Steerer Tube Storage Kickstarter

legopro87

I have a kickstarter project I just launched. Its called Steerer Tube Storage II and is exactly what it sounds like. A small tube that assembles in your steerer tube and give you a small waterproof and hidden storage area. I'm more of a mountain biker but there's no reason it wont work on road bikes. In some ways it may be better suited for the road cyclist. Check out the kickstarter page and let me know what you think. Heres a link. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1954487775/steerer-tube-storage-ii?ref=af4cb0

Most questions can be answered by watching the video on the kickstarter page. But to answer some typical questions... It still uses a star nut and you can adjust your headset the same exact way as normal. It unfortunately doesn't work with carbon steerer tubes because their inner diameter is typically too small. This is the second time I launched this kickstarter. This time I have lowered the price to $25 including shipping within the US and have allowed for international shipping.

darkhairedlord

legopro87 wrote:

I have a kickstarter project I just launched. Its called Steerer Tube Storage II and is exactly what it sounds like. A small tube that assembles in your steerer tube and give you a small waterproof and hidden storage area. I'm more of a mountain biker but there's no reason it wont work on road bikes. In some ways it may be better suited for the road cyclist. Check out the kickstarter page and let me know what you think. Heres a link. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1954487775/steerer-tube-storage-ii?ref=af4cb0

Most questions can be answered by watching the video on the kickstarter page. But to answer some typical questions... It still uses a star nut and you can adjust your headset the same exact way as normal. It unfortunately doesn't work with carbon steerer tubes because their inner diameter is typically too small. This is the second time I launched this kickstarter. This time I have lowered the price to $25 including shipping within the US and have allowed for international shipping.

OK, i'll bite:

What is that hideous contraption on the front of the bike?
This alone will put people off the product, you need to show it in the same context as your customers will use it.

burnthesheep

Good luck!

Not in my wheelhouse for something I'd use, but to improve the install and prevent some future customer issues........I'd supply a rod or item of the correct depth to hammer the star nut down with.

If you leave it up to the customer to hammer, measure, hammer, measure......the inevitable WILL happen......a customer will hammer it too deep. Sure, perhaps longer bolt. But still, someone will be ham fisted and mess it up.

If you include a cheapo plastic rod of some kind you hit until level at the top, hammering too deep isn't possible.

legopro87

darkhairedlord wrote:

What is that hideous contraption on the front of the bike?
This alone will put people off the product, you need to show it in the same context as your customers will use it.

HAHA, Do you mean my Jeff Jones Truss Fork and H-Bar? I think they look cool, unique is cool. Unfortunately all I own are mountainbikes right now so I don't have a slick road bike to model it on.

And thanks for the idea about an instal tool, Burnthesheep. I'll try to incorporate that next time when this project is a success. For now I'm trying to keep costs low so I can keep the price low. Im actually not making any profit off this if its a success. Just enough to cover my initial investment to make the first few prototypes. Its a great idea though. Perfect example of Murphy's law.

Matthewfalle

burnthesheep wrote:

Good luck!

Not in my wheelhouse for something I'd use, but to improve the install and prevent some future customer issues........I'd supply a rod or item of the correct depth to hammer the star nut down with.

If you leave it up to the customer to hammer, measure, hammer, measure......the inevitable WILL happen......a customer will hammer it too deep. Sure, perhaps longer bolt. But still, someone will be ham fisted and mess it up.

If you include a cheapo plastic rod of some kind you hit until level at the top, hammering too deep isn't possible.

Wheelhouse?

ElectronShepherd

"In the wheelhouse" is a baseball term, meaning a pitch that comes in at just the right spot for the batter, so that he can get a really good hit on it. Extended now to mean in someone's area of expertise.

We now return you to your regular forum...

Suggestions:

In the video, use "shop-level" tools. E.g., when removing the headset cap, use something like a Park Tools allen key (http://www.parktool.com/product/10mm-p- ... ench-ph-10), not a multi-tool. Higher quality tools will, by association, imply a higher quality product in the mind of the viewer.

Always call the product by its full name, not the acronym. In a weeks time, after I failed to bookmark the Kickstarter page and I want to find your product, using a search engine to find "STS" isn't going to be any help, but searching for "steerer tube storage" might be. It also actually tells me what the product does, which is a good thing to reinforce in the mind of the viewer.

It's been mentioned already, but use a "normal" set of handlebars in the video. You want people to easily see how the product relates to their own bike, and having a bike that doesn't look like most bikes on the planet makes that mental leap that little bit harder.

meesterbond

Looks like a great idea... my only concern, particularly with road bikes, is that most come with an expander rather than SFN and on some lighter weight forks, the steerer walls are thin enough that the expander bolt unit thing is needed to stop the stem crushing the steerer - or at least to stop you voiding the warranty.

Probably better suited to steel / alloy steerer forks and mountain bikes.

Alex99

legopro87 wrote:

I have a kickstarter project I just launched. Its called Steerer Tube Storage II and is exactly what it sounds like. A small tube that assembles in your steerer tube and give you a small waterproof and hidden storage area. I'm more of a mountain biker but there's no reason it wont work on road bikes. In some ways it may be better suited for the road cyclist. Check out the kickstarter page and let me know what you think. Heres a link. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1954487775/steerer-tube-storage-ii?ref=af4cb0

Most questions can be answered by watching the video on the kickstarter page. But to answer some typical questions... It still uses a star nut and you can adjust your headset the same exact way as normal. It unfortunately doesn't work with carbon steerer tubes because their inner diameter is typically too small. This is the second time I launched this kickstarter. This time I have lowered the price to $25 including shipping within the US and have allowed for international shipping.

Who is your target customer and how much do they carry? You say in your info that you made it because you don't like carrying a backpack. I presume you you carry more than two puncture patches in the backpack.

My initial impression is that the capacity is too small to be attractive. I don't think my car key would fit in there. The absolute bare minimum should be CO2 + valve and puncture patch. Does this fit?

darkhairedlord

good place to hide the peds...

AK_jnr

Cool idea. Good luck.

trailflow

I'm just about to launch my own Kickstarter campaign. It's called the POCKET™. It's a hidden storage container that sits neatly on the inside of your jersey, jacket or pants. It's advantage over other storage containers is you can carry multiple POCKET's™ at any one time.

burnthesheep

Matthewfalle wrote:

Wheelhouse?

It's a good idea, but it's not in my area of interest. I'm good with a saddlebag.

Not in your wheelhouse means you're either not the expert, not interested, or it's not a subject you're well versed in. It's a stretch to use wheelhouse there, but I tried.

legopro87

Who is your target customer and how much do they carry? You say in your info that you made it because you don't like carrying a backpack. I presume you you carry more than two puncture patches in the backpack.

My initial impression is that the capacity is too small to be attractive. I don't think my car key would fit in there. The absolute bare minimum should be CO2 + valve and puncture patch. Does this fit?

Hi everyone and thanks for the replies and support. Unfortunately a CO2 cartridge doesn't fit. Would you buy a product like this if it did? Benefit of being a one man shop is it doesn't take long to design and prototype a new project.

To answer your other question. My target consumer is anyone looking to empty their pockets of stuff and move away from wearing a backpack or having large bags mounted to their bike and still be prepared. My current setup is;
Steerer Tube Storage for small misc stuff (Section of chain, schrader/presta adapter, zip ties and a few spare bolts)
A medium size under seat bag (multitools, chain breaker, patch kit, keys and sometimes wallet)
Attached to the frame is pump, tube and water bottle
In my shorts pockets typically just cellphone, snack bar or sometimes wallet.

All of that is what most people wear a backpack for.

The Steerer Tube Storage isn't going to solve the backpack problem on its own. But I think it helps by increasing storage capacity a little and it complements other products by being in a previously unused area. Plus its waterproof and discreet which makes it a good place to stash stuff you don't want stolen or wet. Money, small notepad and pencil, matches or cigarettes. (I don't smoke but a few of my friends suggested that one.)

gethinceri

I've never met anyone who carries spare bolts.
Everything I need except pump and food (in pocket) goes in a Stickypod, indeed, the only things that I carry that would fit in the STS are quicklink, patches and cable ties - all of which take up minimal space.

darkhairedlord

some emergency miniatures I suppose:

ben@31

Risks and challenges

All projects have their challenges....... That being said, I have bought a few prototypes from these manufacturers and they have proven themselves able to make quality products and deliver in a timely manor.

Timely Manor ?

Smarkinson

I think if you had a mini tool kit that fitted in there that you might have more success. Although, someone has already invented a toolkit that goes into handlebar ends. Has anyone invented a storage system for bar ends?

I'm sorry to say but as it is the capacity is so small that it seems rather pointless.

ben@31

Smarkinson wrote:

I think if you had a mini tool kit that fitted in there that you might have more success. Although, someone has already invented a toolkit that goes into handlebar ends. Has anyone invented a storage system for bar ends?

I'm sorry to say but as it is the capacity is so small that it seems rather pointless.

Shimano have a bar end with a USB charging point for Di2. I dont see the point of it when this bar end costs as much as £100 and the normal junction box under the stem works fine, doing the same job.

bernithebiker

ben@31 wrote:

Smarkinson wrote:

I think if you had a mini tool kit that fitted in there that you might have more success. Although, someone has already invented a toolkit that goes into handlebar ends. Has anyone invented a storage system for bar ends?

I'm sorry to say but as it is the capacity is so small that it seems rather pointless.

Shimano have a bar end with a USB charging point for Di2. I dont see the point of it when this bar end costs as much as £100 and the normal junction box under the stem works fine, doing the same job.

Well the ugly 'under the stem' EW90 costs 85 Euros and the much neater RS910 costs 99 Euros so not a big difference really.

The RS910 completely cleans up the front end of the bike and gets rid of 2 visible wires. In fact, as the one remaining wire can be taped up to the rear brake cable, you don't see any wires at all. The result is much cleaner looking and more aero.

This is how I did it;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Glnerrwpe4

As for the Kickstarter thing, I think it's badly timed, what with Vulpine an'all......

barongreenback

Smarkinson wrote:

I think if you had a mini tool kit that fitted in there that you might have more success. Although, someone has already invented a toolkit that goes into handlebar ends. Has anyone invented a storage system for bar ends?

I'm sorry to say but as it is the capacity is so small that it seems rather pointless.

I think the capacity is too small too. Topeak do this, which is pretty nifty

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/produc ... 02-ninja-c

navrig2

Interesting concept but I think you will struggle to make it commercially viable.

The idea of knocking the star nut down the steerer is not an overly attractive idea (for me anyway).

The storage volume is not enough to justify the cost/effort (risk?). All I could me using it for would be emergency cash which I would rather keep that in my zipped pocket in my jersey.

Good luck though.

Smarkinson

Smarkinson wrote:

I think if you had a mini tool kit that fitted in there that you might have more success.

Excuse me for quoting myself and for reviving this thread but I was just looking at bike snob NYC and he had a link to a kickstarter with a mini tool kit in the stem. THEY TOTALLY STOLE MY IDEA! Probably not though as that would have been a quick turn around from idea to prototype.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11 ... =discovery

pblakeney

Put a saleable unpatented idea on the Internet and someone will undoubtedly steal it. Probably even with a patent...