Bike Bleed Kit Survey

[libbiwu]

If you're a biker or have some knowledge in the cycling industry, would you help me out in taking this quick survey for a business idea? It involves looking over a one-page concept statement and answering a few follow-up questions: https://forms.gle/qzwk4qzwegac3yHV9

I'm a former mountain bike racer trying to build a business selling bike bleed kits, and I’m in this course where we are working on a product/service feasibility assignment.

The response deadline is by Monday at midnight (10-12-20), and I'd be really grateful for anyone willing to take the time to complete the survey!! It shouldn't take long, and thanks in advance

 

[chris-suffolk]

As a new member, might be better to introduce yourself to the group, say hello and what you're looking for / enjoy. Might get a better response than the post you have made. I'm guessing this is for commercial gain, so count me out of any surveys.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Is your differentiation that your kits will be reusable? I’m not sure how well that would work in practice. I bleed my brakes at most once a year and although I keep the bleed kits, who knows how good they’d be after a year in a dusty space?

Is your target market, just the USA, as I know import duties into Europe change the competitiveness of USA kit quite a bit.

My last bleed kit came from these guys

https://epicbleedsolutions.com/

 

[classic33]

Just bicycles, or motorcycles and other vehicles as well?

Clicking on the link got this

 

[libbiwu]

Is your differentiation that your kits will be reusable? I’m not sure how well that would work in practice. I bleed my brakes at most once a year and although I keep the bleed kits, who knows how good they’d be after a year in a dusty space?

Is your target market, just the USA, as I know import duties into Europe change the competitiveness of USA kit quite a bit.

My last bleed kit came from these guys

https://epicbleedsolutions.com/

Thanks for your reply! My target market is just the USA for now, and some areas that would differentiate my kits from epics is that my kits would be more comprehensive and have more variation. They would include not just the 7mm combination wrench but also the small Allen wrenches necessary for the bleed job. In addition, I would provide basic to pro kits for each brake model where basic kits have just the essentials and pro kits include more oil, tools, heavy duty syringes, and a tool case in order to reach a larger market. I would also aim to have YouTube tutorials for each kit. And that's what I'm thinking of so far. This business idea is definitely something I’m still working out, so I really appreciate your thoughts.

 

[libbiwu]

Just bicycles, or motorcycles and other vehicles as well?

The aim is to be a centralized source of bleed kits starting with bicycles and expanding to motorcycles and other vehicles.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Some details would be useful to form an opinion on whatever your products might be

 

[chris-suffolk]

Thanks for your reply! My target market is just the USA for now, and some areas that would differentiate my kits from epics is that my kits would be more comprehensive and have more variation. They would include not just the 7mm combination wrench but also the small Allen wrenches necessary for the bleed job. In addition, I would provide basic to pro kits for each brake model where basic kits have just the essentials and pro kits include more oil, tools, heavy duty syringes, and a tool case in order to reach a larger market. I would also aim to have YouTube tutorials for each kit. And that's what I'm thinking of so far. This business idea is definitely something I’m still working out, so I really appreciate your thoughts.

This is primarily a UK focused group, so you may have more luck with a US centric one if you based in the US

 

[GilesM]

Good luck with the business, my immediate thoughts are that there really are a lot of different products out there that can do the job, and I'm not sure if people who do their own brakes would want to pay too much for a kit when the job can be very easily done with simple tools.
I'm happy to be proved wrong, post the full details when you have a product ready to sell, be interesting to see what you come up with.

 

[Tom B]

Is your differentiation that your kits will be reusable? I’m not sure how well that would work in practice. I bleed my brakes at most once a year and although I keep the bleed kits, who knows how good they’d be after a year in a dusty space?

Is your target market, just the USA, as I know import duties into Europe change the competitiveness of USA kit quite a bit.

My last bleed kit came from these guys

https://epicbleedsolutions.com/

Likewise - my only issue with them is cleaning them after use and the bungs on the syringes go gummy and knackared over a 12 month period. New syringes can be bought of ebay for pennies so its not the end of the world, but it would be nice if it didnt happen.
I've used my kit on Shimano, Sram and Tektro.

I buy DOT spec oil for my Sram stuff from a motor factors for about £4 for 500ml and use cyclos oil for my shimano stuff again its about £5.

There are several other kits on the market all for not much money as well as some more expensive posher kits. I dont see the hole in the market.

The aim is to be a centralized source of bleed kits starting with bicycles and expanding to motorcycles and other vehicles.

I bought my car bleed kit from Machine Mart for about £30 some years ago, I pick up fluid from the motor factors when picking up the service parts, pads, shoes, cylinders etc its inconsequentially expensive. Again the market is well served and even the likes of screwfix and Toolstaion are selling bleed kits for about £20 delivered next day to your door. It seems fewer and few people are home serving their cars these days and even fewer of those will touch brakes. Not everyone that bleeds brakes uses a kit (I still often prefer getting the missus to sit in the car while i shout down-hold-up). I bought my bleed kit probably about 15yrs ago, I don't plan on replacing it any time soon.