Protecting your wheels

Hey everyone, I am doing a little market study for a product that I am developing for cycling wheels. I have created a quick, 5 question survey, to gain some insights into this market. With my previous business I skipped this step and it cost me big time. I am an avid cyclist as well so I know how it can be when you are traveling with some expensive wheels. I am extremely cautious with mine. In the survey there is a spot to put your email, this is optional, but I will be able to email you information about the product once it is created if you do decide to leave it. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this and happy training! Survey link: http://goo.gl/forms/ZBFY6H0IV8haHHda2

 

Alright. I'll take your survey for market insight. Not knowing your target market properly would cost you a wasted potential, but also don't rely on a survey as the only mea to acquire that kind of insight.

 

Thank you very much! Yeah I am very involved in the cycling community and know a lot of great people in the industry but a survey is a small start

 

Well good for you for recognizing your mistake and implementing the survey...we gotta learn from our mistakes. In the interest of market research I will oblige, and I am also curious to see the results because protecting your wheels is a big part of cycling and I have spent a good amount of money on mine so I want to take good care of them as best as I can. I do not want to spend that kind of money again.

 

Yeah I mean we spend thousands of dollars on our wheels, only to throw them in a $30 wheel bag with very little protection. If my wheels were destroyed or damaged I would be without race wheels for a long time

 

My wheel bag was free. With a little extra foam it offers all the protection I need inside my vehicles. If I were shipping wheels, a cardboard wheel box worked for the manufacturer and it works just as well for me.

 

I guess I am looking in to the people that fly to races and wanted to bring two sets of wheels. One set will go in the bike box with the bike, and the other set goes? For example, I will be racing in Belgium for 9 weeks next year, I dont want to be training on my race wheels for 9 weeks, especially over there. So I would like to bring two sets with me.

 

The wheel manufacturer shipped his product to the wholesaler in a cardboard box. The wholesaler shipped the wheels to the retailer in a cardboard box. The retailer shipped the wheels to the end user in a cardboard box.

Just sayin'.

I have no idea what product it is you are developing, but even if the idea of using something as effective (if a bit plebian) as a cardboard wheel box is not you cup of tea there are more than a few high zoot plastic wheel containers already available.

Have fun racing in Belgium! That is going to be an awesome time!

 

Thank you, and I appreciate the feedback!

 

I took the survey too. I think cycling has gone to the edge of the absurd! I have a feeling you're looking to market a hard case wheel case which just isn't necessary. I use a soft sided padded case and got it cheap for $20 for the pair and it even has a small pocket for the skewer.

 

yeah currently I am using the double zipp wheel bag which is an awesome bag, currently I actually have 2 of the zipp double wheel bags, and then 2 non branded single wheel bags. I am looking into the idea of a hard case wheel case. Not necessarily anything innovative or ground breaking, because hard case wheel cases already exist. But the ones I have found tend to be pretty pricey. So I am just looking into a hard wheel case that is more price friendly but still offers excellent protection. Everything in this sport is incredibly expensive, and I definitively feel like there are some areas where manufacturers get a little greedy, this being one of them. I appreciate the feedback though, that's why I ask these things to get peoples opinions and feedback so thank you!

 

Bike and related industry are realizing that wealthy corporate types that use to golf and think nothing of spending $2,000 just for one iron are now switching over to cycling which in turn is pushing prices sky high because the industry knows they're buying expensive, and dare I say mostly snake oil crap, err stuff. There are still a lot of average joes cycling but I know of a couple of guys who quit cycling because it got too expensive, not sure what the problem was because you don't need to keep up with the Trump types, they're still stuff out there that if a person shops smart can buy for low cost. For example, I know from living in the Mojave Desert area of California that a $100 100% Polyester jersey wasn't any cooler than a $15 dollar one, and the same with socks; these are areas that the average joe gets sucked into because of fancy sounding words promising if you wear their jersey you'll be a lot cooler, and go faster, which is just nonsense but people believe it which is why there is so many lies in advertising in general because people are gullible and companies know it. And one needs to keep an eye out for end of the year closeout deals which right now is a good time to buy tires cheap while the selection is high.

 

I agree completely. When you can go to the showroom of a bike shop and a motorcycle dealer and see the same prices you have to wonder why.

 

I bought a GSXR-1100 that would hit 165 MPH in the blink of an eye for less than what a Campy Record EPS/Pinarello/Insert High Zoot Wheels Of Choice Here would cost.

Another thought on traveling with wheels is to just buy a pair of economy class 50mm carbons over there and either sell them off before leaving or shipping them home as freight in a reinforced cardboard wheel box. For what a plastic wheel box and freight airfare go for you could probably come real close to covering the cost of race wheels.

The reverse option might be even better for you. Pack your carbon race day stuff in the bike box and buy a set of beater training wheels in Belgium.

 

That statement is insane! But it's also true! thus it's truly insane the direction cycling has taken.
Heck you can get a brand new KTM 1290 Super Duke R for just $17,000 and yet there are people buying bikes and wheels that cost close to that.

 

A S-works Mclaren fully built up has a price tag of $18k, there are a few around town where I live. I'd be too scared to ride that thing if I paid that much. I have the same amount invested into my Venge as I do my Yamaha R6.

 

The most expensive bike I've seen in my area is the Calfee carbon tandem a local dentist owned. I would rather have the arm candy girlfriend stoker he rides with, myself.

Bikes are pricey, but so is a washer/dryer pair. No big deal as long as you can afford them and get a smile out of riding them.

Life is short. Ride it like you stole it.

 

If I had an $18,000 bike I would ride it like I stole it because that's the only way I would come into possession of one!!