Just from their website, partners and franchise structure -- Dream Bikes (http://dream-bikes.org/) looks like they are poised to be the type of polished organization that the cycling industry would be most comfortable dealing with.

Much like customizing cars, lighting computer cases, or building fixed gears bikes -- you can buy a tricked out Scion online, a glowing Dell computer online, and a Schwinn fixie from Walmart.  When an idea adopted by an underground population turns lucrative and consequently mainstream, eventually someone will create a mass production business model around it.

The big question mark for me would be where the supply of used bikes comes from, having a big glossy store requires more overhead than the average community bike shop.  I could see a shop having to buy or trade bikes to feed the overhead, at which point it risks turning into a pawn shop business model.

OR

It could be what the Bike Collective Network never ventured to, and dream bikes could be a channel for helping existing community bike shops access the cycling industry.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Morrison
Executive Director
Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective
2312 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
w: 801-328-2453
c: 801-688-0183
f: 801-466-3856
www.slcbikecollective.org

The mission of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Bicycle Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.


On Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Patrick VDT <fivespeed_@hotmail.com> wrote:

Anyone have any relationship or past history working with Dream Bikes,

Thanks 

_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org