Have you ever dreamed of “cruising the strip” with 8 to 15 of your closest friends going a little over 2 mph?
My guess is it’s not on your bucket list. But taking a 2 hour tour of downtown Champaign on the Slowride Pedal Tour may just be the best 2 hours you spend with your friends all summer.
The Slowride bus is a 15-passenger, pedal-powered bar on wheels that is new to Champaign and Campustown this summer. Last night, we celebrated a birthday while motoring the bus around downtown Champaign and onto campus to grab some ice cream.
The tours load up between Tumble Inn and Robeson’s off Neil Street in Champaign. Pedalers are allowed to bring beverages (including alcohol) onto the bus when they first board, but after, even if the bus stops at a restaurant or bar downtown, they cannot bring more alcohol on.
Pedalers are served by a bartender and acting DJ during the trip and are guided by a driver, who makes sure the bus stops at red lights, stays on pedal bus designated roads and gives a little boost with the supplemental electric power for those hills. (Yes, downtown Champaign is very “hilly” when you’re on a 15-person pedal bus.)
We celebrated a birthday on the pedal bus last night. Some friends brought alcohol, others brought coke or water. Some people pedaled, others rode on one of the five non-pedal seats in the back and others (like me part of the time) rode the momentum others had built up.
The truth is, with 8 to 10 people cycling, it’s really not that hard once you get going. The hardest parts to pedal are when you’re starting off a stop and going uphill…but the momentum from going downhill really helps.
You’re going to work up a bit of a sweat, so there are misters and towels for those who get a little too sweaty.
The good news is that the seats are adjustable for those who are taller or shorter than average. Plus, it’s not only your legs that get a workout. I felt it work my abs last night, too.
But, the pedal bus is more than a bit of a workout…it’s a really nice time to experience Champaign-Urbana in a way that you’ve never experienced it before. Instead of sitting outside at a restaurant, you can enjoy the cheers of restaurant patrons along the side of the streets who will cheer you on, clap or wave (and then you have to take a “social celebration”). You’ll sit side-by-side and face-to-face with friends, sing songs, dance and catch-up while pedaling.
I now know about more streets and businesses that I did not know about before…and I look forward to visiting some of them. Like I said, the pedal bus can also pull over for friends to use the bathroom, go into a bar or get ice cream, too!
I highly recommend getting your friends together for an afternoon or night of fun in downtown Champaign!
