In the last few years, party bikes have popped up in almost every metropolitan area in the US and have spread their happy vibes down the streets of all these cities! However, it wasn’t always a popular activity for tourists and locals alike.
In 1997, Henk and Zwier Van Laar, brothers from the Netherlands, came up with the idea of “Fietscafe” or “bike cafe” in English. Sitting at a bar and listening to the owner’s woes of needing to promote his pub in a local parade prompted them to build a multi-person bike that could be pedaled down the street during the parade. They started manufacturing and distributing the bikes soon after that and they quickly started to gain popularity in Europe.
It wasn’t until 2007 that the Fietscafe made it over the pond to the US. Al Boyce came across a photo of this crazy contraption and decided to bring one over to the US. Eric Olson and Al Boyce purchased a bike from the Van Laar brothers, trademarked the brand “PedalPub”, and claimed the “first and oldest party bike business in the United States.”
So, how exactly did this story lead to SoCal party bike business? It’s been a crazy adventure since the start of Social Cycle, but it’s worked out really well, thanks to the support of party bike patrons along the way.
Owner and founder, Laura Rovick, moved to San Diego for college and then worked in marketing and sales after graduating. Laura realized she was ready to start something new and on her own, but wasn’t sure what exactly that would be. Her sister suggested she“call those crazy bike guys in Minnesota that you always talk about.” So, Laura called the Pedal Pub guys in Minneapolis and as fate would have it, found out that one of them was in San Diego for the weekend. They grabbed a beer (what else, right?) and the rest is history! Social Cycle San Diego launched the first year followed by Palm Springs and Santa Barbara in the years following.
“We’ve built the business, but more importantly, built a team and a family that always has each other’s back. We’re proud to be SoCal’s best party bike and can’t wait to continue to provide the best tours in San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs!” – Laura Rovick