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.
CP24 Breakfast to feature STRiDA Folding Bike
STRiDA 5.0 Gloss Black
All next week you’ll have a chance to win a STRiDA 5.0 Gloss Black folding bike on Toronto’s CP24 Breakfast morning television news & entertainment show.
On Monday, we are planning to pull off a commuter race of sorts: one commuter armed with a STRiDA folding bike and the GO train (commuter train) will race against Cam Woolley and his CP24 SUV from Barrie to the studio on Queen St. in Toronto.
All week during the broadcast, you’ll have chances to email in to win a STRiDA.
On Friday we’ll be back and we hope to have one of the hosts riding a STRiDA.
Bala Triathalon
Chris completed his second Triathalon on the weekend. This one in Bala, was a fantastic event.
They are fun events and great little local economy boosters. Kudos to the organizers of the HSBC Triathalon Series, Multisport Canada; these events with hundreds of competitors and I would think, thousands of potential problems were exceptionally well managed. This made for a great time for participants and spectators.
GreenPages.ca: about savedbybikes.com
From thegreenpages.ca a post on savedbybikes.com.
Many thanks to the writer: Nathan Shaw, who took the time and effort to understand what we are trying to do here.
Nathan: “Saved by bikes; what exactly are bikes going to save?”
SBB: “Well, cities. Save them from cars. There are too many cars coming into North American cities on a daily basis. In addition to the really awful carbon footprint, the money spent by cities on supporting the auto-infrastructure is enormous and unsustainable. So bikes can help save the city and by extension the planet”
We are targeting commuters who use an automobile for all or part of their commute, and asking them to consider some alternatives. We are certainly a for-profit company; anything else and we would not be able to continue to accomplish this mission. But at the same time, we know we are also doing the right thing.
Great piece, thanks for helping Nathan.
Gravenhurst Triathalon
My son Chris, who many know from his days on the floor of the savedbybikes.com store, competed in his first triathalon in Gravenhurst on the weekend.
I didn’t know what to expect trying to put myself in his position and immediately feeling the pre-race butterflies. He seemed relaxed but felt relieved when it it was actually underway.
Speaking of underway, it was one of the best ways I can think of to start the swim portion of the event; the participants were taken out to the starting point by the Segwun, North America’s oldest steamship, in Lake Muskoka.
Really cool to watch everyone dig deep for the event; particularly cool to watch my son. He claims to be a slow swimmer and runner, but is fast and powerful on his Opus Scherzo.
He came in 3rd in the “Clydesdale” category – his first triathalon! savedbybikes got Chris and me into this. It will be interesting to see where it leads
Car/Bike commute hybrid
John D. Hamalka MD is a Healthcare CIO who supports some 3000 doctors, 18000 faculty, and 3 million patients in Boston Massachusetts.
Experiencing a “there must be a better way” moment with a more than challenging commute/daily schedule, John chose the to replace his car in the city center with a folding bike in an experiment. After investigating folding bikes by Bike Friday, Brompton and Dahon , John chose the STRiDA as “the only one light enough, small enough, or quick to fold enough to just toss in and our of car/office/train in a few seconds.”
The goal here is to apply the appropriate tool for the job. In-city gridlock, caused by cars, has made them less and less useful. Bicycles are superb for inner-city trips and folders even better.
For many, an entire commute by bike may be too much; leaving the car as the best tool. If there is available rail or public transit the folding bike remains best of all,.
After many years of commuting entirely by car, I never do any more. Most days I travel by GO Train(Toronto’s public commuter rail) with a STRiDA folding bike under the seat. This a great way to go; the bike is always with me, no chance of theft, and I am never stuck in traffic or have to pay for parking. On those days when I need a car available, I drive to the Northwest corner of Toronto, park free, take the bike out of the car and ride the final 10 km (6Mi). This has worked wonderfully for me and I appreciate the longer ride.
I’m looking forward to an update on John’s experiment with this.
More reasons the world needs more girls on bikes.
Photo via Cycle Style Show.
I came across a post on treehugger.com
I know it’s an important idea, and it’s hard to articulate at times. However, I want to add to it as I get flashes of how to say it on my daily commute.
1. The World Will Be Better Looking.
2. There is Safety in Numbers.
3. Sweat Equity
4. Style Over Speed.
5. More Women Bikers Mean the Infrastructure Has Matured..
6. For Complete Streets.
My Additions
7. Women relate to bikes differently. There is a genuine feeling for the bike and what it does for them; how they go through their world together. Men’s perspective is often about the technology, speed, toughness and envy factor. Women can see their bicycle in a holistic context and that functional relationship with other parts of life adds emotional value to the bicycle.
8. Pleasure over Speed. Why is it that I have to go as quickly as possible from point A to B? I do not know. I get that there is joy in the journey, I just can’t seem to slow down and look for it. I do see that women can.
9 Decency, Humility. I notice this every day.
10. Further to TH’s Style over Speed. Women are not embarrassed to ride some really cool looking bikes, and then go even further and add some additional touches. While men can admire this, we would not want to be looked at.
11. It (more women on bikes) would be an indication that we have made progress on creating safe urban cycling conditions. See here and this article from Scientific American.
Transportation is wonderful freedom
Parking was provided for me in the office building. Once my car was there, it mostly stayed until I left for the day. I never wanted to get the car out to do things during the day simply because there was no where to put it when I got where I wanted to go. I walked mostly, all over the place; but that was limited to the amount of ground I could cover in a reasonable time. Except on rare energetic days, and if necessary, I never got north of Dundas , or over to Spadina
Once I bought a STRiDA everything changed. Anytime I had a desire to go anywhere downtown it was a 5 or 10 minute ride, then fold it up and go in, or out, or up or down. From a freedom of transportation standpoint, there is no better way to interact with the city.
Northam celebrates Earth Week
I was privileged to be invited participate in Earth Week events at Bell Trinity Square which is managed by Northam Realty Advisors.
This building is one of only two in Canada that is LEEDS (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certified. Northam is very serious about environmental commitment and they know it makes good business sense.
In a past life, I leased quite a bit of office space throughout North America. I can tell you unequivocally that if I were making a decision to lease space today, any building’s environmental policies would weigh very heavily in the decision. I believe that should be, and is, more and more the case in the new world.
Northam Realty's Earth Week Prize
As further evidence of Northam’s commitment, they gave away a STRiDA folding bike to one of their tenants!
Gadget show tests STRiDA 3.0
Watch the STRiDA 3.0 (STRiDAs are now version 5.0) go up against the A-Bike on Britain’s Gadget show.
A little old, but fun to watch
