New here and advice re dutch bikes please

[dutchloveruk]

Hi there, i'm new to the forum so just wanted to introduce myself.... Im Emily, 28 and live in London. I have 2 kiddies and i love the dutch/Danish bike culture......! So much so that i have just invested in a Danish Nihola cargo bike for the family and we love it!!!

I also need to ask a few questions about importing bikes from the Netherlands if anyone knows anything about how i go about it, any advice would be really appreciated! I'm looking at investing in a dutch bike shop here in the UK and having done quite a bit of research, i know that there is high demand here for a dutch style bike.......

Many thanks and hope to chat soon

 

[dutchloveruk]

Hi there, i'm new to the forum so just wanted to introduce myself.... Im Emily, 28 and live in London. I have 2 kiddies and i love the dutch/Danish bike culture......! So much so that i have just invested in a Danish Nihola cargo bike for the family and we love it!!!

I also need to ask a few questions about importing bikes from the Netherlands if anyone knows anything about how i go about it, any advice would be really appreciated! I'm looking at investing in a dutch bike shop here in the UK and having done quite a bit of research, i know that there is high demand here for a dutch style bike.......

Many thanks and hope to chat soon

 

[chris667]

I know nothing about importing goods but it'd be great, there need to be more bike shops that do bikes for non-competitive riders.

You'll need a good bike mechanic, and to rent a van to go over and buy some, I suppose. You could get a lot of bikes in a transit van if they were unassembled, then build them and sell in London.

 

[chris667]

I know nothing about importing goods but it'd be great, there need to be more bike shops that do bikes for non-competitive riders.

You'll need a good bike mechanic, and to rent a van to go over and buy some, I suppose. You could get a lot of bikes in a transit van if they were unassembled, then build them and sell in London.

 

[ufkacbln]

There are already a number of contenders in this market

 

[ufkacbln]

There are already a number of contenders in this market

 

[Chrisc]

And here

Got my Batavus from these guys.

 

[Chrisc]

And here

Got my Batavus from these guys.

 

[jimboalee]

This bike needs a new home.

FREE.

 

[jimboalee]

This bike needs a new home.

FREE.

 

[Baggy]

Welcome to the forum!

Even though there are other contenders, they might give you some tips if they don't think you're in direct competition (and theymight not!).

Bikefix London

Practical Cycles Lancashire

Kids and Family Cycles in Hampshire

We recently tried out a Kona Ute, cargo and family bikes seem to be becoming much more mainstream now.

Just my two pennorth, but it would be good to see Pashley bikes being promoted in the UK more as well, even though they don't (yet) make what is exactly a cargo or family bike - their roadster bikes are lovely.

 

[Baggy]

Welcome to the forum!

Even though there are other contenders, they might give you some tips if they don't think you're in direct competition (and theymight not!).

Bikefix London

Practical Cycles Lancashire

Kids and Family Cycles in Hampshire

We recently tried out a Kona Ute, cargo and family bikes seem to be becoming much more mainstream now.

Just my two pennorth, but it would be good to see Pashley bikes being promoted in the UK more as well, even though they don't (yet) make what is exactly a cargo or family bike - their roadster bikes are lovely.

 

[Tollers]

Welcome Emily,

There are few fun shops in London. Try

http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk who stock a range of dutch bikes and their website...aherm.....is beautiful.

or

http://www.velorution.biz/

These guys would be your main competition if you're thinking of making a viable business.

I'm not sure if you're planning on investing in an exisiting business, or building your own from scratch? Would you be an importer/supplier, or be running a shop/selling to customers viw a web presence?

Either way, if I were you, perhaps my first stop would be to request a copy of velorution and bobbin's accounts from Companies' House. That way you can get an idea of their financials to help you decide if how much more growth there may be in the market.

Bobbin details
Velorution details - Company officially registered last month with £1m capital.

Importing within EU is pretty simple. It all depends on what scale you plan to operate on as to whether you need to think about warehousing, shipping contractual differences, LoC's (Letters of Credit) etc

I guess it all depends on what you're planning as to what advice we can offer. Care to share any details of your masterplan?

Tollers

 

[Tollers]

Welcome Emily,

There are few fun shops in London. Try

http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk who stock a range of dutch bikes and their website...aherm.....is beautiful.

or

http://www.velorution.biz/

These guys would be your main competition if you're thinking of making a viable business.

I'm not sure if you're planning on investing in an exisiting business, or building your own from scratch? Would you be an importer/supplier, or be running a shop/selling to customers viw a web presence?

Either way, if I were you, perhaps my first stop would be to request a copy of velorution and bobbin's accounts from Companies' House. That way you can get an idea of their financials to help you decide if how much more growth there may be in the market.

Bobbin details
Velorution details - Company officially registered last month with £1m capital.

Importing within EU is pretty simple. It all depends on what scale you plan to operate on as to whether you need to think about warehousing, shipping contractual differences, LoC's (Letters of Credit) etc

I guess it all depends on what you're planning as to what advice we can offer. Care to share any details of your masterplan?

Tollers

 

[yoyo]

It's great to see so much interest in Dutch bikes. I bought my Batavus in Littlehampton but I also looked at Gazelle bikes in Oxford. I forget the name of the shop but it is in the Jericho area of the city. They are great bikes but I did have to endure a member of a local cycling club's opinion that I didn't own a proper bike.