To Spacing.ca: Folding Bikes Sound Expensive

The well followed blog, spacing.ca did a post about savedbybikes.com.

My impression is that it is a good post, and certainly helps get the word out. Many seem to feel that the article made the point that the STRiDA folding bike must be too expensive:

“Yet the price tag was enough to put many them off: $980 + tax can sound like a lot for a bike, even if it is foldable, hand-welded, 22lbs and has disc breaks[sic].”

I suppose I have a number of things to say about the price, but a couple are critical:

The price, $894 ($800 USD) is essentially the global price for a STRiDA bike. It is a very good price relative to the quality and design of this product and is the same or actually quite a bit less than other “high-end” folding bikes. There is an economic principle at work here: when you sell something of value for less than its true value, shortages result. It seems STRiDA’s manufacturer sells every bike it can make, which would indicate that the global price is at least, fair. Indeed bicycle savvy consumers often state that the price is great, or at least, about right. Other folders, which don’t have the ease of use, design and features of the STRiDA are much more. In a progress report on a STRiDA instead of car the writer saved the cost of the bike in one month.

The article states:

Since opening the shop, Steve has totaled just over 40 sales, significantly less than he had hoped for by this time.

I think 40, now around 53 is a terrific accomplishment, but I did hope for more. It is not the price in my opinion that makes people consider before adopting. It is exactly because we chose to do the right thing and target commuters, not cyclists. Our mission is to get those who commute all or part of the way by car to consider an alternative; leave the car at home and ride a STRiDA to the GO Train or TTC station. So, in effect: “completely change your lifestyle and pay the better part of $1000 to do it. ”

I’m not entirely surprised that people aren’t lining up. Given this, again I think 46 or so is remarkable.

Thanks for a good article Jake, and thanks for trying the folding bike.

1. Brereity says:

   December 12, 2009 at 1:25 am

   eh… cognitively style!