And now Wheel Fun Rentals wants to add crazy biking to the fun. The new "bike" rental business recently opened and has been quite popular, according to lead manager Doug Johnson.

He says the company saw a great opportunity in the Sawyer Point area.

"I've always thought the riverfront was a jewel waiting to be polished," Johnson says. So with several different kinds of bikes and a simple cart, Wheel Fun opened up shop.

When we found out about these crazy bikes, such as surreys and deuce coupes, we couldn't wait to check it out and go pedaling all over the several miles of paths in the connecting parks to explore the Ohio side of the riverfront. We checked out three of the bikes.

THE DEUCE COUPE

My boyfriend and I started out on the deuce coupe. This bikows two people to sit side by side, low to the ground and pedal together ... but only one person steers. It even has a roof to shade you from the sun and room in back for small children. It was nice because unlike a typical bike ride, the two riders don't need to be equally skilled (my boyfriend used to bike competitively; I'm a more leisurely biker). For once we were in harmony, pedaling around the park.

RIDE ADVICE: Let the other person steer. I liked the feeling of getting the exercise but being able to observe the people and places around and not worry about running into them!

SO FUN: Talking to amazed onlookers; as you pedal by they'll ask "what is that and where did you get it?"

WATCH OUT: The deuce coupe doesn't go backwards and is challenging to get up hills; you'll really get a workout whenever you're going up an incline. Luckily the area along the river is mostly flat.

THE SURREY

After our trip all the way around the park, we took a spin on the smaller of the two surreys, which allows two people to pedal and has room for one more adult and two additional children. This upright four-wheeled "bike" reminded me of a horse and buggy, sans horse. I felt old-fashioned pedaling around the Public Landing. Like the deuce coupe, only one person steers (the other steering wheel is for decoration).

RIDE ADVICE: This is a leisurely and family-friendly ride. It's not the ride for excitment.

SO FUN: The surreys turn well; they're fun to ride around in a circle.

WATCH OUT: For other surreys; there were some "underage" drivers out there when we were riding, and they didn't seem to have a sense of what side of the path to stay on!

TANDEM BIKES

As our time was running down, we decided to try a tandem. Maybe our biking harmony was spent, but I would not recommend these. We couldn't get a good rhythm going and returned the bike quickly.

We should have tried some of the individual bikes, such as the choppers or quad sports instead. We saw some people riding around by Serpentine Wall in Yeatman's Cove, and they were having a blast. It looked like off-track go-cart driving.

RIDE ADVICE: Don't sit in the back if you get motion sick. You can't see anything other than the front rider's back. Ick.

SO FUN: Getting off the bike was the most fun.

WATCH OUT: If the person in back tries to move his or her handlebars, the person in front's rear end gets rotated. Be careful.

As a person who has mainly gone to the Sawyer Point area for organized events, I haven't spent much time roaming around, just exploring. But on a bike, you can ride all over and see what this "jewel" of an area has to offer. Some of my favorites:

• If you have kids, there are two fabulous playground areas near the Big Mac bridge.

• Ride past Montgomery Inn, and check out the 2-year-old Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park. Divided into different themes, including garden areas representing all the continents, the park full of winding walkways is relaxing. Some of the area is currently closed for reconstruction; expect it to reopen the first week of May.

• If you're really adventuresome, you can ride your bike across the Purple People Bridge and check out the view of the park from Newport.

Click Here for More Information on the Wheel Fun Rentals Franchise Opportunity

Source: CIN Weekly