Naples Pubcycle: a party on wheels

There's a new way to bar hop in Naples.

No need to designate a driver or call an Uber. Instead, hop on the Pubcycle and pedal to your next destination.

Morgan Cote, owner and operator of Naples Pubcycle, drives the vehicle while passengers pedal from Naples Beach Brewery to Whiskey Park on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. The Pubcycle has been operating for only one month, and the routes are customizable based on what the party wants.

"You bring the party, we just are the party," said Morgan Cote, owner and operator of Naples Pubcycle.

It's been nearly two months since Cote started taking riders to and from locations in North Naples and in the Industrial Park area of Naples off Airport-Pulling Road. And so far, people love it, she said.

"It’s pretty awesome. It’s eco-friendly, there’s no gas, there's no emissions. It's literally pedal-powered.

"You don’t have to worry about driving there," Cote said. "It’s pretty convenient."

The idea is simple: BYOB (no glass allowed), and pedal as fast as you can. The bike averages about 5 mph, but Cote said one group reached 10 mph with a cycle instructor on board.

Passengers pedal the Naples Pubcycle from Naples Beach Brewery to Whiskey Park on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. The engraved phrase "Het Fietscafe" means "The Foot Cafe" in Dutch, because the bike was made in Holland.

Similar trikes have popped up in about 50 major cities across the country, including in St. Petersburg, Gainesville and Santa Rosa Beach. A bartender at Bone Hook Brewery in North Naples, Cote overhead a customer talking about the bike, so she went online to learn more.

More:Where to find other PedalPub licensees

She became a licensee of PedalPub, the national company based in Minneapolis. She purchased the bike, which, except for the tires, is built entirely in Holland.

"Het fietscafe," the bike says, which means "the foot café" in Dutch.

The cycle shipped to Miami, where it got its tires, and an 18-wheeler delivered it to Cote's home.

"This is my baby," she said.

The Dutch-designed system consists of one single gear, which means one drunken rider will not slow down the rest. Ten of the 15 seats pedal, and the driver, Cote, does all the steering and braking and controls the headlights; a battery supplies electricity.

Riders take a seat at the bar, which is fitted with cup holders and overhead lights and speakers. A Bluetooth radio at the front can be connected to a phone for music. Shelves overhead can store bags and purses.

Cote cannot sell, serve or pour alcohol, but riders can bring a cooler or hook up a keg to a tap. A "bartender" can stand in the middle and serve the riders as they pedal.

Colleen Miller, from left, Angela Boswell and John Wheeler pedal from Naples Beach Brewery to Whiskey Park in celebration of their friend's birthday on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. The Pubcycle has been operating for only one month, and its routes are customizable based on what the party wants.

Cote has plans to bring the Pubcycle to downtown Naples, but she is working with the city to get it approved. Because the bike only travels around 5-10 mph, it must stay on roads with speed limits of 35 mph.

Groups with a minimum of 8 and maximum of 15 can reserve the 2-hour pub crawl tour by making a reservation ahead of time. Those range from $350 to $400 per group.

The route is customizeable, but Cote also offers two route options:

» Route 1: Meet at The Pavilion at Vanderbilt Beach Road and U.S. 41 North, to Beach Box and to Tacos and Tequila back in The Pavilion

» Route 2: Meet at Naples Beach Brewery, to Whiskey Park, to Dylan's Drafthouse and back to Naples Beach Brewery

Another option is to hop on the Pubcycle at Naples Beach Brewery on the weekends that Cote doesn't have a scheduled tour. That costs $35 to $40 per person. Visit the Pubcycle Facebook page to find out when the individual tours are offered.

Morgan Cote, owner and operator of Naples Pubcycle, poses for a portrait on Sunday, August 6, 2017. The Pubcycle has only been operating for one month and the routes are customizable based on what the party wants.

At a time when dining and entertainment are becoming more experience-based, Cote said the idea of a pedal-powered bar is growing more popular.

"Sitting at a bar is not appealing as it used to be," she said. "And Naples is gorgeous. Why not be out in the gorgeous weather and hang out with your friends?

"And the fact that everyone is pedaling together, it’s a teamwork thing, and having fun while you’re doing it."

Naples Pubcycle

» 239-877-1988

» naplespubcycle.com