As a bike project that DOES stock commuter gear, tools, chain lube, etc., I'd like to throw this in, as we are good partners with the bike shops here, even while selling tubes at the same prices and building the rare but amazing $500 bike (equipped with the most serviceable parts available, so you get a cup-and-cone BB with Phil Wood and free help/tools/chemicals maintaining it in the future). In fact, we could nearly throw a stone and hit the high-end shop here.
Anyway, as a rule of thumb, these shops aren't even making their money on little piddly things. They're assembling and slinging $300-$10,000 bikes at a huge mark-up to a different market.
As far as the refurbished bike price range, and even the tubes and racks and fenders and yes fixed cogs, we're all just being competed-upon by Walmart.
And we do squeeze people for some pennies, by the way. There's rent and expenses to cover and a project to grow -- where there's hard work and ideas, there's funding, and when there's funding, there's a way. If someone appreciates our labor, they'll pay a fair price and often put their change in a donation jar, even if they saved up for a few paychecks to buy the $150 bike. The people who fuss and haggle over the price of a bike, well -- you don't get rich by giving it away. And it doesn't do the community any good to accept cash, check, and cool points.
And yes, lots of people buy the $30 bike from us, then love riding and buy a bike at the other shops, then give the bike (that we were thoughtful enough to thoroughly overhaul) back to us with smiles.
Eh. Enough ranting. Just don't sell yourself short.
andrea www.bikecityrecyclery.org
On 5/10/09, james blesdoe jamesbleds0e@yahoo.com wrote:
your friend is wrong if a person gets one of the junkers from you and starts riding they will need new stuff or a new bike later and go to a bike shop, spending money, If you replace a car driver with a bike rider the new rider will spend money in bike shops.
no instead of diluting the market, even if you give the bikes away you are adding to the cycling world and creating more chances for the bike shops to do business.
--- On Sun, 5/10/09, Liza Mattana pedals2people@gmail.com wrote:
From: Liza Mattana pedals2people@gmail.com Subject: [TheThinkTank] diluting the market To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@bikecollectives.org Date: Sunday, May 10, 2009, 8:13 AM
Hey,
I have a question about reselling bikes and what to charge people. We're located in Spokane, WA and the bike "boom" is just starting to hit us. Those great deals on craiglsist and at Goodwill don't exist any more.
We accept some quality bike donations from people, mostly older mtn bikes, and we sell some as-is and some refurbished. We sell these bike for around $75-100. A friend of ours who works at a bike shop in town said that with our low prices, we were diluting the market.
Do you all think this is right? In our defense, we feel these bikes are donated and we want to pass on a good deal. We don't want to squeeze people for every penny.
thanks, Liza -- Liza Mattana president www.pedals2people.org Spokane, WA
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