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PAGE 8 ALL ABOUT MONTANA MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE / JULY 2020
COASTEr CYCLES | CONTINUED FrOM PAGE 7
back two wheels for passengers and a seat
toward the front for the cyclist.
Morris decided pedicabs would be con-
venient for transporting people to and from
venues, like from large parking lots to ath-
letic stadiums, or in congested areas where
special interest-sites, such as museums,
have limited parking.
Morris purchased five pedicabs, hired
drivers, and found events along the east-
ern seaboard where pedicabs would fill a
need. As each season passed, the pedicab
business expanded.
“When I discovered that the pedicabs
I was buying were not the caliber that I
needed. I decided to form a company and
start building pedicabs with sturdier fea- Individuals at the Senior Connection in Hailey, Idaho, often ride the pedicab on nearby bike trails or in the
tures,” said Morris. The same company in community’s parades. Photo courtesy Senior Connection.
Madison, Wis., that put out the face shield
design, created the original pedicab style After he designed the cycles, Morris
for Morris. found a business in Darby, Mont., that was
making recumbent bikes and was willing
to help build the prototype. For a year they
Care & Comfort Home Inc. tried to make the two products simulta-
neously, but the floor space was simply
April Custer Administrator/Owner not large enough, and the Darby location
provided some logistical challenges.
Experienced & Specializing in Assisted
Living & Long Term (Nursing Home Care) One of the first drivers Morris hired
was still with him at the time. Justin Bruce
Now with two locations, in Havre
We Love Our 1204 Cleveland Ave........(406) 265-2800 moved to Montana, became the COO, and
Residents 607 4th St........................406) 262-7504 started looking around for another place to
(
build pedicabs.
In 2015, after using a less-than-satis-
A time to remember, to heal,
& to bring our nation together... factory location near the Missoula airport,
Cloyd Bruce met Mike Boehme and Steve Nelson,
who were the new owners of the former
Funeral Home
Cremation Service Stimson Lumber Mill site.
Serving Central Montana For Over 55 Years Morris arrived from the Bay area, and the
two Coaster Cycles men met with Boehme
406-538-8711 • 1-800-219-8711
209 3rd Ave N • Lewistown and Nelson. They struck a deal to lease
cloydfuneralhome.com 7,600 square feet of the 1880 vintage stone
building and received financing from a local
bank to expand their business.
As the company increased its fabrication,
assembly, and shipping capabilities during
the next four years, it grew into almost 25,000
square feet of the stone building’s space.
About the time the company began to
build pedicabs, businesses like the United
Parcel Service started telling Morris they
wanted freighters to use in large cities for
last-mile delivery.
Cargo cycles are easier to maneuver
around a city than a truck, and custom-
ers salute these cycles because they are a
zero-emission method of transportation.
Coffee, ice cream, and beer vendors, as
well as marketing agencies, purchased cargo
box-style cycles to sell their products along
streets, on sidewalks, and in parking lots.
Customers have
CENTRAL MONTANA FAMILY PLANNING many di fferent
reasons for buying
MONTANA CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM the cargo cycles.
Offering screening services for Breast and Cervical cancer along The University of
with outreach and education for Fergus, Judith Basin,
Petroleum, Golden Valley, Musselshell and Wheatland counties Montana purchased
one for dining ser-
300 1ST AVENUE NORTH STE 202 vices to transport
LEWISTOWN, MT 59457
406 535 8811 OR 1 877 421 8646 catered food across
campus.
This project is funded (in part or in whole) by grants from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and from the Montana
Department of Public Health and Human Services.
The library in Hayden, Idaho, purchased
two cargo bikes to do wellness and mind-
fulness activities with teens and tweens in
open settings.
The Senior Connection in Hailey, Idaho,
purchased a pedicab to give seniors recre-
ational rides on nearby bike paths.
Some cities are now choosing to make
streets motorized-vehicle free, which makes
Coaster Cycles in even higher demand. As
part of production, the company also details
the cycle, especially the cargo box, to mar-
ket the customer’s product.
Every customer has a different rea-
son for buying one or a fleet. A delightful
example was in 2017 when the Philadelphia
Association for Public Art commissioned
Cai-Guo-Qiang, a Chinese artist, to create
the special effects for the Fireflies Festival,
celebrating public art.
Cai-Guo-Qiang designed many-
shaped, colored paper lanterns lit by LED
lights. He purchased 27 pedicabs from
Coaster Cycles and had them delivered to
his warehouse where he retrofitted the
pedicabs with the lanterns.
After dark on the evening of the festi-
val, the pedicab drivers put on a moving
performance to display the numerous lit
lanterns that bobbed in the air above the
pedicabs. Spectators also signed up to ride
in the pedicabs after the parade.
When the economy reopens, Coaster
Cycles will make pedicabs and cargo-car-
rying cycles again. In the meantime, the
company demonstrates adaptability by
making the face shields.
“I estimate that we will be making face
shields for some months, because emer-
gency stockpiles have to be restored. Also,
it’s likely that a lesson has been learned not
to depend completely on other countries for
manufacturing,” said Morris.
“Whatever our product, our company is
in Montana to stay. We can ship from here
all over the world,” said Morris.“The people
from the governor’s office, to the banks, and
on to the neighbors we have at our business
have been extremely supportive.” MSN
To find out more about Coaster Cycles check online: www.
coastercycles.com.