Cascade Cycleboats produces water-based spinoff of pedal pubs
BEND, Ore. — Cascade Cycleboats is manufacturing and selling the latest and greatest beer-fueled invention out of Central Oregon: a water-based spinoff of the oh-so-popular land-based pedaling party pubs.
Cycleboats provide a fun, new, eco-friendly way to enjoy the water safely, with or without a beer in your hand. While Cycleboats can provide an awesome platform for a party they are also great for team-building outings, family reunions or shoreline sightseeing tours.
Cycleboats are designed to be operated as commercial tour boats on lakes, bays or slow moving rivers. As riders pedal on individual cycle stations, together they propel a large paddle wheel in the back of the boat. The Captain sits at the stern of the boat and can raise and lower the paddle wheel to change the gear resistance for the peddlers. There is also a solar-powered electric motor that can be used for navigating in and out of dock.
Cascade Cycleboats has clients operating their one-of-kind tour boats in Seattle, Houston, San Diego, Portland and Minneapolis, and they will have one in their hometown of Bend, Oregon this summer.
“This is a great venue for groups to experience fun on the water in a completely new and unique way,” commented Jennifer Tweeton, owner of Dryft Cycleboats in Lake Conroe, Texas. “My customers proclaim the peddling isn’t too hard and being able to visit while cruising around the lake makes it a perfect outing for them. The Cycleboats are so well built; everyone that boards – even the most seaworthy – are impressed with the integrity of the boat.”
After coming up with the idea in 2012, owner Kyle Allen spent almost two years in the research and development phase, working with a naval architecture and engineering firm to design the Cycleboat in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Small Passenger Vessel standards. “Because this is a unique product unlike anything they had ever seen, we didn’t fit neatly into the Coast Guard’s check boxes and we were faced with some challenges and many delays,” said Allen. “We were able to actually begin production of our commercial tour boats in the summer of 2014 and are currently building our 6th Cycleboat.”
If you are interested in starting a fun and profitable tour business in your area, check out Cascade Cycleboats’ website at http://www.cycleboats.com.
