DELAWARE — Nothing like cracking open a cold one, doing some sightseeing and getting your exercise in, right?
At least the owners of peDel, a new pedal bar company, think so.
Delaware residents Bo Tokarski and Mitchell Brown, along with Tiffin resident Ron Brown, are looking to bring the mobile bar experience to Delaware by March 2027.
The trio presented their plans to Delaware City Council on Monday.
Sometimes called party bikes, pedal taverns or beer bikes, the multi-passenger vehicles allow riders to pedal their way around town while drinking and sightseeing.
While peDel would operate similarly to other pedal bars, its owners told council they’re trying to differentiate the business through an emphasis on safety and responsible alcohol consumption.
In fact, they said the name peDel represents five aspects of the business:
- P — Pedestrian safety
- E — Entertainment
- D — Driving safety
- E — Everyone is welcome
- L — Law-abiding alcohol experience
Tokarski, who has experience with pedal bars around Ohio, also emphasized that state law allows passengers aboard certain pedal-powered vehicles to consume alcohol.
Tokarski said the idea was partly inspired by visits to Tiffin, where a pedal bar already operates.
“When we go up to Tiffin, we always ask ourselves, ‘Why can’t we have this in Delaware?’” he said.
He also pointed to Wadsworth, Bowling Green, Norwalk and Sandusky as other Ohio cities where pedal bars operate.
PeDel does not need City Council’s approval to launch in Delaware.
However, the owners said they brought the idea to council early to gauge its reception, gather feedback and begin working with the city before launching the business.
The bike’s design
The peDel owners said they plan to purchase their bike from Tiffin-based Sarka Party Bike, which they described as one of the country’s largest pedal bar distributors.
Tokarski said the group is close to finalizing an agreement to purchase its first bike but is holding off until it receives informal support from city officials.
The bike can carry 14 passengers: 10 in seats equipped with pedals and four in non-pedaling seats at the rear. A driver at the front steers and brakes the vehicle, which has a top speed of about 5 mph.
Safety features include flashing hazard lights on the front and back, more flashing button lights on the side and back, rearview mirrors, a middle walkway for people to move around on while the bike in motion, and lighting under and on the roof.
The 10 people who pedal the bike power an electric battery that helps move the party cart along.
As for how much this may cost riders, Tokarski said a typical ride is about $300. Divided between 14 riders, he said the cost is around $28 per person.
The ride schedule and safety tips
Rides would then be two hours long, with three total stops at various bars, restaurants, coffee shops and other local focal points around downtown Delaware.
Each stop would be about 10 to 15 minutes long, giving passengers around 75-80 minutes of physically riding the bike.
Riders 21 and over can have two alcoholic beverages max per person on the bike, with one open at a time. Glass bottles are not permitted on the bike. The peDel team would not supply the alcohol.
PeDel is targeting the second or third weekend of March 2027 for their launch, with the first season running through the second or third weekend of November.
Under the proposed schedule, rides would be offered:
- Fridays: 8-10 p.m.
- Saturdays: 12:30-2:30 p.m., 3-5 p.m., 5:30-7:30 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.
- Sundays: noon-2 p.m., 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.
If the business is there, the trio said they’d be open to expanding the rides to Tuesday through Thursday as well.
“And if you’re wondering how and why would a bike operate in the middle of November in Delaware, Ohio, the bike is actually equipped with the ability to have a dropdown from the canopy and [have] a central heating unit,” Tokarski said.
Tokarski added that he’s had discussions with the Delaware County Historical Society about using the bike for historical tours.
“I will say this isn’t all just about drinking,” he said. “This would be a compliment to what would occur in the city, so this would just be beyond the bars and restaurants that are here.”
The group has also had early discussions with Delaware Police Chief Adam Moore and Delaware Fire Chief Tim Pyle about the safety and traffic impacts of potential North-South and East-West routes the bike may take.
A final route hasn’t been determined, although the owners and council members quickly identified a few roads they won’t be using.
Brown drew laughs when he said the pedal bar would avoid U.S. 36 and state Route 37.
Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle added U.S. 23 and U.S. 42 to the list.
“This is exciting, to me,” Riggle said.
Additional peDel safety information:
