Question on possible tool business
 

I have always found the forum members to be a great resource and a place where you can get honest opinions.

I am thinking about two possible business ventures, and would like to get opinions on them.

Trying to solve a problem of the cost of high quality specific tools for the home mechanic. And also, the price many LBS charge for some easy maintenance.

1. Thinking of engineering an all in one BB press and removal for all standards. High quality tool that would properly seat and remove, without the need to hammer out the PF BB. Enduro makes a good option but it is expensive and you need different tools for bb86, 92, and 30. Looking to be in the $75 - $100 range. Would you buy one of these?

2. Shop quality tool rental. The kit could include:
- BB tapping and facing
- HT Facing and Reaming
- All BB specific tools - such as the high quality campy cup removal and install tools
- Hub servicing (CK and others)
- any other shop quality tools you would need for your specific build

Would you pay $25, $50, or $75 for the rental of this kit for a weekend?

There could also be one offs for BB or HS press tools.

Thank you always for you advice/opinion.

I would worry the most about people renting these very expensive tools and then not knowing how to use them, killing tool and also frame, then blaming you.

Decent shops charge a fair amount for these 'easy' jobs requiring very expensive tools because the tools are very expensive. Same as any wrenching job, car, aircraft, motorcycle, etc...

Even shop level Park tools are big buck$.

Question on possible tool business
 

Thanks Pete
I agree with you, to some extent. We have to assume that the shop mechanic is qualified.

A highly reputable shop in NYC charged me $75 to press in a PF30 BB and a headset. It takes me less than 15 minutes to do this with the right tools. That $300 dollars an hour for the mechanic, depreciation of the tools, rent, and profit margin. I think that profit margin is a bit too much.

And not all bike shop mechanics are properly trained at frame prep and they are also in a hurry. I always over wrench my bikes, as they are mine.


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I agree. BUT the HS and BB press(I used a Park cup press) was about $100. BUT chasing a BB takes all of about 15 minutes but we charged $45. The cutters were about $300 per set(w/o handles, 3 sets of cutters, yes we had french cutters) and another $150 per year to sharpen.

WE charged about $15 per for HS and BB, if they didn't need to be prepped.

I think the problem for renting taps for example is that a moron can mess up the tool big time and in that case you could lost it all before getting your money back.

And if I had a Vecchios and you as a mechanic, I would probably not rent the tool set. But if I lived in NYC, which I did for over 15 years, I would rather do the work myself, especially is I am performing a complete bike prep. The variance of quality across shops in NYC was tremendous.

I think the quality of wrenching varies greatly across our country. Many of us are good mechanics and can wrench very well with the right tools.

The other thing you get is that you wrench it yourself and know exactly what was done and how it was done.

The customer has to take some liability that they will have some risk of performing the work improperly. This could be mitigated by including some excellent videos or links to excellent videos.

I like your first idea for the BB press for all standards. Of course they seem to have a new standard every 17 minutes.

Generally speaking you pay skilled labor because they know how to do something you can't or don't want to do and because they have the proper tools in good repair to do the job correctly. The fact that it only takes them a few minutes is irrelevant. The fees they charge help not only offset the costs of acquiring and maintaining the proper tools but subsidize other areas of the business that may be necessary but for whatever reason not as profitable.

If you can do it yourself and have the inclination then by all means do it.

As to your specific endeavor if you have the right community it may be successful. I would rent a tool to press headsets and bb, but of all my cycling buddies I'm probably the only one that does anything but the most basic jobs. In some of the various cycling meccas there may be a market for it.

Thanks ultraman. That would be a big risk. I will say that the tapping is not that difficult. The tool is pretty dummy proof, but someone who is not careful to use the oil properly could definitely cause problems. Users may also not be as careful as an owner when handling the taps.

Excellent points and I agree.

However, we are talking about bikes and not cars. Most maintenance on bikes is not that difficult. I find the skill of a shop mechanic to a good home mechanic is speed.

It takes me all day to build up my bike and a good shop mechanic will do it in 1/4 of the time but not necessarily better.

One example is that it took me almost an hour to get my internal wiring done. A good shop mechanic with the proper guides and tricks will probably have it done in 15 minutes. The end product will be the same. I might have less hair from pulling it out, but I like wrenching my own bike and hate when I have to stop because a specific tool is expensive for a one time use.

The biggest question for entrepreneurs, is how many of me are there, the size of the market and how inelastic is there demand.

Honestly? I would rent a tool set with taps and headset press and other stuff for 25 bucks for and hour (or 30 mins) for example, but I would go to the dude place and then use it live right there. Once I have the job done I would come back home.

Rent stuff to take home would give me the creeps because eventhought I know how to use the tools you never know what could happen at home, besides the use of the tools is fairly quick. If takes 1 hour for somebody to put a headset with the tools means that the dude doesnt know what he is doing, dont even thing in the BB part heheehe

Wish somebody here in the area had a "rent place to go" to use tools like that. One of my friends got a BB with the threads busted, ended up making a DIY tap with an old steel BB cup to fix it. But at some point we were like.. ok who has this crap in the area...

Question on possible tool business
 

I don't have a press fit frame but were I to get one I would probably buy such a tool.

Percentage wise, not a lot. Good chance that a number of those who are either have their own tools, or access to them.

If you don't want to make a profit and only want to break even on purchase of your tools, the challenge is easier. You can amortize over years if you have to. But you have to figure in the lost opportunity cost of that $$ if you were to do somethingelse with it ... or interest and opportunity cost if you're borrowing it.

You'll have some marketing expense to find and recruit customers, unless you are tied in well with "people like you".

Investment risk (from damage/loss) and insurance expense to protect yourself if you're so inclined (should be) will up you break even number.

Shop guys and owners are trying to support themselves and families, so the objective is a bit different. If you're not concerned with making a profit, I'd say go for it. If you are, you're on the right track surveying online communities like this and cycling communities local to you.

For me - taking to a shop that it trust for facing and pressing is too easy and not all that expensive. $25 I might think about your solution .. maybe. $50+ not enough incentive.

The universal press is a great idea.

Letting taps out of your sight in the hands of a stranger is asking for trouble. :eek:

Thank you all for the comments.

The rental business is probably dumb, and the economics would be tough anyway.

I do think a BB tool could work if done correctly. Someone, or company, needs to address that the PF BB does not allow the home mechanic to change their own bearings, which is an item that wears down. Almost all race frames have some kind of PF BB to account for the wider BBs. Even Pinarello is slowly going in that direction.

The home mechanic should be able to perform basic maintenance on their bike. I think a BB change is basic maintenance.