Wayne Beckwith has a lot of jobs. He sells outdoor gear at REI. He works at LEAD, a local not-for-profit teen center. Sometimes he guides rafting trips and teaches rock climbing courses at Portland Community College. And four nights a week, he drives a pedicab around Eugene.
Beckwith and his friend Jerad Porth make up the Pedal Junkies, and Wednesday through Saturday from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m., they’ll take anyone anywhere within reason. A wheeled seat that resembles a chariot, a pedicab is attached to a bicycle. Beckwith and Porth take turns pedaling, switching halfway through the night.
The Pedal Junkies have only been in operation for about a month, and are already gaining recognition and popularity, particularly downtown.
“It’s like you’re driving around town on a pink elephant,” Beckwith said. “People are staring at you as you go by and if they’re not, all you’ve got to do is ring the bell.”

Porth added, “It’s already crazy. We’ll drive by and people will go, ‘Pedal Junkies, yeah!’”
Porth said his favorite part of the job is the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of people, including a man who grew up two blocks from Porth’s childhood home in South Dakota.
“That’s the type of stuff that makes this ridiculously exciting, being able to communicate with the community, whether they’re homeless or extremely wealthy,” he said.
The Pedal Junkies have extended hours on Saturdays to coordinate with the Saturday Market. Their revenue is entirely donation-based. Every night, Beckwith and Porth net an average of $100 and an assortment of non-monetary payments, such as bananas, burritos and sexual offers.
“I wasn’t going to take that one,” Beckwith laughed. “I don’t think he was serious.”
The pedicab seats two, though the Pedal Junkies have transported up to five people. While many passengers feel guilty being carted, Beckwith insists that both men are athletic and see driving a pedicab as a workout.
“I say, ‘As long as you guys are comfortable, I’m comfortable pulling you, so stack it up,’” he said. “You see people’s insecurities. Heavier people don’t want to get on because they’re afraid of tiring us out. As the days go by, it gets easier and easier.”
The headline on the Pedal Junkies’ MySpace page reads, “Burn calories not gas!”
Katie Adkins of Eugene said their mission matches that of the city.
“Eugene talks about how bike-friendly it is and a bike cab seems like a perfect fit,” she said.
Adkins saw the Pedal Junkies at EWEB’s River Edge Plaza during Earth Day Eugene and wanted to support “that more sustainable way to get around.”
“It looked like something fun to do, kind of along with the Earth Day theme,” she said.
In addition to carting people around, the Pedal Junkies engage in philanthropy. Their goal is to donate their time and proceeds to at least one charity event each month. Most recently, they were involved in a 5-kilometer fundraising race with LEAD, which is an acronym for Leadership Education Adventure Direction.
Both Porth and Beckwith enjoy the helping aspect of Pedal Junkies, whether it’s through charity or putting smiles on people’s faces.
“On about 75 percent of the rides, people will mention that it is the most fun they’ve had in a long time – in those words,” Porth said.
Beckwith said he hopes Pedal Junkies continues to grow in Eugene. Like Adkins, he sees it as a perfect fit for the city.
“People are really receptive to that positive personality and that good vibe they’re getting from us,” he said. “I’ve never been complimented more times in my life than I have in the past four months. Girls get in that seat and become construction workers.”
[email protected]