A Workshop for all of you! Your feedback please

Hi there,

I have had this idea for a while and i'd like to run it past you all.

I have been wondering wether starting a Workshop which would be open to you all would be a good idea?

The workshop would be kitted out with a Park Tool Master Mechanic tool kit, at least 4 Park tool deluxe workstands, and workbenches with Proffesional wheel truing stands. An idustrial parts cleaner, and Most importantly a large Vice!

The idea is that it would be somewhere for all of you to come and service, build or repair your bicycles in a profesionally kitted out workshop.

The aim would be to create a community workshop, which would be open till late because after all most of us find our LBS is shut by the time we finish work!
The Location would have to be as central as possible to accomodate as many people as possible.

People could either pay an hourly fee to use a workstand and tools, or simply pay an annual fee and have access all year round to the workshop. Any suggestions on prices are welcome, after all i'd like to accomodate for everyones budgets.

Wheelbuilding evenings would also be great.

I'd really love some feedback for as to wether this would be of interest....

ps Enjoy riding today, its a beautiful day!

Thank you for reading.

i'd pay an annual fee

Depending on where it was located I would defo pay an hourly fee...

Throw in a vending machine full of inner tubes etc and I would be giddy kickylegs.

sounds like a great idea, i'd pay either fee... maybe like £30-50 a year would be pretty reasonable, especially if there were classes and such like...
Would there have to be some kind of booking, otherwise it could get pretty chocka around rush hour/weekends...

id be into this...

depends on what your selection of hammers is like

A great idea for those not wishing to buy their own tools.

Maybe do it as a co-operative?

depends on what your selection of hammers is like

I don't mind about the hammers as long as there's no gunners

Thanks for the feedback so far,
-plenty of tubes will be available...
-A booking system would be a must, people could book hourly slots. And we could be open till 10pm or even later.
-Hammers of all sizes would be readily available :)
-The cost of quality tools is very high so this is an alternative, and also how many of us have room in our homes for a workstand and a huge tool kit...

I should really have added a Poll to the thread, Mods, is there any way i can add one?
Thanks.

sounds like a great idea, i'd pay either fee... maybe like £30-50 a year would be pretty reasonable, especially if there were classes and such like...
Would there have to be some kind of booking, otherwise it could get pretty chocka around rush hour/weekends...

You'd need to charge that per month, not per year.

Rents in central are not going to be cheap.

That said I think this is a brilliant concept- something I have given over a lot of thought to in my quieter moments.

I had come to the conclusion that you'd need more revenue streams to support it- I envisaged a cafe combined with a community style workshop, that also took in repairs.

We do it in Leeds, works well..

http://pedallers-arms.org/

You'd need to charge that per month, not per year.

Rents in central are not going to be cheap.

That said I think this is a brilliant concept- something I have given over a lot of thought to in my quieter moments.

I had come to the conclusion that you'd need more revenue streams to support it- I envisaged a cafe combined with a community style workshop, that also took in repairs.

Rents in central london are very high, realisticly by central i meant camden for example, which is a 15min ride from oxford street, and also an equal distance from west and east london and great for people living in central and north london.
You are right about needing additional revenue streams, and so that why maintanence classes and wheelbuilding classes could be held on weekends.
Also i'd hope to gradually build up a stock of parts and accesories so that people could build a wheelset or bike using parts sold onsite.

I think classes are a great idea- I'd provide them free to members and paid for to non-members.

You are going to have to hold one hell of a lot of classes to beat knocking out 2 coffee's a minute at £2.35 a pop though- thats' £282 per hour.

Do that for 2 hours each day and you have £3,948.

Coffee runs (depending on the bean) at a GP of say 70%, so that's £2,763.36 per week (£11,883.48 per month) to pay the rent and buy tools.

Free classes to members is spot on and then paid for those who are paying as a one off.
Members would also be entitled to a discount on all parts bought onsite.

Oh and i forgot to mention beer...

Dont get the Park stand's, get Kestral they're much better and will last a lot longer.

http://www.kestrelengineering.co.uk/files/model_b.pdf

I would definitely pay for this kind of thing. Camden would be perfect. I am sick of paying for mechanics but don't really have the money/space to kit out even the most rudimentary workshop.

If you continue on Dammit's line of thinking, would be great to have a kind of centre that you could come to lectures or coaching at in the evening - you could invite people like Scherrit to come do fittings on site too maybe?

Dont get the Park stand's, get Kestral they're much better and will last a lot longer.

http://www.kestrelengineering.co.uk/files/model_b.pdf

Thanks for the tip, they look awesome.

I would definitely pay for this kind of thing. Camden would be perfect. I am sick of paying for mechanics but don't really have the money/space to kit out even the most rudimentary workshop.

If you continue on Dammit's line of thinking, would be great to have a kind of centre that you could come to lectures or coaching at in the evening - you could invite people like Scherrit to come do fittings on site too maybe?

Thanks for the feedback, glad you think Camden is a good location.
The fittings idea is great.
Keep the great advice and feedback coming.
Cheers!

There is already micycle in N1 that has these kinds of things happening.
Only issues are: they are not open late enough; I heard people keep nicking their tools.

Perhaps pop over and get some ideas - looks chill (man).

There is already micycle in N1 that has these kinds of things happening.
Only issues are: they are not open late enough; I heard people keep nicking their tools.

Perhaps pop over and get some ideas - looks chill (man).

Ah yes, i have been there before, great place, didn't realise they where doing open access workshops. Might pop over for a chat.

A great idea but Union Cycle Works offer something similar in SE8 I think...doesn't seem to say so on their web site any more though so maybe not

http://www.unioncycleworks.org.uk/

Good idea but Hackney Bikeworkshop do something for folk in the Hackney area.

I have looked at both the hackney bikeworkshop and unioncycleworks however they both offer maintanence and open access sessions but only a few times a month.
They both seem like great initatives.

also http://www.56a.org.uk/bikeshop.html for inspiration