Pedalling made fun!

Family coming to town is always something fun and exciting, especially when it's a city we haven't lived in before. Exploration, history, touring and fun is what's on the menu!  Here in Savannah, you have all that and more, not to mention that you have many different modes to take of advantage of all the city has to offer.

Savannah Slow Ride logo used from TripAdvisor.

So when our friends recently came to visit, we decided Savannah Slow Ride was the way to go!

If you aren't familiar with the concept, don't worry, we weren't either! I do believe that Savannah is the only city who has anything like this. Picture this: a bike, 15 riders, sitting bench style, rolling through the historic district, our guide giving us magnificent stories of the people and events of the charming city of Savannah, all the while steering towards various pub stops. Sounds great doesn't it? Well it was a BLAST! Savannah Slow Ride is the only company in Savannah providing anything close to this 2 hour tour.

Everyone loves lists and they make for easy reading. I am including a Star rating so make it easier, with 5 being the highest and 1 the lowest.

So here goes my Savannah Slow Ride experience listed, for you, and your reading pleasure.

1. Their website was very user friendly. It allowed us to see the various tours available for our group, and the pricing (group and individual). We could actually view the availability of guides for the time slot we wanted. When the tour we wanted didn't come up, we called the number and we were greeted by a friendly and helpful person. The entire booking process took about 10-15 minutes, and they sent us an email confirmation immediately. Be prepared the tour in its entirety because they are pre-paid tours. The only drawback about the website is they don't tell you where they have scheduled the stops, or how the stops differ from tour to tour. Website rates 4 out of 5 stars for usability and ease of booking.
2. We originally wanted to go on the Pub Tour, however they do not permit anyone under 21 on the pub tour. Our DD, which simultaneously stands for Designated Driver and Darling Daughter, is under 21and despite her DD status was not allowed. So we went with the Historic Tour- only to find out that the stops were exactly the same. Odd. 
3. On the day of the tour they were very easy to find- much easier than parking in Savannah, but that's a different post. We arrived early, as we were told, and got our waivers signed. This was a piece of cake! Within a short window after we arrived, we boarded our "craft". For their 'game day' ease, I give them a 5 out of 5. It was smooth, fast, and we were on board and having fun in no time at all. 
4. Our guide, Mike, had a great attitude and was incredibly knowledgeable about his Savannah history. His ability to weave tales and make history interesting made this tour phenomenal. He was also funny, and sarcastic and entertaining! Mike gets 5 stars as our guide.
5. Now for the "craft"- it's a 15 person pedalling bench-bicycle-apparatus that is steered (and stopped)by the guide but pedalled by the guests. That being said, I would recommend getting all 15 seats occupied by your party, or close to it. We had 7 people on the "craft" and 6 others. In an effort not to bash people I don't know, let's just say our 7 people did 99% of the work. At one point we are all pedalling, while they have they legs up on the railing. That sucked! Also let it be known that there are several seats they do not have pedals due to their location on the"craft". So position people according to who will pedal, and who might be along for the "ride". Oh! And don't forget to distribute your party evenly! Our entire party sat on one side of the "craft", which made it difficult to talk to each other and to see each other. Never mind the fact that all of our pedalers were on one side of the "craft". Since this issue had nothing to do with the actual company, but still take this bit of advice. Just be warned! You will work harder if others won't!



Photo taken from TripAdvisor-
Savannah Slow Ride.

6. The tour lasted 2 hrs, which is just enough to work up a sweat (even on a comfortable spring Saturday) and get heavily buzzed. We visited several cool historic sites and bars. Overall the tour was pleasant and informative, while still giving the drunks on board (myself included) the pit stops we needed to refuel. Tour itself gets a 5 out 5. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the afternoon and our friends in from upstate New York loved it as well! It is a unique experience they won't soon forget! 

Lastly, if you read other reviews out there (like I did before we did it), some will bitch about the heat, the physical exertion, and how exhausted they were at the end. Let's be real here for a minute.... you are on an eco-friendly craft where you have to pedal to make it run. Yup, that's physical! Savannah's heat can be brutal! I don't suggest you doing this in the middle of the day in the middle of summer. Hell doing anything but AC, the pool, the beach or a cold damn shower is highly unrecommended in the middle of Savannah summers. 

What I am trying to summarize is that you need to go into it with the right expectations, and I hope this review gives you that insight! 

Now pedal on my friends! 

**All photos and logos used are property of Savannah Slow Ride, and are used with the sole purpose of reviewing our experience. I do not own the copyrights to these photos and no copyright infringement is intended.