Downtown Austin’s PubCrawler

The new PubCrawler of Austin is making rounds about the city and giving barhopping a whole new ring. “It’s a party on wheels,” owner Billy Lund said describing the PubCrawler. “A peddle-powered mobile bar?” rider Nate Nickerson ventured a guess. “Just a bar on wheels,” according to co-owner Robin Lund.

Founded in August, Austin’s first PubCrawler holds 10 pedalers, 16 people in all. It’s BYOK. Renters can bring their own keg and choose one of six predetermined routes, stopping at some of Austin’s most popular bars and music venues.

The foot-powered vehicle was invented in the Netherlands and goes up to 5 miles per hour. “It’s much easier sitting on the back row than it is pedaling… cause that’s a lot of hard work!” shares rider Shelli Nickerson. “It’s so safe because everyone really slows down to see you.”

Safety means more than just driving slow. With nearly 28,000 DUI crashes in Texas last year alone, PubCrawler’s designated driver takes the wheel, so barhoppers don’t have to.

“You don’t have to worry about where you’re going to park your car, who’s going to drive it home, who’s the designated driver. You get to forget about all that stuff and just have fun,” rider Nate Nickerson said.

While the PubCrawler can be fun, the city of Austin does enforce rules…. It prohibits glass bottles onboard the Crawler and outlaws drinking east of Lamar. “Every one wants to know how it’s legal as far as the drinking goes. We do have restrictions,” according to Lund.

Similar concepts have been popping up in cities across the country, such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Houston. Whether rented out for birthdays, bachelor parties, or just a night on the town, this mobile bar is putting the pub in public.

-Nicole