Cycle Pub is a bike tour with a twist. Book the Cycle Pub for two hours, and you and your friends can cruise Bend in style. Besides the 12 riders, the Cycle Pub has a driver (an employee who steers the bike and is not imbibing) and a rear bench for two or three sandbaggers who don’t have to pedal.
It’s popular for corporate groups, bachelor parties, family reunions and even kids’ birthday parties—though no alcohol will be dispensed if any riders are under 21. There are two main routes, one of them looping through the Old Mill District, which is a presenting sponsor of the bike.
The bike draws smiles whenever it’s out. It’s not unusual for bystanders to start running down the street after the bike, with a few trying to jump on. “You can see it in their eyes when they’re going to jump,” says Watts. “We’ve had to kick a few people off.”
A second bike was added in September, and Watts is bringing in new designs this year as he rolls out the Cycle Pub in other cities. One new design will have an electric assist for those troublesome hills.
Watts and the Cycle Pub have been supporters of the Bend Velodrome Project, donating time and money for the track. Will we ever see the Cycle Pub in action there?
“If we can pull off the Velodrome, I’ll find a way to get it out on the track,” says Watts.
No word yet on what they’ll be dispensing.
The Bikery
Seattle’s Bike Culture Outreach Arm
Inside at the Bikery: come to learn, shop for bike parts, or volunteer for credit to spend.
Fix it. Ride it. Teach others. This simple credo is the driving force behind the Bikery, an all-volunteer run, non-profit, community bike project located in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is a uniquely Seattle institution. Its goal is to demystify bike repair and maintenance for traditionally underrepresented populations and introduce them to the bicycle culture.
“Cycling belongs to everyone, but you might easily get the opposite impression by visiting a bike shop (even in Seattle!) as anything but a well-informed, heterosexual, white male,” says Alex Pagliere, one the Bikery’s volunteers. “The Bikery is special because we are actively dedicated to welcoming everyone to cycling. Many places are interested in a cycling culture that includes everyone, but we actually work toward it!”
To help beginners get started in the bike culture, the Bikery offers classes on bike repair and maintenance and offers “stand time” and full sets of bike tools for $5 an hour. There’s even a work/trade program, where volunteers can earn a $10 Bikery credit for every hour volunteered.
They also sell new and used parts. The entire organization is run like a bike-centric Utopian collective. Members commit to volunteer hours and attendance at regular meetings where the group decides the direction of the organization. However, you do not need to be a member to enjoy the services and offerings of the Bikery.
The Bikery also solicits donations of bikes and shop items like lubricant and cleaners. If you’ve got some extra gear, it’s a worthy endeavor to support. They’ll be having a big fundraiser this spring too, so stay tuned.
Open hours: Tuesday: 2–8 p.m., Saturday: Noon–6 p.m., Sunday: 2–8 p.m. Contact: (206) 568-3535, http://www.thebikery.org/
