Bicycle taxis in D.C. seemed like a risky bet last summer when DC Pedicab entered the Washington marketplace. But the company is now gearing up for a second season of providing novelty transportation throughout the District and soon will expand its fleet of vehicles.

A group of three friends - Ryan Guthrie, John Zielke and Ian Zabor - founded DC Pedicab last July. They thought the rickshaw-like bicycle cabs, popular elsewhere, would be a unique alternative for sightseeing tourists or late-night bar hoppers.

The firm grew during the year, Guthrie said, then closed up shop in December as the weather chilled. It is beginning shifts now with the return of the warm weather. It has a team of 12 drivers and will expand its vehicle fleet from six to nine this season.

The cabs operate in Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle and around the monuments. Its two major sources of customers are tourists tired of walking, but still eager to sight see, and residents amused by the idea after a night at the bars.

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A ride on a DC Pedicab will usually cost a customer $5 per 10 minutes per person, plus tips, Guthrie said. So far the firm has had the pedicab market to itself.

Workers take two or three shifts a week - the job is too physically demanding for more, Guthrie said. Employees include college students hoping to make extra cash, lifelong bikers who enjoy the exercise, and former couriers and messengers.

Working for the company is an adventure, according to Tony Smith, a junior and architecture student at Howard University who's been with DC Pedicab since it started. Drivers have been asked to race and take off their shirts.

"I had one guy pay me about $50 just to let him sit on my cab and hit on girls," Smith reminisced.

Melissa.Frederick@DCExaminer.com