So my internship is at a new startup... PublicBikes.com

[MikeMike]

Im sure some of you may have heard of this company, perhaps, maybe not... It's a new startup in SF, selling European inspired, City Bikes... ranging from $650-$1200 a pop... anyways, if you have any questions on them, let me know, I will find any information out you need...

http://www.publicbikes.com/

 

[TehMac]

cool, good luck man!

Not sure SF is the best place for entrepreneurial enterprise of this sort.

 

[Leros]

What makes a $650-1200 bike worth the cost?

 

[Crusty]

Seems expensive IMO for what you get.

 

[preslove]

You have an internship at a local bike shop?

 

[MikeMike]

cool, good luck man!

Not sure SF is the best place for entrepreneurial enterprise of this sort.

Uh how not? it's in the top 10 most bike friendly city in the US (http://www.bicycling.com/topbikefriendlycities/home.html)
It is the closest to where the bikes are manufactured...
It is a hotbed for e-commerce based business...
The Founder is located there, ever heard of Design Within Reach? yea, he founded that too.

 

[l0cke]

So Lifer status does get you a job.

 

[MikeMike]

What makes a $650-1200 bike worth the cost?

Style, Craftsmanship, In-hub gears, 1-8spd...

 

[PricklyPete]

Not sure SF is the best place for entrepreneurial enterprise of this sort.

What? You think there would be a better place in the US to try something "European" inspired?

 

[Crusty]

What? You think there would be a better place in the US to try something "European" inspired?

I see what you did there :sneaky:

 

[OCGuy]

Uh how not? it's in the top 10 most bike friendly city in the US

You have to be a fairly skilled rider to avoid the bums and parades though.

 

[MikeMike]

You have to be a fairly skilled rider to avoid the bums and parades though.

The tires are wide enough to not get stuck in the tracks of the trams anyways...

 

[slayer202]

What makes a $650-1200 bike worth the cost?

they look coooool maaaaaaaaan

seems like they will sell great to the douche apple gay demographic

 

[dougp]

Honestly don't see how they're worth that price - what's the composition? Components? Are they all hand made? What gives?

You can go buy a Schwinn from the 80s on CL for $100 that looks just like that ...

 

[coldmeat]

Those bikes are up to $1200? I could understand a nice carbon road bike for that much, but one of those?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Those bikes are up to $1200? I could understand a nice carbon road bike for that much, but one of those?

You wouldn't sniff a good carbon road bike for $1200

 

[preslove]

I don't get it. Are you manufacturing the bikes, or just selling others' bikes at a local shop, or both?

Also, Public Bikes is a terrible name because some cities have bike share/rental services (you get an account and can pick up a bike from an automated rack and then drop it off at another rack, and get charged to your account). The name implies a service, not a shop/brand.

 

[schneiderguy]

*snorgle*

 

[Fear No Evil]

I'll give you three fiddy for one.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I don't get it. Are you manufacturing the bikes, or just selling others' bikes at a local shop, or both?

Also, Public Bikes is a terrible name because some cities have bike share/rental services (you get an account and can pick up a bike from an automated rack and then drop it off at another rack, and get charged to your account). The name implies a service, not a shop/brand.

I agree. The site even mentions such programs.
http://www.publicbikes.com/about.php

"Paris launched its Vélib program and now thousands of Parisians get around on city-owned bikes."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib%27

Naming a company that sells bikes "Public Bikes" seems like a terrible idea.

 

[Meghan54]

I do hope the steel is at least Cro-Mo and butted. And the headsets better be King headsets at those prices. I know the stems look cheap and very old school....don't know of any quality bike using stems like those any longer except Wal-Mart Huffys and Murrys.

What is funny is the mention of "comfortable saddles" and then showing Brooks saddles. (FYI....until a Brooks saddle is properly broken in, which is a very long process, they've been likened to sitting on a concrete block topped with broken glass.)

 

[RbSX]

I agree. The site even mentions such programs.
http://www.publicbikes.com/about.php

"Paris launched its Vélib program and now thousands of Parisians get around on city-owned bikes."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib%27

Naming a company that sells bikes "Public Bikes" seems like a terrible idea.

Yeah really misleading choice of name.

 

[BrokenVisage]

So my internship is at a new startup...

As opposed to an old startup? Redundant internship is redundant.

 

[Nik]

Those bikes don't offer much at all, really, for modern technology or cutting edge tech. Do people really pay that much money for those kinds of bikes? For that kind of money, I'd expect carbon fiber body, fork shock thingies, in-hubs, those funny cyclist shoe pedal spike ... things, front/back light, long distance devil horn handlebar ... thingies

 

[Leros]

You have an internship at a local bike shop?

I'm kinda curious about this too. What is your major? And what exactly does your internship entail? Are you doing business operations or something?