Boise outlaws booze on bike bars but the ban doesn't end there

Photo Courtesy: Alenmax via Deposit Photos

Boise City Council on Tuesday voted to ban alcohol on bike bars along with a couple other restrictions that will certainly put a damper on the party.

If you’ve spent even a little time in downtown Boise on the weekend, particularly at night, you have no doubt seen the bike bars rolling around. Those pedaling their hearts out are normally indulging in some adult beverages, shouting “Whoooo!” and rockin out to someone’s Spotify playlist. But thanks to some new ordinances put in place by the Boise City Council on Tuesday; the fun may have been sucked right outta the room.

First, no more booze. The bike bars don’t sell alcohol themselves but patrons are, or were, allowed to bring their own booze along. Those days are done. But…who’s to say what’s in that coffee cup or fast food cup someone brought with them?

Next up, they’re gonna need to bring the volume down to 62 decibels. If you’re wondering how loud that is, it is roughly equivalent to conversation in a bar or an air conditioner 100 feet away. For reference, there has been no motion to lessen the noise from the loud exhaust pipes and drag racers speeding up and down Idaho and Main. Just sayin’.

Finally, there will now be a 10:30pm cut-off time and prohibited operation during downtown rush hours.

Obviously the purveyors of the bike bars are none too pleased by this turn of events. But there are residents and even business owners downtown who are welcoming this change with open arms.

How do you feel about the new regulations? You can read more about this story when you visit our news partner KTVB.