How do I find a Bike Builder?

[HybriPed]

Guys - I've got a problem

I want to tell the world about the HybriPed Sprocket through my publicity and YouTube videos. The problem is, where do I send them if they want one?

I think that there is a real need for a 'Locate a Bike Builder' service. This is because many people are not interested in setting up and maintaining MABs yet they'd be very happy to have one, especially these days as recession doom and gloom spreads around the world.

For each builder listed in a 'Locate a Bike Builder' service, all that is needed is:
Name, contact, locality details (Country, State, City, Locality etc) and personal promotional info. The only bit missing from MBC member public profiles is structured locality information.

It is feasible to add a Locate a Bike Builder page to the MBC forum where customers could look for builders in their locality. I could set it up on my website but that would duplicate what is already here at MBC. I'd rather say to my visitors - "Go to MBC to find a Bike Builder"

In this age of belt-tightening, I think that the potential market for bike building and maintence is huge. Bike building and maintenance could be a great little money-spinner for thousands of MAB enthusiasts.

What do you think?

 

[TWalker]

Agreed!

Maybe http://wikimapia.org/ type map would help.

 

[JoelC707]

I'm game to be on that list, but as an individual not my company. I think it's a great idea. Most of the vendors on here only sell the motors, not complete bikes. Even I was going to just sell the motors but many people have asked me if I build them (or rather if I will install it for them) that I decided to start doing that.

 

[Mountainman]

not a bad idea

wondering about quality control ??
liability issues ??

not wishing to bring you down here
just a ((couple of THINGS)) that do come up in the business world

ride that custom frame THING

 

[augidog]

indeed..."support your local vendor"...it's good for everyone all 'round...and eventually it could kick-start the economy at the local level, where it counts most.

accountability being an ever-existant issue, maybe a local-vendors section...someplace public where the customer can speak up, if need be.

 

[350zdrftr]

I would love to build some bikes for people and customize them for their needs

 

[lordoflightaz]

I would say build a social group here - > http://www.motoredbikes.com/group.php , but it looks like google does not pick group names in a search, might be fixable by adding to sitemap.xml. A post with "Motor Bike Builder" and other related terms that references a group called "Bike Builders" would end up on the search engines.

This would be the least amount of effort. Someone wanting to let it be know that they build bikes could opt in to the group and post a message about where they are and what they do.

I suppose someone could write code for a SQL database and link it in to this site.

 

[DetonatorTuning]

i'd build for hire, anytime.

i even have several real good build ideas i just can't afford to do for myself right now. LOL

steve

 

[HybriPed]

not a bad idea

wondering about quality control ??
liability issues ??

not wishing to bring you down here
just a ((couple of THINGS)) that do come up in the business world

ride that custom frame THING

Very important stuff

It is one thing to build bikes for mates, but it is another thing to build bikes for profit - public liability, standards, indemnity etc.

Maybe we could kick of a forum for commercial bike builders like the vendor forum. That would be a good way to draw together those issues that builders are already dealing with.

Of course, there are already a few operators in the field, which can only expand like crazy in the hard times that have decended. Even those companies that are selling completed bicycles would sell more if bike maintenance was readily available at a local level.

 

[lordoflightaz]

Not that I can't build a bike for someone else, but I wouldn't go out of my way. I might build one cause we have the parts. That is what I am doing at the moment.

Yesterday, a guy comes up to me in my garage and asks if I could build one or sell him one. I remeber meeting him one night a month ago. He was riding a bike that he had built, it was a some Schwinn, Del Mar, Point Beach with a Zone 8 motor. It was dark. Some evil bastid stole his bike from Walmart last week.

I don't think a separate forum area would be needed. That's sort of why I said the social group thing. Just a casual affiliation that indicates a willingness to do it or be willing to assist the "challenged"