Hello,
I am a student mechanic for a campus bike shop in Pittsburgh. We are starting a new bike share program to rent bikes by the semester/year to our students. We have a lot of interest gaining for this endeavor, from short-term international students, from commuters, from activists, environmentalists, poor students and out-of-state students (who left their bike at home).
We are purchasing bikes from a bike recycle program which I am helping to fix up and make road worthy. The school is paying for 10 bikes, $50 per bike, to start up the program. The school is also paying for U-locks, front and back lights, small tool repair kits, and helmets (S/M/L). We have a bike shop with all the tools to take a bike part and repair minor pieces, like inner tubes and brake/shifter cables, and will outfit it with more consumer items as popularity grows (seat covers etc.).
The idea is to give a bike to a student, as well as a lock and lights (purchase of a tool kit and helmet from us is optional, however a helmet with receipt is required), sign them up to the bike registry (to help with theft and bike identity), and orient them with the local bike trails, safe commuting routes, and local community. The whole idea it to encourage a bike community within the campus. I will have bikes to fix, cyclists to teach, and less students will be driving or using local transit.
The only issue is we don't know what to charge for renting bikes. It will cost us (the campus) $150 to outfit a person with a bike and all the materials at first, but afterwards only about $50-75 per new person (same bike, new helmet, maybe new lights). What prices should we be charging students to rent a bike for? How much should cover the cost, and how much should be for a deposit (incentive to bring the bike back with minimal damage)?
As a bike share program we want to be competitive. It costs about $200-300 for a brand new bike, or $100 or a crappy Wal-Mart bike, but we also want to cover the costs of the program. I was thinking of $50 deposit, $50 cover charge per semester, or $50 deposit, $100 charge per year (and less if returning customer). However, the sustainability director thinks we should charge more.
Any ideas?
~Lyndy
Hi Lyndy,
You might want to get in touch with the student organizers of re{cycle}, a bike share business at vanderbilt university. It sounds similar to your program. More details and contact information here:
http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/vsg/services/recycle/
-Adams
On Jan 29, 2013, at 3:36 PM, Lyndy abnor_2@yahoo.com wrote:
Hello,
I am a student mechanic for a campus bike shop in Pittsburgh. We are starting a new bike share program to rent bikes by the semester/year to our students. We have a lot of interest gaining for this endeavor, from short-term international students, from commuters, from activists, environmentalists, poor students and out-of-state students (who left their bike at home).
We are purchasing bikes from a bike recycle program which I am helping to fix up and make road worthy. The school is paying for 10 bikes, $50 per bike, to start up the program. The school is also paying for U-locks, front and back lights, small tool repair kits, and helmets (S/M/L). We have a bike shop with all the tools to take a bike part and repair minor pieces, like inner tubes and brake/shifter cables, and will outfit it with more consumer items as popularity grows (seat covers etc.).
The idea is to give a bike to a student, as well as a lock and lights (purchase of a tool kit and helmet from us is optional, however a helmet with receipt is required), sign them up to the bike registry (to help with theft and bike identity), and orient them with the local bike trails, safe commuting routes, and local community. The whole idea it to encourage a bike community within the campus. I will have bikes to fix, cyclists to teach, and less students will be driving or using local transit.
The only issue is we don't know what to charge for renting bikes. It will cost us (the campus) $150 to outfit a person with a bike and all the materials at first, but afterwards only about $50-75 per new person (same bike, new helmet, maybe new lights). What prices should we be charging students to rent a bike for? How much should cover the cost, and how much should be for a deposit (incentive to bring the bike back with minimal damage)?
As a bike share program we want to be competitive. It costs about $200-300 for a brand new bike, or $100 or a crappy Wal-Mart bike, but we also want to cover the costs of the program. I was thinking of $50 deposit, $50 cover charge per semester, or $50 deposit, $100 charge per year (and less if returning customer). However, the sustainability director thinks we should charge more.
Any ideas?
~Lyndy
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Helmets are like clothing, and many people already have one. Sell those at cost separately, which in volume are under $25.
Locks and lights, same story, not more than $25 for the package.
The bikes may last 4 semesters, so $50/4= $12.50/ semester is your at cost bike. (My experience with recycle donated bikes is it cost on average $17 in parts to get them rolling)
So I would double your at cost bike number to $25/semester and add a $15 refundable deposit, thus $40 out the door.
Everybody will want them, which is your goal, and you costs will be covered (you will have cash for more bikes right away)!
Only charge more if the labor and good will work is paid work, which at a living wage could be huge (ask how much the sustainability advisor gets paid on this project). The labor of one person can handle over 200 bikes easily over one work year.
Bill Wright Burton
On Jan 29, 2013, at 10:41 PM, "Adams Carroll" adams@walkbikenashville.org wrote:
Hi Lyndy,
You might want to get in touch with the student organizers of re{cycle}, a bike share business at vanderbilt university. It sounds similar to your program. More details and contact information here:
http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/vsg/services/recycle/
-Adams
On Jan 29, 2013, at 3:36 PM, Lyndy abnor_2@yahoo.com wrote:
Hello,
I am a student mechanic for a campus bike shop in Pittsburgh. We are starting a new bike share program to rent bikes by the semester/year to our students. We have a lot of interest gaining for this endeavor, from short-term international students, from commuters, from activists, environmentalists, poor students and out-of-state students (who left their bike at home).
We are purchasing bikes from a bike recycle program which I am helping to fix up and make road worthy. The school is paying for 10 bikes, $50 per bike, to start up the program. The school is also paying for U-locks, front and back lights, small tool repair kits, and helmets (S/M/L). We have a bike shop with all the tools to take a bike part and repair minor pieces, like inner tubes and brake/shifter cables, and will outfit it with more consumer items as popularity grows (seat covers etc.).
The idea is to give a bike to a student, as well as a lock and lights (purchase of a tool kit and helmet from us is optional, however a helmet with receipt is required), sign them up to the bike registry (to help with theft and bike identity), and orient them with the local bike trails, safe commuting routes, and local community. The whole idea it to encourage a bike community within the campus. I will have bikes to fix, cyclists to teach, and less students will be driving or using local transit.
The only issue is we don't know what to charge for renting bikes. It will cost us (the campus) $150 to outfit a person with a bike and all the materials at first, but afterwards only about $50-75 per new person (same bike, new helmet, maybe new lights). What prices should we be charging students to rent a bike for? How much should cover the cost, and how much should be for a deposit (incentive to bring the bike back with minimal damage)?
As a bike share program we want to be competitive. It costs about $200-300 for a brand new bike, or $100 or a crappy Wal-Mart bike, but we also want to cover the costs of the program. I was thinking of $50 deposit, $50 cover charge per semester, or $50 deposit, $100 charge per year (and less if returning customer). However, the sustainability director thinks we should charge more.
Any ideas?
~Lyndy
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Honestly, it might be easier to offer subsidized bike sales.
Nobody treats a rental with any respect, whether it's a car or a bicycle, and rather than locking yourself into the headaches of inventory management, and ongoing service, theft replacement, etc., it might be less frustrating to simply offer a selection of cheaper new/used restored bikes for sale at a good price, with helmets / ulocks / lights / etc., and then let the new owner deal with the maintenance, theft replacement, etc.
Then maybe you could offer a guaranteed buyback at the end of the year, to those who managed to hang on to them and keep them in good condition.
On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 1:36 PM, Lyndy abnor_2@yahoo.com wrote:
Hello,
I am a student mechanic for a campus bike shop in Pittsburgh. We are starting a new bike share program to rent bikes by the semester/year to our students. We have a lot of interest gaining for this endeavor, from short-term international students, from commuters, from activists, environmentalists, poor students and out-of-state students (who left their bike at home).
We are purchasing bikes from a bike recycle program which I am helping to fix up and make road worthy. The school is paying for 10 bikes, $50 per bike, to start up the program. The school is also paying for U-locks, front and back lights, small tool repair kits, and helmets (S/M/L). We have a bike shop with all the tools to take a bike part and repair minor pieces, like inner tubes and brake/shifter cables, and will outfit it with more consumer items as popularity grows (seat covers etc.).
The idea is to give a bike to a student, as well as a lock and lights (purchase of a tool kit and helmet from us is optional, however a helmet with receipt is required), sign them up to the bike registry (to help with theft and bike identity), and orient them with the local bike trails, safe commuting routes, and local community. The whole idea it to encourage a bike community within the campus. I will have bikes to fix, cyclists to teach, and less students will be driving or using local transit.
The only issue is we don't know what to charge for renting bikes. It will cost us (the campus) $150 to outfit a person with a bike and all the materials at first, but afterwards only about $50-75 per new person (same bike, new helmet, maybe new lights). What prices should we be charging students to rent a bike for? How much should cover the cost, and how much should be for a deposit (incentive to bring the bike back with minimal damage)?
As a bike share program we want to be competitive. It costs about $200-300 for a brand new bike, or $100 or a crappy Wal-Mart bike, but we also want to cover the costs of the program. I was thinking of $50 deposit, $50 cover charge per semester, or $50 deposit, $100 charge per year (and less if returning customer). However, the sustainability director thinks we should charge more.
Any ideas?
~Lyndy
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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We rent bikes. We also sell bikes.
Most of our rentals are weekends, but we do offer longer-term rentals.
It costs more to rent a bike for a month than to buy a bike from us.
For some reason many people still prefer long-term rental. I think because they don't have to take ownership mentally.
Anyway, we make the same revenue as if we'd sold the bike, except that we get the bike back. So, works for us...
Christopher Chan *Executive Director* Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society 10047 80 Ave (entrance in rear lane) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6E 1T4 edmontonbikes.ca *w:* (780) 433-2453 || *c:* (780) 700-5564
On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 7:16 PM, John Brown johnsbrown@gmail.com wrote:
Honestly, it might be easier to offer subsidized bike sales.
Nobody treats a rental with any respect, whether it's a car or a bicycle, and rather than locking yourself into the headaches of inventory management, and ongoing service, theft replacement, etc., it might be less frustrating to simply offer a selection of cheaper new/used restored bikes for sale at a good price, with helmets / ulocks / lights / etc., and then let the new owner deal with the maintenance, theft replacement, etc.
Then maybe you could offer a guaranteed buyback at the end of the year, to those who managed to hang on to them and keep them in good condition.
On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 1:36 PM, Lyndy abnor_2@yahoo.com wrote:
Hello,
I am a student mechanic for a campus bike shop in Pittsburgh. We are starting a new bike share program to rent bikes by the semester/year to our students. We have a lot of interest gaining for this endeavor, from short-term international students, from commuters, from activists, environmentalists, poor students and out-of-state students (who left their bike at home).
We are purchasing bikes from a bike recycle program which I am helping to fix up and make road worthy. The school is paying for 10 bikes, $50 per bike, to start up the program. The school is also paying for U-locks, front and back lights, small tool repair kits, and helmets (S/M/L). We have a bike shop with all the tools to take a bike part and repair minor pieces, like inner tubes and brake/shifter cables, and will outfit it with more consumer items as popularity grows (seat covers etc.).
The idea is to give a bike to a student, as well as a lock and lights (purchase of a tool kit and helmet from us is optional, however a helmet with receipt is required), sign them up to the bike registry (to help with theft and bike identity), and orient them with the local bike trails, safe commuting routes, and local community. The whole idea it to encourage a bike community within the campus. I will have bikes to fix, cyclists to teach, and less students will be driving or using local transit.
The only issue is we don't know what to charge for renting bikes. It will cost us (the campus) $150 to outfit a person with a bike and all the materials at first, but afterwards only about $50-75 per new person (same bike, new helmet, maybe new lights). What prices should we be charging students to rent a bike for? How much should cover the cost, and how much should be for a deposit (incentive to bring the bike back with minimal damage)?
As a bike share program we want to be competitive. It costs about $200-300 for a brand new bike, or $100 or a crappy Wal-Mart bike, but we also want to cover the costs of the program. I was thinking of $50 deposit, $50 cover charge per semester, or $50 deposit, $100 charge per year (and less if returning customer). However, the sustainability director thinks we should charge more.
Any ideas?
~Lyndy
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http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
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Adams Carroll -
Bill Wright -
Christopher Chan -
John Brown -
Lyndy