The Trike Lane in Winter…

…is a bit slow. Because the NYC DCA has issued approximately 900 pedicab registration plates, and only about 300 pedicab driver licenses, the pedicab-rental business is, shall we say, glacial. In the long term, it seems that the rule of law will encourage both natives and tourists of New York to accept pedicabs as a safe and legitimate form of transportation; in the short term, the onset of regulation has dramatically thinned the ranks.

Fortunately, Revolution has not been tending a monocrop, these past five years in practice. Hardy drivers for RR’s rickshaw-van rental clients – City Bakery, Spoon Catering, and Pure Food & Wine – have been hitting the road regularly, as have City Harvest’s trio of trike teamsters (City Harvest recently firmed their commitment to organic transport by purchasing three insulated rickshaw vans they’d previously been renting). RR’s own drivers have been faithfully making the rounds for our delivery clients, as well.

Loading cargo at 5:30am, in a snowstorm.

Contrary to popular belief, RR’s heavy-duty work trikes do in fact function in all weather. I’d estimate that a trike can plow pretty easily through a couple inches of snow under all wheels, or up to six or even eight inches of snow under one or two wheels. Yesterday, as I was driving off the curb and into the street at 31st and Lexington, cargo box loaded with 700+ pounds of pizza dough, my trike did get stuck in softening white stuff; however, it only took thirty seconds of shoving by a couple gracious helpers to get the me back on the road. The moral of the story is: Trikes, like all vehicles, are susceptible to the vagaries of foul weather and snow build-up. They’re also a lot easier to rescue from the scrapes they get into as a result of said vagaries.

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night...."

In other news: As you may have seen on the Revolution home page, RR is teaming with local organic farmer Zaid Kurdieh, of Norwich Meadows Farm, to offer New York City’s first ever (partially) pedal-powered home delivery CSA (food will travel from farm to midtown via truck, from midtown to customers’ doors via rickshaw van). Monthly deliveries for the winter share begin in January and end in April. In June, we expect to commence weekly deliveries for the summer share (more on that later). See https://www.norwichmeadowsfarm.com/homedelivery.htm for details. Deadline to sign up for the winter share – and get scrumptious seasonal delights like eggs, butter, root vegetables and maple syrup – HAS BEEN EXTENDED to January 1, 2010. RR loves New York, and wants to help New Yorkers glow with health – both by promoting non-toxic travel, and purveying the most nutritious vittles money can buy.

Happy Hauling-days, NYC!