Today we’d like to introduce you to Seema and Eric Brodie.
Seema and Eric, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We practiced law for a number of years, and the next question was, “Now what?” We not only wanted to do something where we could be our own bosses, but we wanted to choose something that was a lot of FUN! One of us had experience in the transportation industry. The other one had experience teaching stress-reduction classes. So, of course, the logical progression was to build a gym on a bus that allows people to fit in a fun and happy workout while on the go, right?
The idea to create a gym that allows you to safely workout on the go was actually proposed at the family dinner table one night in August of 2014. And, there it was: our collective, mind-blowing, a-ha moment! Some would say that the summer heat had gone to our heads.
Since lawyers don’t generally jump into anything without researching the heck out of it, that is where we started. The research showed that our increasingly sedentary lives, which includes sitting for long periods of time, is directly linked to chronic disease. “Sitting is the new smoking,” doctors say. After reading dreary article after dreary article, we were inspired to tackle this problem and get people moving in a fun and unique way, even while sightseeing in Boston!
We first pitched our idea about operating a bus that allows for safe exercising on the go in October of 2014, when we first reached out to officials at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Transportation Oversight Division. At each step of development, we collaborated with both the DPU as well as our own retained structural engineers, who analyzed our custom-built safety system and specially fabricated brackets that fasten each bike to the foundation of the bus. We filed all of the necessary legal documents, including the patents for the safety system that allows us to provide an extra measure of safety during every ride. By May of 2015, we obtained engineering and regulatory approval for our design and completed construction of the BikeBus. Test rides proved that a BikeBus ride was both a comfortable, unique, and fun experience.
In June of 2015, our first mobile indoor cycling tour set out for the open road. Not only was the vehicle unique, the indoor cycling class also had a mindfulness “spin” to it. The general response from our customers is, “That was the best spin class I’ve ever taken!” There is something special that happens on the BikeBus that allows people to stay in the moment, enjoy uplifting music, connect with people, and feel transformed after their experience. We were ecstatic to see how happy we were making people as they worked out. How often do people smile as they workout?
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We originally started our company with the idea that the BikeBus would be used primarily for commuting. We quickly learned, however, that there was much more demand in the market for the use of the BikeBus for special events and tours. Shortly after we started operating, we started to get calls from company wellness directors for team building outings, and from groups that wanted to charter the BikeBus for birthday and bachelorette parties. Then we started getting calls from tourists who were visiting Boston and wanted to try us out because our unique combination of workout and tour was the only one of its kind in the United States. We adjusted our focus accordingly.
While we still someday want to use the BikeBus for commuting, we still have some growing to do. There are plenty of people who are just now finding out about BikeBus, and the logistics of planning a commute for groups are sometimes very difficult to overcome. Being a small company, we also don’t have a huge marketing budget, so our growth has been driven primarily by social media and word of mouth. But as awareness of the BikeBus grows, we believe that we’ll be using it in even more creative ways in the future.
BikeBus – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We make fitness fun and unique! BikeBus is an original and award-winning indoor cycling tour experience that allows groups of people to get out of the boring gym and see places as they exercise together on stationary bikes in a fun, adrenaline-pumping, musical environment within a climate-controlled bus.
BikeBus is the only company in the United States offering our unique combination of a city tour and an exercise class, all in one! BikeBus offers:
· Instructor-led classes for up to 8 riders at a time
· An engineer- and state-approved patent-pending safety system
· City tours of Boston from the Back Bay
· Chartered rides for company and private events
· Customized bike fittings for all riders
· Gel-padded seats for beginners
· Water, fruit, and towels for every rider
· Routes that encompass some of the best views of Boston
· A booming sound system and fun interior lighting that enhances the experience
· Speakers outside the bus to promote fun pedestrian interaction
· Proof that workouts need not be boring and a source of drudgery
We are most proud of the way that we make people feel so happy after a BikeBus experience.
We are also very proud of our Awards:
· 2017 Boston’s “A” List Top 5 in both City Tour and Indoor Cycling Class categories; #2 out of 22 for City Tour and #3 out of 28 for Indoor Cycling Class
· 2016 Best New Services in Boston, The Boston Globe
· 2016 Fan Pick for Favorite Health & Fitness Innovation, Boston.com
· 2016 and 2017 Boston’s Most Inspiring Companies, NewCo Boston
BikeBus is the only business in the world that equips its riders with patent-pending safety harnesses while exercising on the go, and in this regard has set a high bar for other companies who wish to enter this space.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
On January 4, 2017, BikeBus celebrated Louis Braille’s 208th Birthday with the National Braille Press in the most fun and unique way. We ran a Bike-A-Thon with them to raise awareness and funds for literacy for blind children and adults.
We embarked on a 45-minute BikeBus ride, with some blind participants on board as well! Once we got everyone fitted to their bikes, we set out for the open road, which included bridges and highways. As we made our way through Boston, we not only explained how to cycle safely with detailed instructions but also described the sights we were seeing in detail as well. As we got everyone’s adrenaline pumping, riders were encouraged to sing with the music and let go of stress. We had never seen such big smiles on a ride before! So much fun!
Since it was a huge success, they have asked us to come back again for Louis Braille’s 209th Birthday! This was definitely our proudest moment so far.
Pricing:
- Tour Tickets are $35/person for a 1 Hour BikeBus Tour
Contact Info:
- Address: 39 Dalton Street in Boston’s Back Bay
- Website: bikebus.com
- Phone: 857-259-4850 or 1-844-bikebus
- Email: info@bikebus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bikebusboston
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bikebusboston
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BikeBusBoston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bikebus-boston-2
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/BikeBusBoston
Image Credit:
Melissa Ostrow – 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th photos
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