Manager finds new sideline as street pedaler

Staff photo by John Ewing

Chris Mahaney, 32, an assistant manager at the Patagonia outlet store in Freeport, maneuvers his pedicab through Main Street traffic in the town. Working only two days a week so far, Mahaney has been pedaling customers around downtown, just for tips.

Staff photo by John Ewing

Chris Mahaney begins his day pedaling his pedicab on Wednesday in front of the LL Bean store in Freeport. Mahaney rides a large loop through downtown parking lots and streets, looking for potential riders.

FREEPORT  A chat with a tired shopper led Chris Mahaney to launch the town's first pedicab service last month.

A customer at the Patagonia Outlet store on Bow Street told Mahaney, an assistant manager there, that she had been coming to Freeport for years but was getting too old to manage the walk between her favorite stores.

Here he was, a 32-year-old avid cyclist finding it hard to get enough biking time in while working a full-time job and being the father of a new baby.

And he was working in one of Maine's leading tourist destinations, a town that draws 4 million visitors each year. Most shoppers walk along the roughly mile-long Main Street commercial district rather than drive and search for a new parking spot near each store they visit.

Mahaney bought a $3,200 yellow pedicab from a Colorado company he found online and launched Mahaney's Maine Pedicab Service about two weeks ago. Now shoppers can take a load off and let Mahaney pedal them to their destinations while comfortably ensconced on the cushioned back seat of what looks like a giant tricyle.

There's no charge for the ride. Mahaney tells customers he works "for tips and kind comments."

Pedicab services are flourishing in places such as Boston, New York City and various California communities, but have had mixed success in Maine.

Eli Cayer, who ran a pedicab service in Portland from 2000 to 2003, said it turned out to be unprofitable.

"It was just a lot of work and not enough pay to make it worthwhile," said Cayer, a real estate agent who also runs a nonprofit community organization that promotes local culture.

Currently, no one is licensed to operate a pedicab service in Portland, said Ben Snow, manager of marine operations for the city. That department issues the licenses.

However, a summer bicycle taxi business in Old Orchard Beach has operated successfully for three years now, said the owner, Christian Dietzel. He used to pedal a cab for the former owner but bought the Beach Bike Cab business this year, he said.

"I think that as a seasonal venture, it's excellent," said Dietzel, 21, a student at the University of Maine in Farmington.

Also, a Kennebunkport couple launched d & b Pedicab this June. The service operates in Kennebunkport and Kennebunk, with its season ending Oct. 15.

Brian McGrath owns the business along with his wife, Deborah. "It was slow in the beginning, but it's picking up quite a bit," McGrath said. "Most of our business is people going out dining and to bed-and-breakfasts and hotels."

People who want wine or a drink along with dinner but don't want to drive back to their hotel are especially appreciative of the pedicabs, he said.

Pedicab operators admit there are challenges in the business. A major one is physical.

For example, Mahaney's pedicab, also known as a trishaw, weighs 150 pounds. With his weight and that of two adult passengers, he can be pedaling 500 pounds or more.

He described his and his wife's ages as "at least mature," but said they are triathletes who run and work out everyday.

Dietzel said he is a mountain biker and skiing instructor and practices martial arts.

Mahaney, a Bath resident, rides both a mountain bicycle and a road bicycle. He's lean and muscular, but a trickle of sweat on his face Thursday illustrated how much work it is to ride the 21-speed pedicab around Freeport Village. Mahaney calculates he rides 12-15 miles each day he's out.

Before the McGraths could open their pedicab business, they had to wait for the towns of Kennebunkport and Kennebunk to pass ordinances governing such operations. The ordinances, passed within the past 11 months, do everything from regulating the maximum fee - $5 per 15 minutes - to establishing how permits and licences are issued.

Traffic along Main Street moves slowly and Mahaney said drivers of larger vehicles have been respectful of his small pedicab since he started the service Aug. 21.

He hopes to expand the part-time business to full time next summer and expand his fleet to three pedicabs, which he would lease to other drivers. He may offer service in other towns.

Mahaney also plans to sell advertising space on his cab, which other operators say is a good way to increase revenue.

Jonas Werner, co-owner of the Azure Cafe on Main Street, said he plans to buy advertising space on Mahaney's pedicab. Werner took a workday break with his wife Thursday afternoon to tour the town from the seat of the pedicab.

"We just enjoyed it so much. It was so relaxing," Werner said. "It adds to the ambience of downtown Freeport without any extra noise or pollution."

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