True Talk: The Trolley Bike

Springfield businessman Brian Ash first heard about the concept of a trolley bike from a friend who had seen one in Nashville, Tennessee, and thought Springfield would be the perfect place for one. 

“I checked it out and I was like, ‘they're right, Springfield does need a trolley bike!’” said Ash, co-owner of The Trolley Bike. 

With that, Ash set a plan in motion, and now, The Trolley Bike is the biggest party on wheels in the Queen City. The bike is an open air “party bus” 14-passenger quadricycle that you and your party can pedal around downtown. It has six seats lining both sides and a back bench for riders to sit on while pedaling the bike simultaneously. Beginning at Lost Signal Brewing Company, riders work together to casually pedal The Trolley Bike around a designated route and stop whenever a thirst needs quenching.

“I tell people if a bicycle and a go-kart had a baby, you'd get a trolley bike,” said Ash. “A lot of people think because it is so big it might be really hard to pedal but we have an electric assist motor so it really is a piece of cake to take it around.”

The Trolly Bike has become quite popular for parties, company outings and even Springfield Cardinals games. Guests can stock their own cooler or even order growlers from Lost Signal to take along for the ride. There’s also a sound system on board so you can listen to your favorites tunes while cruising the streets of downtown. Ash says there are many reasons why downtown Springfield is the perfect place for The Trolley Bike. 

“There’s a great selection of bars and restaurants down here and a lot of fun stuff see,” he said. “Life is Springfield is, you know, pretty laid back. It doesn't have all that big city hustle but it’s not exactly Mayberry either. Springfield is a friendly place. It’s got that midwestern charm.”

Reservations are required for The Trolley Bike and you can book them online. Make your reservation as early as possible as they tend to fill up quickly.