NEWPORT — Two city natives launched a new business renting pedal-assisted bikes to people looking to explore Newport outside their cars.

“We’re both born and raised Newporters, six generations, never leaving and we saw an ability to help people get around town and see all that Newport has without sitting in traffic or pay for parking,” co-owner Nicholas Brownell said.

Brownell’s new business, Island Adventures, opened July 1 in a storefront on Spring Wharf.

Brownell said he and co-owner Stephen Clair came up with the idea to bring a pedal-assisted bike rental service to Newport after riding a few bikes around Martha’s Vineyard. Brownell said it seemed like a good option for visitors looking to traverse the city.

“It’s like a regular bike, but there’s a little motor in them, which makes pedaling easier,” Brownell said. “So you can be on a beach cruiser (bike) going up a hill, nice and easy.”

As Newport natives, Brownell said he and Clair used their community connections to get a storefront in such a tight real estate market. Clair works as a portfolio manager at an investment firm and Brownell is the Newport branch manager at a mortgage financing company.

Brownell said there was no significant reason the two made the jump to bike rentals other than they found it to be an interesting business idea.

The new rental service will be the third alternative vehicle rental shop in Newport. Bike Newport, on Broadway, is a local advocacy organization that offers acoustic, aka non-pedal assisted, bicycles for rent, and Scooter World on Thames also offers regular bicycles in addition to scoot coups, Polaris slingshots and scooters.

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Island Adventure’s selling point is its bundle offerings. In addition to a GPS and navigation app with highlighted pathways for the safest routes, the business also plans to offer watersports rentals, including paddleboards and inflatable kayaks, as well as beach day bundles for people wanting chairs and umbrellas for their visit. The two also look to offer a 15% discount to Newport residents.

“We basically want to cater to people coming to Newport without them needing to pack a whole extra trunk full of stuff to have a beach day,” Brownell said. “They can just come to Newport, grab a bike, grab a cooler, grab a backpack, grab a snorkel and hit the beach without having to bring it themselves.”

Last year, the City Council voted to request the authority from the General Assembly to regulate motorized bicycles and other motor vehicles on city streets, an effort spearheaded by Councilor Kathryn Leonard to prevent possible future accidents.

The matter passed the state House of Representatives in a 50 to 8 vote, with 16 not voting and one recused, but stalled in the Senate.

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To assuage concerns about traffic or accidents, Brownell said the company only allows electric rentals to people with a driver's license over the age of 18, and those 15 years or younger are required to wear a helmet. He also said the pedal-assisted bikes don’t have any sort of throttle or accelerating motor, so the bikes can only go around 20 mph.

“We’re seeing that Newport is trying to be a bit more bike-friendly, to curb, I assume, the traffic and parking issues around town,” Brownell said. “In the eyes of the law and the eyes of regulation, these are just bikes, just easier to drive.”

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Island Adventures opens in Newport, renting pedal-assisted bikes