KALAMAZOO, MI -- The operator of pedal party bicycles in Kalamazoo said he and his business partner will have to reconsider their presence in Kalamazoo after city commissioners decided their participants can't drink alcoholic beverages while riding.

Tristan Steven, co-owner of P3 Tours, said he felt a decision from the Kalamazoo City Commission to deny allowing riders of quadricycles to possess and consume alcohol was "close minded."

"We had a lot of support from business owners and from the city itself so we were a little surprised in the decision, obviously disappointed," Steven said.

Commissioners said at their Monday meeting they were voting against the amendments because they didn't see a necessity in allowing alcohol on the pedal party bikes.

Commissioners voted in December 2015 to allow quadricycles to operate in Kalamazoo, but decided then not to allow alcohol on them. The proposal before them Monday would have changed that ordinance. The state of Michigan made it legal last year to operate party bikes and left each city to set ordinances to allow or forbid the drinking of alcoholic beverages on such vehicles.

Commissioner Erin Knott said she couldn't justify allowing alcohol on quadricycles but not allowing someone to drink alcohol while walking down the street. Vice Mayor Don Cooney proposed the commission watch what happens in other Michigan cities that allow alcohol possession and consumption before they take steps to allow it here.

Steven argued later this week that quadricycles are more like party buses than walking down the street and drinking an alcoholic beverage. He said the drivers of the bikes who steer and brake the vehicle must not drink alcohol.

The proposal had the backing of at least 10 downtown restaurants and bars who said they didn't feel the quadricycle business threatened their businesses, Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. President Andrew Haan told commissioners Monday.

Steven said P3 Tours, which is one of several quadricycle companies in Michigan and also operates in Detroit and Ann Arbor, hasn't had any incidents on its commercial quadricycles.

"You have to understand people pay good money to have these experiences," Steven said. "A private tour runs $300 to $400."

Steven said the party bicycles are marketed to adults 21 years old and older for tours of the city of Kalamazoo, brewery tours, to celebrate birthdays or other milestones, and as team building events.

We're not promoting people to come and get drunk and wasted on these," Steven said. "It's come have an adult beverage and do a brewery tour."

Steven said he and his business partner Shannon Rogers will have to decide soon whether they will keep a bicycle in what they consider their hometown. He said success of the pedal party bicycles hinges on being able to drink an alcoholic beverage while riding.

"We operate in several other cities so we can pull the bike we have there and send it to another city," Steven said. "Unfortunately that might be what we end up deciding. It doesn't seem beneficial. I doubt that you're going to find any owner that's going to operate in a city that doesn't allow alcohol consumption on a pedal pub."

P3 Tours launched a bicycle in Kalamazoo in September 2016. P3 was conducting 10-15 tours a week from September to November before putting the bike up for the winter. Steven said the amount of tours was "really really good for an introduction."

Steven said his business has bookings for about 200 tours through September 2017, which would be refunded if P3 decides to leave Kalamazoo.