Kate Rawsthorne has taken her passion for bicycle touring, turned it into her profession and, in the process, established a new view of Milwaukee.
Rawsthorne, 29, established Brew City Bike Tours ( BCBT ) to showcase the history of Milwaukee and, of course, the city's strong association with cold beer, among other jaunts. But BCBT's Pub Spin—a microbrewery tour of Milwaukee—is its most popular, hands down.
"I love bike touring; I've done a bunch in Europe and try to do [ it ] in any city I go to," Rawsthorne said. "I always thought if I could just be bike touring all the time, I would be the happiest girl in the world.
"When I was moving to Milwaukee, I looked to see if there was a bike tour I could go on and was dismayed to find nothing. Since I knew if I moved during the worst economy since 1930 I wouldn't have a 'real job' for at least a few months, I decided I would fill the bike tour void here. I have always wanted to start a business, and this just seemed like the perfect time and the perfect fit."
Rawsthorne has been going on bike tours for over five years and leading tours for several months. "This is the first season [ for BCBT ] , and I think it gets better every week," she said.
BCBT offers individual tours, although most have up to 10 people with the guide. Their clients truly run the gamut, she said, from the unemployed to those who may never have to work another day in their lives, she said. And so far it's been an even split, male and female.
"Usually there is someone in the group, or a couple [ of people ] , who really loves biking or really loves beer," she said. "What I like about the microbrewery tour is that you learn the whole history of brewing in Milwaukee. How the Big 4 ( Miller, Pabst, Schlitz and Blatz ) came to be here and why they aren't still around, except Miller. You also learn how and why the microbrewery culture sprung up in the United States, and, of course, you learn which Milwaukee beers you like best."
Can you say "samples?"
BCBT prices vary, based on what tour, whether you rent a bike or use your own, etc. They range from $20 to $60—and the Pub Spin is $60, which includes a bike rental and all your beer.
"You should feel lucky [ in you don't own a bicycle for use on the tour ] because the bikes we rent you are top of the line cruisers. Crank Daddy, the shop we work with, literally takes bikes off the sales floor to give to the bike tour participants," Rawsthorne said.
Windy City Times: What can you expect on a Brew City Bike Tour?
Kate Rawsthorne: Don't expect anything intense. Everything we do is relaxed. The biking is enough to feel like you've been active ( 8-10 miles ) , but not enough to sap your energy. With the exception of a few unavoidable hills, the terrain is nice and easy. We go on streets and bike paths, so expect to wait at a few stop signs and dodge a few pedestrians.
WCT: Who are the guides?
KR: I say "we" but, in reality, the only guide now is me. I didn't want to deal with unemployment taxes and all those other headaches for my first summer [ in Milwaukee ] . Plus, before I turned over the tour reigns I wanted to make sure the experience was exactly what I wanted it to be. Next summer I'll have at least three more tour guides, so we can offer more tours per day.
WCT: You've had LGBT couples come on tours in the past, correct?
KR: Yes. In fact, my absolute favorite people I've had on a tour so far were a gay couple from Chicago. Then I had a lesbian couple from Portland. And then more [ from within the LGBT community ] . As a woman, I prefer to patronize establishments that support women's rights. I figured the LBGT community, or at least certain people within that community, might use a similar decision-making process, so I wanted to get the word out that not only does Brew City Bike Tours exist, that I think we've got a great product and also that both I and the business are ardent supporters of equal rights for all sexual orientations.
WCT: How do you, or will you, cater to the LGBT community?
KR: At this point, we don't have anything specifically catering to the community. I'm hoping in the future that we could explore many options, possibly a themed tour that ran in conjunction with the Pride Parade, etc. I'd love to hear suggestions about other ways I could make Brew City Bike Tours more accessible or attractive to the LGBT community.
WCT: You certainly are a diverse company, accepting of the LGBT community …
KR: Well, I can't claim the company is too diverse because it's just me. But I'm more than accepting of the LGBT community, and wanted to make sure that was known. Having lived in the West Village [ in New York City ] for six years, I had almost forgotten how crazy conservative the Midwest, or truly anyone anywhere, can be.
WCT: When are the tours offered?
KR: Pre-scheduled tours run Wednesday through Sunday, but we're happy to set up private tours, too. The tours are already scheduled throughout September and will last so long as it isn't too cold to bike—hopefully through October. We expect to start again [ next ] April, but may push it up to March depending on what we get in terms of snow and cold.
WCT: Is this your full-time job?
KR: That's an interesting question, but I'm not entirely sure I even know the answer. I was practicing law in New York for four years. Now I'm doing this and some freelance journalism and probably, unfortunately, maybe getting another full-time gig, what that will be, only the economy can decide. Next year I'm still keeping the business regardless of whether I also have another full-time job.
WCT: Anything else about the tours I have not asked or anything else you want to add?
KR: Even if you can't come out this year, make sure to check for our expanded roster of tours next year. Also, if you want to know about special tours that come up from time to time, make sure to sign up for our e-mail list by emailing brewcitybiketours@gmail.com . Also, look for "Brew City Bike Tours" on Facebook or Twitter.
