Photos by Jessica Kelly
Buffalo is buzzing with interest about the latest group outing trend. The Buffalo Pedal Tours are a new, innovative way to see the city, get some exercise and spend time outside. What is it exactly? There are 6 individual bike seats facing each other on either side of the Pedal Crawler. The pedaling powers the trolley. Plus, there’s a small booth seat in the back that can accommodate a few extra riders. While you’re cruising through Buffalo at a rapid speed of 5 mph (7 mph with the new upgrades!), a guide steers the trolley while you pedal.
Tours offered by Buffalo Pedal Tours specifically are broken down into categories including Social Mixers, Private Pub Crawls, Bachelorette Parties, Architectural Gems, and Progressive Dinners. The price of the tour depends on the day of the week. From Monday through Thursday tours cost $142 per hour and Friday through Sunday it’s $172 per hour, both for a minimum of 2 hours. That shakes out to be about $20 and $24 per person if you have a total of 15 people riding for 2 hours. Not bad, not bad.
Each tour is different and unique to the group you’re planning for. Any history buffs in your life? The architectural tour is a great way to take in some of Buffalo’s treasured landmarks while learning about the city’s rich history. For all of the foodies out there, the progressive dinner will take you on a 4 hour culinary adventure to Oshun, Bourbon and Butter, and top off the night at Chocolate Bar. Each restaurant provides and array of options to satisfy different cravings.
The social mixer pedal tour is a fun way to meet new friends and fill up the Pedal Crawler. If you find yourself with just a small group of adventurous friends wanting to rent the Pedal Crawler, sign up to ride along on a social mixer night.
I’m sure we don’t need to tell you what the pub crawl and bachelorette party options are good for. This is absolutely the best way to celebrate a special occasion in Buffalo this summer.
Take note – you can’t drink alcohol on this particular Pedal Crawler, but rest assured you’ll hit enough locations that you’ll need to pace yourself in between stops anyway. Don’t forget, the trolley can connect anyone’s phone to the speakers, so be sure to have some awesome music on deck (eh hum, 90s Pandora).
When I had the opportunity to try the pedal tours out for myself, I went on a social mixer pub crawl with a few of my friends. We met up with the rest of the group across the street from Tappo (although, now that Big Ditch is open, that has worked as a great starting point). From there we took off down to Pearl Street Grill where we had a few drinks and got to know each other. Sure enough, after a few too many at Pearl Street, 716 and Pan-American Grill & Brewery, we were blasting music and ringing the bell, bringing as much attention to the Pedal Crawler as possible. (Hey, once you try it you’ll understand. This is something you want to be seen doing.) By the time the tour was through, we were all great friends and kept the crawl going (on foot) to Tappo for more food and drinks. The social mixer option is an excellent way to meet new people and travel to and from bars in style!
Philip Szal, Sales Manager for the Buffalo division and owner of the up and coming Rochester Pedal Tours, explained that expansion plans are in place to station additional Pub Crawlers out of Buffalo RiverWorks. They’re aiming to be on the streets hopefully by July 10th. The new crawlers will cover routes that focus on the Cobblestone District and waterfront bars. Riders will get a hand stamp from the pedal tour that they can show bartenders to make good use of special deals. (Sign me up!)
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Remember to keep a close eye on the weather in case you need to pack a sweatshirt and have a plan lined up for after. Consider dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant within walking distance, a DD or a taxi if you’ll be drinking.
Plans are in progress this summer for Rochester Pedal Tours which Phil will take under his wing. For more information about any tour or to book your tour online visit their website to check out the “fleet” of trollies available to take you around town! If you have questions before booking an outing, call Buffalo Pedal Tours at 716-984-3834 or email them at info@buffalopedaltours.com.
If you’re wondering what the deal is with the similar, yet not the same “group bike tour” you may have seen cruising around town, check out Consumer’s Craft Cruiser. Like we said, they are the same but different and totally unrelated.
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