A couple years ago, Mike Cramer and his friends joked about forming a moped club. But this spring the joke became a reality.

“We found some old, cheap mopeds online and fixed them up,” said Cramer, senior in biology and the club’s president. “Once we started riding them, more of our friends wanted them. Initially, they were kind of a joke, just fun to ride, and they look ridiculous.”

“Once we had six or seven of us with our own mopeds, it made sense to get the word out and start an official ISU club,” Cramer said.

Cramer said there are benefits to using a moped compared to other forms of transportation.

“These mopeds get great gas mileage, and they are cheap to own, maintain and insure,” Cramer said. “Iowa State is very motorcycle and moped friendly with tons of parking on campus, and the state of Iowa doesn’t require a special license to ride one.”

“Regardless of how much fun it is to ride these things, it is a great and cheap method of transportation for college students, and we want to help people who are interested.”

The ISU Moped Club accepts students from any major, and it already have some members who aren’t students.

“If you have a moped or are interested in getting one, we can help,” Cramer said. “Or if you just want to have fun and hang out, you’re welcome too.”

“I kind of started the whole thing, so I’m somewhat responsible. It is also a lot more fun to ride in a group than by yourself, so the club makes sense.”

The club already has goals in place and is ready to be a success, Cramer said.

“We have a ton of tools and experience with all types of older mopeds, and we are starting a website to post pictures and information on getting parts,” Cramer said. “Until then, we have a Facebook group where we have some initial information.”

“This fall we hope to hold a couple events where we will raffle a restored moped and donate the proceeds to a local charity.”