Crank Arm Rickshaw Hits the Streets of Raleigh

All photos by Tim Lytvinenko

Adam Eckhardt is a man who wears many hats and knows how to execute a vision. Along with being a new father, Eckhardt is the lead singer of the local rock band A Rooster for the Masses, grows his own hops and has become a master home-brewer over the past few years. He has mountain biked every trail in the area (including a few scrapes and bruises over the years) and can also tell you the exactly what stereo system would be best to create that perfect surround sound you desire for you home entertainment. He is a man on a mission and his latest project, Crank Arm Rickshaw has just started rolling down the streets of Raleigh.

On his honeymoon in 2004, Eckhardt and his wife called a cab to pick them up late one evening. Instead of a car arriving to shuttle them home, a three-wheeled rickshaw showed up. The couple enjoyed their open-air ride home and from that moment on, Eckhardt knew that he wanted to be involved with making rickshaws a part of his hometown of Raleigh. Seven years later, his wish has come true.

Eckhardt is a die-hard mountain biker which has become part of the core-concept behind Crank Arm. This second-hand nature for biking is a quality that is very important to the business model of CrankArm. Every rider that the company trains will be experienced riders that "already ride bikes and take riding bikes seriously".

To date, Crank Arm has trained about a dozen men and women riders and plans to add a few more riders in the future. Crank Arm currently has three Rickshaws that are shared by these riders, each of whom can sign up for shifts online. Their goal is not to become a large scale operation, but to stay small and provide quality transportation to and from local destinations. The bikes will currently ride anywhere from Oakwood, to downtown, to Five Points and NC State.

Crank Arm is currently working on putting together relationships with a few downtown businesses for sponsorship and advertisement on the Rickshaws. Rather than the advertising on the bikes becoming simply billboards, they become incentivized with discounts at the businesses who sponsor each of the bikes. If you end up on the American Brewmasters Rickshaw, for example, you could find yourself with a discount on dinner if you decide to make the restaurant your dining destination. "It's a good way to relate the businesses, the drivers and the riders" Edkhardt stated. Staying small, as a business, is something that Crank Arm also sees as a benefit for its advertisers.

One last aspect to Crank Arm that makes its business model one for our liking is its eagerness to participate in both local community events as well as cycling events in the area. "We want to be part of the community," Eckhardt said. " We plan to show up and participate in as many cycling events, bike races, fundraisers and community gatherings as we can. We like the local connection." he continued. They plan on working with local bike shop Flythe Cyclery, who are just around the corner from their warehouse, on future events and ideas.

You can find Crank Arm Rickshaw on Facebook and on CrankArmRickshaw.com.

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