Not quite dragon's den, but...

Stig-OT-Dump

Would anyone be interested in a small bike shop in the Central Business District of their city or town that offered:

- Secure bike parking
- Lockers and showering facilities
- Bike mechanic service (sorting out all those niggles during the day, while you work, so your bikle is ready to ride home in top nick)
- Accessories and spare parts rather than bikes?
- maybe even evening classes in bike maintenance?
- guidance on routes, rides, training and such like?

always_tyred

Yes, but I'm not sure how the economics would work in terms of the space required for all of the lockers and showers.

I think we all know of bike shops who appear to have a Tardis full of bits and pieces from bikes... gasp... more than a couple of years old.... some even with... gasp.... threaded headsets and.... gasp..... square tapered cranks. However, the one I know in Edinburgh is about 2 miles from the centre and the one I know in Glasgow is at least a mile. What this tells me is that bits and bobs like chains and spare tubes, don't earn you enough to rent space in the centre of a city.

To make the difference, therefore, my fear would be that I'd be looking at £5+ a day for a shower, a locker and to keep my bike somewhere secure. Apart from the latter, I may as well join a gym.

However, if it could be done for an attractive price, I'd bite your hand off.

Have you thought about selling massively strong coffee as well?

Swannie

Didn't you ask this before?

Someone did certainly.

Exactly what you are suggesting is being done (and more) in central Bristol (Google for "mud dock").

always_tyred

I honestly didn't know about this (I live 300 miles away).

£2.50 a day, if you rent for the entire month. That would be touch and go for me.

For example, for £47 a month I can join a local fitness club in a nearby hotel. Showers, gym instead of cyle maintenance (which isn't included in the £55 a month anyway), but you don't get a locker at the gym (although clothes storage isn't usually the problem).

For anyone who can solve the cycle storage problem, the gym wins on value, I think.

bigmat

My gym in City of London costs £50 a month, including locker and somewhere indoors to park my bike. I've also got a branch of Evans on the ground floor of my office in case I ever need an emergency service / puncture repair etc. Job done.

I think for what you are proposing it should be government subsidized - would encourage a lot of people to cycle definitely. Don't see it being viable in the private sector though.