Phenomenal idea to take to Dragons Den...Who wants in on it with me???

[Cyclopathic]

Apologies if I've mentioned this before. I couldn't find anything but it is possible I've trotted out this idea before. But what the hell, it's a good idea..
After having been self employed for a little while as a bike mechanic I've decided it's time to expand the business. It's my plan to open a chain of Bike shops in places where there are none at all and where the nearest bike fix is an expensive and dangerous journey away. I want a bike shop on every oil rig in the north sea so that the workers can get their bikes fixed easily rather than just tossing them into the sea, which is what they do now, I imagine. I don't aim to be greedy and exploitative about it but I will be charging a premium rate for all work and repairs. After all who else are they going to go to.
I'm betting all the dragons are going to want in on this and that we will have to do some behind the scenes bargaining so that they rules can be bent a little to allow them all to invest loads in this idea so if anybody wants in on this then now is the time, not down the line when they're all offering me wads.

 

[Globalti]

You haven't researched the market very well have you? Don't you know that you can't cycle on oil rigs because there are too many ladders?

(PS: My cousin went on Dragon's Den to seek funding for his Cirque-du-Soleil style theatre company. The dragon offered him a big chunk of lolly and he accepted. When I saw my cousin at a family event a year later he admitted that although they had agreed on the TV show, they had never actually come to agreement over the terms and the thing had petered out.)

 

[Archie_tect]

Not allowed ladders on oil rigs since DDA: everywhere has to be accessible by platform lift- that's where the name originated... so providing the oil workers can track-stand well, I see nothing wrong with Cyclo's excellent idea. He could invest heavily in "Cyclorama"... a 360 degree film projection of various recorded cycle rides which are linked digitally to the rider's roller speed and inclination so that they experience the thrill of hills, descents and bends to make the oil workers' rides as close to the joy of proper cycle rides as possible....

 

[ohnovino]

I'm out.

 

[Joffey]

In addition to the bike shops you could build a large velodrome track on the edge of the rig. Not only will this be great for shop business but it will bring on Olympic hopefuls who otherwise wouldn't be able to train properly whilst at work.

 

[MarkF]

I'm in, it sounds great.

Could be worth every "shop" having a fold out wall-of-death, to be erected right around the rig, encouraging the workers to ride more regularly, thus providing more mechanical failures (profit=geddit?). The subsequent improved health, physically and mentally, is also another ideal selling angle/opportunity.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Idle capital is the scourge of all investment ideas. With this in mind, the following occurs to me:

To help the rig-cyclists to while away those hours when not riding, one might construct a form of vertical-drilling equipment, to bore exploratory holes into the sea bed directly below the platform for the purpose of extracting crude oil and other fossil fuels from below the rock.

Any fuel harvested by this system would be easily transferred to onshore refinaries by tanker or (where conditions permit) by a pipeline.

Once refined, the fuel could be used to power a range of motor vehicles designed on a four-wheeled, independently-suspended platform to carry four, five or more passengers along the road network currently used by cyclists.

The compulsory training of all users of these vehicles to a minimun standard of competence and the strict application of laws governing the speed at which they are driven would ensure that injuries and fatalities were kept to a minimum.

Cyclopath, I think you're onto something.

 

[lukesdad]

In addition to the bike shops you could build a large velodrome track on the edge of the rig. Not only will this be great for shop business but it will bring on Olympic hopefuls who otherwise wouldn't be able to train properly whilst at work.

To expensive, inflatable turbos and hold night races round the rig, Im in !

 

[Beebo]

Once you have established the oil rig cycle repair business, you could set about convincing the workers to travel to shore by boatbike rather than those dangerous Superpuma helicopters.

 

[Archie_tect]

Cyclo... you've inadvertently hit on the biggest benefit for the oil barons... the cycle turbos can all be connected to the drilling rig: it'll save a fortune. Quick, get those patent forms downloaded before anyone nicks the idea...

 

[Archie_tect]

...Hovis McDougall?

 

[mark st1]

I get the idea Cyclopathic but what about you who is the man behind the idea. Whats your background.

 

[DougieAB]

And best of all, no hills on an oil rig!

 

[classic33]

Get them doing other work whilst providing gym facilities.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/05/pedal-powered-farms-and-factories.html

 

[Cyclopathic]

I get the idea Cyclopathic but what about you who is the man behind the idea. Whats your background.

I've oiled a bike so have extensive knowledge of bikes and oil. And I have been on some differnet sorts of platforms. What more background do I need. I think I have my s**t pretty well sorted here.