Race Day Wheel Rental IM Special - From R999

[JGR]

Thanks for the feedback, don't get me wrong, their might be a market but just trying to wrap my head around it all.

 

1. A rental cost of a Polo is about R300 a day and a New 1.4 Polo is about R230k .... Wheel rental per day/event is R1500 and new wheels are R20k??

2. Can you even get this type of insurance for one event? If so have you research and could you give us an estimate?

3. You are offering a service not a product (Ie the rental of a product). No one would say no to new free anything

4. You said US/EU is R1800 per day and you are R1500 per day - the difference isn't relative ...You also only pay this duty once. As many other retailers do.

5. Will your wheel be compatible with all or will the onus be on that person to go and buy a cassette for example?

6. Your should have said this up front as it would be a very important point for anyone considering this

7. If they don have $$$ for wheel where would the majority get this 'experience'

[OnTheFly Wheel Hire]

Hi @JGR

 

Here are some comments reply to your thread:

 

The Wheel rental is more aimed at those who:

1) don't wanna spend R20k - R30k on a set of wheels (cause that's what the high end wheels go for now a days).

If you are willing to rent im sure you are ok to buy second hand which are a fraction of that price, lest not forget our friends in the Chinese carbon thread

Sure, but again, why would someone buy a Merc or BMW (German) vs a Suzuki (Chinese - i think). If you have to compare apples with apples, the likes of ZIPP, HED, ROLF, LIGHTWEIGHT etc spend far more testing and R&D on their products that actually has some true facts about advantages in the aerodynamic spectrum

 

2) for those who only plan on doing 2 - 5 big races a year. if you calculate the cost of a rental vs buying at R20k, you can rent for 3 years to make up the same value.

5 big races a year would mean they are pretty serious and if they can afford 5 races they could probably afford wheel

True, but not every race has the same profile. why stick to one type of wheel when you can customise your set up for that race profile??

 

3) for the guys (like @Face Plant) who wish he had a different wheel just for that one day. I raced Trirock durban and thought " a Disc would have been perfect for this day" but i don't wanna buy a disc for 1 race a year.

What ever happened to not trying something new/different on race day (or do you get them for more than 24hrs?) ​normal races you actually have them for 4 days. IM and 70.3 you will have them for more than 7 days before the race. so ample time to get the setup right.

What about the people who have never used a disc - what would be the advantage of using one for the first time in a race?

a Disc is more reserved for those who can push their bikes at 35km/h or more. at this speed you will have more of an aerodynamic advantage and actually cut through the wind fast. just like a windsurfer.

 

4) how many wheels are for sale on the hub at less than 50% of what they paid for them. the wheels are only 1 - 2 yrs old. people upgrade or are just not happy with a set. look at the how much you lost. if you rented the wheels. then no risk in loss and also you can have the newest tech available.

These are the 2nd hand wheels I referred to - im confused as you say you don't get much for second hand but saying acquiring wheels is expensive?

What i refer to here is if someone went out to buy brand new wheels at R15k+. When they try to sell them after a few riders, they end up losing more value (like driving a new car of the showroom floor). We replace the wheels every year with the latest new models. so you can be assured that you always have the newest technologies to ride on.

 

So all in all, the guy that ends up buying a set of wheels is the one racing more often than not.

Look at IM SA with 2500 entries. A large % of the field will be first timers, not sure what equipment to buy or just bought a bike with no extra cash to spend on R20k wheels.

Is this a fact? Lets say it is - it is more likely a first timer is just interested in finishing if they are on a budget

Only speculating, but i hear all the time of first timers doing the race.

I'm of the opinion that yes there are many who want to finish the race only, but some really want to race to perform their best.

There is a demand for it. it's not for everyone, but it is a great opportunity to test different equipment before buying.

This would be the most value imo

 

Not a bad idea but I think the pricing needs more research - or perhaps consider renting them for 2 weeks to give the person ample time to get used to them

Total rental period would actually be 12 days (Friday to the Tuesday after the race)

[OnTheFly Wheel Hire]

Hi JGR

 

Ok, think some of the questions were answered in the new thread posted.

But let me answer the questions from this one.

 

Thanks for the feedback, don't get me wrong, their might be a market but just trying to wrap my head around it all.

 

1. A rental cost of a Polo is about R300 a day and a New 1.4 Polo is about R230k .... Wheel rental per day/event is R1500 and new wheels are R20k??

Agreed, but the Polo can be rented out everyday. races are only weekends and big ones few times a year. PS the R1500 is not per day.

 

2. Can you even get this type of insurance for one event? If so have you research and could you give us an estimate?

​I spoke to the insurance companies when i approached them to offer the insurance option, and they advised that customers rather add it to their own insurance. same as if you borrowed your mates car.

i could offer it as an option, but then this would just add additional cost to the rental that is currently already too high as per these threads.

 

3. You are offering a service not a product (Ie the rental of a product). No one would say no to new free anything

​Just janking some chains

 

4. You said US/EU is R1800 per day and you are R1500 per day - the difference isn't relative ...You also only pay this duty once. As many other retailers do

my thread / offer never spoke about a day rate but for 2 x event rates. the US offer is $180 per 4 day rental. mine ranges from R1250 - R2000 (normal rates) per 4 day rental

 

5. Will your wheel be compatible with all or will the onus be on that person to go and buy a cassette for example?

Yes, the wheels come standard with the New 11 Speed cassette body with spacers for 9/10speed options. we also offer Campag bodies for those who ride Campag groups.

 

6. Your should have said this up front as it would be a very important point for anyone considering this

Noted, thanks

 

7. If they don have $$$ for wheel where would the majority get this 'experience not quite sure what you refer to? please explain?

 

Edited December 4, 2013 by OnTheFly Wheel Hire

[OnTheFly Wheel Hire]

Not sure how many of the Triathletes on here has ever been to World Champs.

I raced my first World Champs in 1994 as a Junior. I have done 8 in total.

 

As a Junior athlete, my folks weren;t in the position to buy me the best equipment + send me overseas to race.

Although i was ranked Nr1 Junior in SA Duathlon, i didn't have the best equipment.

 

So one of the reasons why i started this business is also to offer those parents and athletes the opportunity to rent the best equipment (not spending an additional R20 - R30k on wheels) for Worlds.

 

So keep that in mind, that some athletes are good enough, but can't afford to have it all in one year.

It just opens up more options for them.

[JGR]

Hi @JGR

 

Here are some comments reply to your thread:

 

The Wheel rental is more aimed at those who:

1) don't wanna spend R20k - R30k on a set of wheels (cause that's what the high end wheels go for now a days).

If you are willing to rent im sure you are ok to buy second hand which are a fraction of that price, lest not forget our friends in the Chinese carbon thread

Sure, but again, why would someone buy a Merc or BMW (German) vs a Suzuki (Chinese - i think). If you have to compare apples with apples, the likes of ZIPP, HED, ROLF, LIGHTWEIGHT etc spend far more testing and R&D on their products that actually has some true facts about advantages in the aerodynamic spectrum

 

Lets consider your target market and the example used above - we are talking about athletes who are at a beginner or first time level (as per your post). If they have not used or are acquainted with riding deep wheels they will never realize the 2% difference as the speed/power required to realize that benefit is not accessible. R&D ... is always a nice excuse to fall back on but this is a bicycle wheel not a spaceship The reason they would buy a mid level product over a top end one is probably because they get almost the same things for a fraction of the price and not being a racing driver would not require a car that does 180kms per hour. Suzuki is Japanese and extremely reliable.

 

2) for those who only plan on doing 2 - 5 big races a year. if you calculate the cost of a rental vs buying at R20k, you can rent for 3 years to make up the same value.

5 big races a year would mean they are pretty serious and if they can afford 5 races they could probably afford wheel

True, but not every race has the same profile. why stick to one type of wheel when you can customise your set up for that race profile??

Good point

 

3) for the guys (like @Face Plant) who wish he had a different wheel just for that one day. I raced Trirock durban and thought " a Disc would have been perfect for this day" but i don't wanna buy a disc for 1 race a year.

What ever happened to not trying something new/different on race day (or do you get them for more than 24hrs?) ​normal races you actually have them for 4 days. IM and 70.3 you will have them for more than 7 days before the race. so ample time to get the setup right.

What about the people who have never used a disc - what would be the advantage of using one for the first time in a race?

a Disc is more reserved for those who can push their bikes at 35km/h or more. at this speed you will have more of an aerodynamic advantage and actually cut through the wind fast. just like a windsurfer.

At least they will look cool

 

4) how many wheels are for sale on the hub at less than 50% of what they paid for them. the wheels are only 1 - 2 yrs old. people upgrade or are just not happy with a set. look at the how much you lost. if you rented the wheels. then no risk in loss and also you can have the newest tech available.

These are the 2nd hand wheels I referred to - im confused as you say you don't get much for second hand but saying acquiring wheels is expensive?

What i refer to here is if someone went out to buy brand new wheels at R15k+. When they try to sell them after a few riders, they end up losing more value (like driving a new car of the showroom floor). We replace the wheels every year with the latest new models. so you can be assured that you always have the newest technologies to ride on.

They would need to use them 5 times to equal the rental, Also I don't think people would sell them after a few races if they couldn't afford them to start with

 

So all in all, the guy that ends up buying a set of wheels is the one racing more often than not.

Look at IM SA with 2500 entries. A large % of the field will be first timers, not sure what equipment to buy or just bought a bike with no extra cash to spend on R20k wheels.

Is this a fact? Lets say it is - it is more likely a first timer is just interested in finishing if they are on a budget

Only speculating, but i hear all the time of first timers doing the race.

I'm of the opinion that yes there are many who want to finish the race only, but some really want to race to perform their best.

I think those would have made the investment in equipment if they had made the investment in training to get the times they wanted.

There is a demand for it. it's not for everyone, but it is a great opportunity to test different equipment before buying.

This would be the most value imo

 

Not a bad idea but I think the pricing needs more research - or perhaps consider renting them for 2 weeks to give the person ample time to get used to them

Total rental period would actually be 12 days (Friday to the Tuesday after the race)

I think you need to highlight this as it doesn't read as such. Also how do the wheels get to and from races and at who's cost?

[JGR]

Not sure how many of the Triathletes on here has ever been to World Champs.

I raced my first World Champs in 1994 as a Junior. I have done 8 in total.

 

As a Junior athlete, my folks weren;t in the position to buy me the best equipment + send me overseas to race.

Although i was ranked Nr1 Junior in SA Duathlon, i didn't have the best equipment.

 

So one of the reasons why i started this business is also to offer those parents and athletes the opportunity to rent the best equipment (not spending an additional R20 - R30k on wheels) for Worlds.

 

So keep that in mind, that some athletes are good enough, but can't afford to have it all in one year.

It just opens up more options for them.

Agreed on this point but also think that it is a very small percentage given the sponsorship involved at those levels.

 

Good luck with your venture

[Andymann]

We rented a set of Jet 7's for the GTN champs 2 weeks back - the wife's new TT bike didn't come with decent race wheels, and I trashed the tubbies on the Zipps we had planned to use during a quick training ride the week before, so it was pretty convenient in the end. It was all pretty flawless really - picked up the wheels on the Saturday, swapped the cassette, set the brakes (the Hed's are wider than most, so the brakes needed to be slacked off a tad) and race on Sunday. Cue 1 x ladies GTN elite champ. Can't say for definite if the wheels made the difference, but they certainly didn't hamper her in any way whatsoever. We've rented them again for Jailbreak on Friday.....

[OnTheFly Wheel Hire]

Thanks JGR

 

Ok, won't repost all that stuff.

Just some highlights:

 

I don't think we are gonna get into a debate about cars and costs and brands. HED wheels are more expensive than others. and each to his own. i won't diss products from the east, but you don't see them on pro tour teams, wonder why.

So i guess it goes back to reputation built up over the years. Reliability and reputability.

 

To break even on a new set of R25k wheels @ R1500 per rental (4 day) = 16.6666... rentals.

So for the guy only doing 5 races a year = 3 years + before breaking even.

 

The cost op courier is included door to door.

[OnTheFly Wheel Hire]

Agreed on this point but also think that it is a very small percentage given the sponsorship involved at those levels.

 

Lets say we have 8 athletes per age group going to worlds.

in SA as a "National Athlete representing RSA" you pay for your tracksuit and everything else.

I can assure you (from first hand experience) there is little to ZERO sponsorship for our Age Group athletes in SA.

Richard Murray (ranked nr 5 in the world in 2013) spent many years trying to get to that level - on his own account with very little sponsorship.

Edited December 4, 2013 by OnTheFly Wheel Hire

[JGR]

We rented a set of Jet 7's for the GTN champs 2 weeks back - the wife's new TT bike didn't come with decent race wheels, and I trashed the tubbies on the Zipps we had planned to use during a quick training ride the week before, so it was pretty convenient in the end. It was all pretty flawless really - picked up the wheels on the Saturday, swapped the cassette, set the brakes (the Hed's are wider than most, so the brakes needed to be slacked off a tad) and race on Sunday. Cue 1 x ladies GTN elite champ. Can't say for definite if the wheels made the difference, but they certainly didn't hamper her in any way whatsoever. We've rented them again for Jailbreak on Friday.....

This is exactly the scenario I think this service would work best for as I mentioned in previous posts - or as the OP pointed out I want to try different wheels for a different profile race

[Andymann]

Agreed on this point but also think that it is a very small percentage given the sponsorship involved at those levels.

 

Good luck with your venture

My wife is very lucky to be one of the sponsored riders, but even with this, there is a budget - and unfortunately, the budget didn't cover a 50K TT bike with decent wheels - we had to really negotiate to come up with the R35K which got her a top-notch frame and groupset, but basic Shimano wheels. So for us, (until the cashflow allows it), this wheel rental option really is a worthwhile option.

[JGR]

Thanks JGR

 

Ok, won't repost all that stuff.

Just some highlights:

 

I don't think we are gonna get into a debate about cars and costs and brands. HED wheels are more expensive than others. and each to his own. i won't diss products from the east, but you don't see them on pro tour teams, wonder why.

So i guess it goes back to reputation built up over the years. Reliability and reputability.

 

To break even on a new set of R25k wheels @ R1500 per rental (4 day) = 16.6666... rentals.

So for the guy only doing 5 races a year = 3 years + before breaking even.

 

The cost op courier is included door to door.

Not to get into a whole new discussion but im quite certain majority of the branded stuff gets made in the east. Shimano is a brand from the east and ive seen it regularly on the pro scene (on TV of course)

 

Im not dissing your business model ect and im sure you have done the maths. Im just trying to figure who the actual target market would be as in theory it is a valid idea

 

Also your price is your price and I accept and respect that and im sure some people would pay more, especially if they were in a tight spot.

[JGR]

My wife is very lucky to be one of the sponsored riders, but even with this, there is a budget - and unfortunately, the budget didn't cover a 50K TT bike with decent wheels - we had to really negotiate to come up with the R35K which got her a top-notch frame and groupset, but basic Shimano wheels. So for us, (until the cashflow allows it), this wheel rental option really is a worthwhile option.

I agreed that the rental would probably better serve people in your situation or people who had their good damaged en route to the race - they would probably pay a lot more.

[TriGuru76]

Not to get into a whole new discussion but im quite certain majority of the branded stuff gets made in the east. Shimano is a brand from the east and ive seen it regularly on the pro scene (on TV of course)

 

Im not dissing your business model ect and im sure you have done the maths. Im just trying to figure who the actual target market would be as in theory it is a valid idea

 

Also your price is your price and I accept and respect that and im sure some people would pay more, especially if they were in a tight spot.

 

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/A_tour_of_the_Hed_Cycling_base_4001.html

 

HED Wheels 100% USA made

[T.XTERRA]

Hey Terry, for my edification, and apologies for the hijack, what is the policy on hired wetsuits that may get torn, lost in transition etc...?

Hey there. We have a no questions asked return policy

[Metzet]

I have a wheel fetish, so I'm fortunate to have a set for every occasion!

 

Good luck with the venture, great idea