# New concept for a bike shop - FEEDBACK PLEASE



## Moutain2Road (Jun 19, 2007)

The idea is to develop a unique service-oriented shop where customers can either drop off their bike for service or work on their own bike alongside others and hang out. The shop will only keep inventory on standard parts but will have all the necessary accounts in place to special order anything including bike frames, wheels, components, etc.

Picture this...

A giant garage with every tool you need to clean, service and overhaul your own bike, plus tvs/music, couches, 10 individual work areas and a full selection of parts and supplies to tackle any cycling related project you have ever dreamed about.

Then on top of all that there is a trained mechanic to help you with any problems, offer his advise on which new components to buy and can even order them for you at a much lower price than any other shop in the area, including new frames and wheels.

It's just like the owner of your favorite LBS gave you the keys to his shop and told you to bring your friends

This is my idea for a new shop in Southern California and wanted to see what everyone thought about this idea.
- Would you bring your bike there?
- How much would you be willing to pay per hour or as a monthly membership to work on your own bike?
- Have you ever heard of something like this before?
- Do you forsee local clubs renting this place out for their monthly meetings?
- What problems do you think I would encounter?

Any input would be much appreciated.


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## quidquam (Nov 4, 2008)

I think this is a great idea. There are some successful "bike clinics" that are like this. I saw a TV show interview some guy who ran one in portland (iirc). Definitely a good idea, but you probably have to be careful to avoid liability in case some tool stabs himself in the eye with a hex wrench.


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## loudog (Jul 22, 2008)

there are a lot of bike co-ops out there that do this for free. they generally cater to lower end bikes but still offer a free place and help to fix bikes. seems to me that its a nice idea, i just dont think its a profitable one.


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## Moutain2Road (Jun 19, 2007)

loudog said:


> there are a lot of bike co-ops out there that do this for free. they generally cater to lower end bikes but still offer a free place and help to fix bikes. seems to me that its a nice idea, i just dont think its a profitable one.


I am familiar with a lot of these non-profit organization that, like you said, cater to lower end bikes, but I want to focus on high end bikes and projects that are more ambitious then fixing a flat. 
Basically a fully stocked workshop for the the enthusiast looking to true/build some wheels (most home mechanics don't have access to a wheel building stand), the weekend racer who lives in a studio apartment, the dad who wants a couple hours away from the kids to work on his bike in peace, or the group of riding buddies who would love to be able to all service their bikes together while enjoying a cold one.
The other added benefit will be access to discount components and accessories because you are part of the "club".


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a sense that these folks largely have your concept covered.

http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/who.html


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Mapei said:


> I have a sense that these folks largely have your concept covered.
> 
> http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/who.html



There's also the Bike Oven down the road from me in the Mt. Washington/Highland Park area on Fig. These places aren't so much about high-end performance though. 

The same concept as the OP's has crossed my mind too but I've always managed to have some kind of man-cave to keep my tool cart, stand and small bench to work on my bikes at home even though I rent. I'm not sure how much demand there would be for such an operation but if I had to guess I'd say not much.

http://bikeoven.com/


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

It is not a new idea.
Unfortunately for you, these places are not in it for profit. Fortunately, they are really good for inner city people who want to get a bike for free. See, you go in and build your own bike and then pay it back by volunteering a set amount of time. That way somebody is always manning the bike shop. It has already been done in Los Angeles, catering to the inner city fixie crowd. The people with expensive road bikes steer clear of these places and go to reputable bike shops with professional mechanics.

You would encounter problems like paying rent. Things being stolen. Homeless people hanging out there. Not making any money. Not being able to pay your trained mechanic. Not having paying customers. Everyone wanting everything for free.


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## Kevin_in_SB (Mar 7, 2009)

Moutain2Road said:


> The idea is to develop a unique service-oriented shop where customers can either drop off their bike for service or work on their own bike alongside others and hang out. The shop will only keep inventory on standard parts but will have all the necessary accounts in place to special order anything including bike frames, wheels, components, etc.
> 
> Picture this...
> 
> ...



Can you add Beer and Hot Chicks? If so I am there.:thumbsup:


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## Wolfman (Jun 15, 2005)

*Not a red-light, but...*

I agree with most others here, and have a bit of small biz experience, so I'm coming at this from two angles.

First, the market risk - i.e., does this solve a pain in the market and will people pay for it? I don't know about others, but I do 90% of my own wrenching and have the rest done at my LBS. So, if this place existed nearby, and with my given annual expenditures, I might be good for, like, $100-150 a year in labor dollars. That's if you were open when I wanted to work on my bike (late weeknights, Friday nights, Sunday afternoon, etc.). Look at the geographic area you're targeting and multiply me by, what? 50? 100? That's not a lot of money, and I'm not going to pay you a monthly membership.

As far as buying parts through you and that part of your revenue stream... maybe, but I love to shop online. Maybe I'm good for another $150-500 annually.

Second, the execution risk - i.e., can you actually run this business successfully? I don't know what the start-up costs are on this, but 10 workstations, tools, couches, audio/video equipment, insurance, rent... you've got a pretty large upfront and monthly cost to deal with here. Besides that, if I bring in my bike for your trained mechanic to work on it, but the whole place is just a free-for-all with people coming and going and doing their own projects, etc... what sort of safeguards are in place to assure me that my bike won't get nicked or test-ridden or whatever?

I guess after this, I'm not to hot on the idea as a business. I totally understand the draw on this, because it would be like the coolest garage that we've all ever seen, but is there a business here? There's a lot of intangible upside (community, bikes, camraderie, etc.), but a lot of real-world downside, too.

Go for it, but you'll really need to be vigilant about making sure that this business makes money every day.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

Some car clubs do this sort of thing in exchange for monthly dues ... provides access to large and/or expensive equipment (lifts/hoists, AC recharging machines, welding eqmt, etc). 

But bikes are small, basic bike tools are relatively cheap, so for me personally, I would rather work on bikes in my garage on my terms. 

If I lived in an apartment in a dense urban city (eg, San Francisco or NYC), I might feel different. One of my occasional riding partners lives in condos in Los Angeles, where association rules even prohibit any car washing or bike washing (!!)


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

I like my old idea of combining a barber shop and a small bike shop under one roof....preferably an old garage.


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## old_fuji (Mar 16, 2009)

i like the "lounge" idea, with couches and TVs, but i'm not exactly sold on the DIY thing. it sounds like you're trying to start a parts-only bike shop. my thinking is, at least based on the bike scene around here, that your best bet would be to have a regular bike shop, but open the shop up for a small amount...$5 an hour or something. then, add on a free hour of shop time for customers that buy parts, or free shop time until the bike is completed with purchase of a whole bike. oh, and then you could have small evening clinics...instructionals and stuff, in the shop.

great idea, but i think it needs a little tweaking before being put into action.


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## nagatahawk (Jun 14, 2007)

I would come by if your shop was close by, I don't have a wheel truing stand, bottom bracket tools, nor torgue wrench. I would love to build my next bike.


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## Hippienflipflops (Aug 21, 2007)

i think pair this with a liquor license/bar and you might have a viable business. Seriously, rule #1 for bike maintenance is "Thou shalt drink a delicious beer while working on thy bike"


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## BikeFixer (May 19, 2009)

Hippienflipflops said:


> i think pair this with a liquor license/bar and you might have a viable business. Seriously, rule #1 for bike maintenance is "Thou shalt drink a delicious beer while working on thy bike"




+1 :thumbsup:


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

Moutain2Road said:


> - Would you bring your bike there?
> - How much would you be willing to pay per hour or as a monthly membership to work on your own bike?
> - Have you ever heard of something like this before?
> - Do you forsee local clubs renting this place out for their monthly meetings?
> ...


-Maybe. Depends where you are. "SoCal" is kind of a big place.
-Tough one, as doing it myself at home costs $0
-Yes, but only lower-end as others have mentioned.
-No?
-Going broke?

you need to focus on the numbers and how you'll make money rather than the fun/couches & TVs/hangout aspect. Everyone wants that and it comes up first because its easy. Focus on the non-easy stuff to help ensure you still have your dream shop a year from now.

Not saying it can't be done or its a bad idea, you just need to convert this thread into a viable business plan. Good luck!


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