Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that booking a pedal bar is a big commitment, and you have questions. We’re here to help and answer your questions.
Before Your Ride
Why? You can pick us for our good looks or our charming personality. We don’t really care which reason you choose us.
The Michigan Pedaler is considered “The Cadillac of Party Bikes,” manufactured by Atec Customs in the United States of America. We strongly believe in American-made products and thought the Motor City deserved a bike made right here in the great U.S. of A.
We’re the safest party bike on the market – and we come with electric assist. If you are tired of pedaling and need a break, we do not have to crack the whip to get you guys moving – we just flick a switch and get you to where you need to go.
Finally, we want to make you experience as enjoyable as possible. From planning your event and getting your logistics determined, to pre-partying at McShane’s, to your ride itself, we want you to be assured we are looking out for you to give you the best experience possible.
We offer you a lot of flexibility in choosing your route, bars and itinerary. We also offer a great deal of other options in addition to a standard pub crawl. We hope we can be a match for you when selecting a way to spend your hard-earned money on a fun afternoon or night with friends.
Gotcha Doctor. Let’s break it down for you. Choose the time you want to go on a tour. Pay with your credit card. Rest up. Show up at McShane’s Irish Pub at least 15-20 minutes before your tour on your scheduled day. Bring with you the confirmation email showing you’ve filled out the liability waiver ahead of time online show us your photo ID. Then… Pedal. Laugh. Live.
Our bike accomodates up to 15 guests. Ten pedalers. Four sit on a big back bench. One stands in our “Captain’s area.” We would suggest having at least six people come together but due to our electric assist, we can always move you as needed.
No problem. Making tough decisions isn’t for everybody. We’ll discuss with you the options and offer our own suggestions based on what you tell us you are looking for. The key thing is that you’ve made your reservation and the bike is yours for the scheduled time.
All tours begin at McShane’s Irish Pub. McShane’s is located at 1460 Michigan Avenue. It’s at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, just across the street from where Tiger Stadium used to be.
That is your call. You probably want to arrive 15-20 minutes early so we can get you ready to head out when it is time for your tour to start.
You can arrive early though and enjoy food and drinks at McShane’s Irish Pub. They offer $3 domestic pints whenever the Tigers play, home or away.
If it is nice outside (hopefully!), McShane’s has a large patio. You could also hang out inside to watch the game on TV or play a game of pool.
McShane’s has an attendant secured lot, where parking is basically free. You pay $10 cash upon arrival, but receive a voucher for $10 off food and drink at McShane’s (good for that day only). We strongly encourage our guests to utilize this, as we load and unload our bikes from the same lot!
We know that many people are coming to ride The Michigan Pedaler to consume alcohol before their tour, during the tour, and afterwards at McShane’s or another establishment. We want you to be safe and get home safely.
Consider Uber, Lyft, or a cab. There are always plenty of options in Detroit and you never have to worry about your car or who’s driving.
If you do have a designated driver, we strongly recommend parking in the McShane’s parking lot. Parking is essentially free…you just have to pay $10 cash and you receive a $10 food/drink voucher for McShane’s, good for that date only. The parking lot is well lit, at a busy intersection, and has an attendant.
We want everyone to have a great time but plan accordingly. This is a big night out with your friends. We’ll drive responsibly on the bike – we just ask that everybody is responsible in getting themselves home.
There are tons of reasons to love McShane’s Irish Pub. Here’s a few of our favorites:
- McShane’s parking is practically free. Parking costs $10 but you receive a $10 voucher towards food and drink at McShane’s upon purchase.
- It’s plenty spacious and has a beautiful outside patio! Prepare for a great experience no matter what the weather is.
- It’s located at the iconic corner of Michigan and Trumbull, in the heart of Detroit’s oldest and most exciting neighborhood. See major construction developments happen right before your eyes as the neighborhood awaits Ford moving in to the train station.
All of our rides, no matter which tour you choose, run for two hours.
During Your Tour
The more the merrier. We have six bikes, so you can rent all six for up to 90 people at a time.
All of our reservations are set up around time periods in 2 ½ hour intervals (10:00AM, 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8:00) To rent two bikes, simply select two times near the same interval (for instance 7:50 and 8:00 or 8:00 and 8:10). If you are hoping to rent three bikes, select all three (7:50, 8:00, 8:10).
For groups needing 4+ bikes, please contact us for details.
Pub Crawls are the most popular thing to do on the bike. All the pub crawls start at McShane’s Irish Pub. From there, you can choose from three different areas of the city you’d like to visit: Downtown, Midtown or Corktown. We’ll most likely stop at two or three spots for you to rest up and grab a drink if you’d like. Two hours later, we’ll pedal back to McShane’s.
Yes… bring your own food and drink but follow our rules – no glass allowed. Don’t bring food that is too messy. We have a built-in cooler for you to use. You can also bring your own coolers to put in the Captain area between the two sides of the bar. We also have storage bins on top for smaller items.
The Michigan Pedaler does not have a microwave or an oven. Don’t plan on cooking a turkey during your ride.
Yes, you are allowed to bring alcohol on board The Michigan Pedaler. Raise a beer and toast your good fortune while riding through the city on The Michigan Pedaler! You can use our cooler or bring your own to store your drinks in. We do not permit glass on board (for safety reasons) so bring cans of beer (versus glass); bring wine in a container other than a glass bottle, etc. Straight liquor – whether in glass or a plastic bottle – is not permitted. Please pre-mix your drinks prior to the start of your ride. While you are on board The Michigan Pedaler, we encourage responsible consumption of alcohol.
Please note: you cannot bring alcohol into any bars or restaurants. You cannot take your drinks out of any bar and onto the bike (state liquor rules).
For the most part, we ask you to use common sense. We are looking for a safe, enjoyable experience. If something is against the law, then you can’t do that on the bike. That sounds pretty logical right?
So we’re not real big into having a ton of rules. Let’s be smart and have fun too!
We do have two main rules that we ask you to follow:
NO GLASS. Period. So, no glass beer bottles. No wine bottles. No hard liquor bottles.
Secondly, no hard liquor bottles (glass or plastic). There are plenty of pre-made liquor drinks you can purchase. We also suggest pre-mixing a thermos if you wish. You’ll probably want to take a break and use the bathroom during your ride. That is the perfect time to stop in a bar and have a shot!
We don’t make a lot of rules but we think these two rules will make for a great experience – from start to finish.
No it’s not. With a big group pedaling, you’ll have no problem moving the bike on your own. We’ve done it with just two people. But, The Michigan Pedaler comes complete with electric assist. We can “help” you pedal where you do some of the work and our battery does some of the lifting. Or if you are just worn out, we can do all the work.
Sure thing. Our battery can handle that too. If pedaling is not in the cards for you, you can simply relax and we’ll do the work for you too. No extra charge!
Absolutely. The two hours that you have reserved on The Michigan Pedaler are for you to use however you want. We want you to have a great time while observing the few rules we have in place.
Most people choose to visit two or three bars over the course of two hours. If you aren’t “most people” you can pedal to the beat of your own drum. If you want to cruise around the city for all two hours, that’s cool. If you want to visit just one bar but stay there for an hour – fine by me. If you want to hit four bars, let’s do it. In the end, we want you to say “I had a great time!”
Yes, we have a kickin’ sound system on The Michigan Pedaler and are ready to get you into whatever mood you want. There’s lots of options for music: Most popularly, you can select the songs by plugging in your phone, iPod or other device and accessing your music. Put together a playlist of your top music for the ride… or select a Pandora or Spotify station.
Speaking of Spotify, we’ve created some playlists of songs we hear a lot while pedaling! You can check it out here!
Our drivers appreciate being recognized for exemplary service and like to be rewarded in the form of a cash tip.
It is your choice how much you wish to tip. Most guests choose to tip somewhere between 10% and 25% of the cost of your tour. However, tipping is not required.
Final Note: Our drivers are fun. They are cool. The like to have a good time. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DRINK while on duty. Please don’t offer the drivers drinks, buy them shots at a bar you visit or coax them into celebrating your good times. Their job is to make sure you have a good time – and a safe time.
Mini Pedaler Questions
Well, for starters the Mini Pedaler is much more adorable.
The real difference is that this bike is designed for groups of six or less at a lower price point. It’s still two hours long, we still stop at the same places, and you still bring your own food, drink, and music. We got this bike because we know that getting 15 people for a ride can be difficult and we wanted to make sure everybody and anybody can experience Detroit through our eyes!
Unfortunately, we don’t have a cooler on board the Mini Pedaler. Since the bike is smaller and we know most riders bring their own cooler anyways, we wanted to make sure there is a lot of room for your personal belongings. Personal sized coolers work best on the Mini Pedaler, since we have cubbies and hooks where they can easily be stored.
Yes, you are welcome to use our Bluetooth speaker to play your own playlist or your favorite streaming service!
Nope. This bike only has six seats and unlike our regular sized bikes, does not have room for standing in the middle. Only groups of six or less are fit for the Mini Pedaler!
Yes! As with any of our other bikes, you can pedal as much or as little as you’d like. The bike does have a battery on board, so you never have to worry about being tired!
Here’s the great thing – it’s not! As always, you can book it by clicking here or by giving us a call at 313-744-3272. The tour routes are the same: Downtown, Corktown, or Midtown. It’s two hours long, can fit a maximum of six people, and costs a flat rate of $175. Anything you’ve done on our regular sized bikes, you can do on the Mini Pedaler!
Unfortunately, this is not possible. We don’t pair the Mini Pedaler so we are able to stay on schedule throughout the day. However, you can pair our regular sized bikes together!
Right now, we just have the one Mini Pedaler. Follow @MIPedaler on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated with Michigan Pedaler news and Mini Pedaler additions!
Misc Questions
Before the fun can begin, everybody in your group must complete a waiver. CLICK HERE to complete our liability waiver.
- Once you complete the waiver on our website, you will receive an email confirmation of the email. SAVE THIS EMAIL.
- When our driver meets you, he or she will request two things: 1) Your driver’s license 2) the confirmation email you received. Show the email on your phone to your driver along with your ID and you are good to go.
- Everybody in your group must complete the waiver! So please pass the link along that you receive upon booking, or click here to view the waiver.
- Print out of a copy of the confirmation email ahead of time, clearly displaying your name. Bring this paper with you.
- Log in to someone else’s phone and access the email and show it to us.
- Forward a copy of the email to a friend who can show it to us that is on the bike with you.
- Snap a picture or a screenshot of the confirmation and send it to a friend to show.
- Yes, anyone under 18 (even small children) need to have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
- Complete the waiver, entering the child’s name and birth date. When the signature is requested, the parent or guardian must sign on behalf of the minor.
Yes! Reach out to us via email (info@michiganpedaler.com) or phone (313.744.3272). We’d love to work with you on planning a corporate outing or event that works for you.
What a cool and unique birthday gift. You can buy a gift card in many denominations. Buy the whole bike as a gift or simply an amount that can be applied to the rental.
Absolutely! We’d love to welcome your family on our bike. We have held many family outings and children’s birthday parties on the bike too. While you hear most about our fun pub crawls, the two hours that you use the bike is totally up to you. Some choose to stay on the bike for the full two hours and sight see. We’ve had pizza parties on the bike. We’ve stopped for coneys and kids have eaten them at Campus Maritius. We’ve had ice cream runs and merry go rides all as part of the ride. If you have an idea, we like to figure out how to make it work!
Booking The Michigan Pedaler is non-refundable. Should you need to change the date or time of your booking, you may change the date and time up to 21 days before your ride for no extra charge. We operate rain or snow, sun or sleet. In the case of extreme severe weather (tornado warnings, snow storms etc.) we may need to cancel your tour. If this happens, you may reschedule your tour for a later available date. There are no refunds once a tour begins. However, consider the elements as part of the fun and adventure – whether that requires sun screen, a rain poncho, or a scarf. Our Pedalers let the good times roll – and sometimes the weather (even inclement) plays a big part of the fun.
We operate year-round. Winter offers a unique perspective riding Detroit’s Party Bike. If horse drawn carriages are all over Central Park in New York at Christmas, why not ride The Michigan Pedaler during the winter months? A holiday pub crawl is a great way to ring in the holiday season.