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Bike Fleet Success in 5 Easy Steps
Adding a bicycle fleet benefits your business in a multitude of ways. A fleet can introduce a newfound revenue stream and offer your guests an easy way to explore the surrounding area. As amenity and resort fees become increasingly more common, we understand that guests are seeking tangible value. What better than to add a fleet of bikes to see the local town? As guests explore, this also presents the opportunity to bundle amenities and offer unique experiences like a picnic in the park, or a guided tour of a nearby winery or brewery. You can also take pride in knowing you’re supporting a healthier and environmentally friendly transportation initiative. Below are five important elements to keep in mind when implementing your bike fleet.
- Brand Awareness
- Gearing
- One Frame for Everyone
- Safety
- Maintenance
BRAND AWARENESS
Building brand awareness is essential in marketing your business. Close your eyes and visualize the last billboard you saw. If you’re having a hard time recalling, it’s safe to consider the ad unremarkable. Now what if you had the opportunity to optimize your brand’s awareness by having a mobile, rolling billboard around town? A fleet of shiny bicycles branded with your business’ logo enhances brand awareness by showcasing your brand around town. They make for great photo opportunities when guests post to social media and influential sites like TripAdvisor. Whichever way you choose to customize your fleet, ensure that any bike you send out into the world accurately represents your brand.
Decals and license plates offer plenty of branding opportunities
GEARING
When choosing a fleet, you’ll want to consider your gearing options to ensure all rides are easily able to tackle the terrain. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers— 3, 7, 8, 21, 24, 32 speeds. The more the better, right? Not necessarily. Gearing isn’t simply the number of gears a bike has to offer. What’s more important to focus on is the gearing ratio—how easy or hard it is for the rider to pedal across varied topographies. If the terrain where your guests will be riding is hilly, opting for at least a 7-speed is recommended. If it’s relatively flat, a 3-speed will do the trick.
External gearing is found commonly on bikes offering at least 7 speeds, and often results in wider gearing ranges. For example, our Bedford 8-speed and Franklin 8-speed models offer wide gearing ratios thanks to their mega-range cassette. As with any investment, routine maintenance is important with externally geared bikes.
Internal gearing offers the added benefit of lower maintenance since there are no external parts. We like to think it’s magic, but really, it’s science and engineering at its finest. Since all the gearing is contained inside the hub, it can more easily handle exposure to elements such as rain or snow and minimize the effects of any unexpected impacts. In short, our fleet partners have seen the most success with internal gearing.
ONE BIKE FOR EVERYONE
You’ll want to choose a frame style that will accommodate a wide range of riders. A step-through frame is a popular choice as it allows the rider to easily step through the frame and hop onto the saddle, accommodating petite riders, tall riders, and all those between.
Our handcrafted wooden rear crate on our Willow 3 speed step-through model
In addition to opting for a step-through frame, you’ll want to ensure your fleet’s saddles can be easily adjusted for varying rider heights. This can be accomplished with a quick release clamp, which is how ride share bikes adapt to a wide range of riders. Hand in hand with quick releasing saddles, you’ll want saddle leashes which will help safeguard your saddles from bike thieves.
Lastly, you’ll want to consider options for cargo. Riders will likely take their backpacks, water bottles, and maybe even a picnic lunch on their adventure, so we recommend choosing a sturdy metal front basket or a rear carrier, to hold everything but the kitchen sink.
Our Bedford 8 with a sturdy, metal basket
SAFETY
Keeping your riders safe is imperative when introducing a bicycle fleet. Accessories like helmets, lights, and bell are not only valuable to provide, but often are required by state laws. Albeit cliché, helmets save lives, and offering a helmet with your fleet shows you care about your riders’ well-being. A set of bicycle lights and a loud bell are crucial for your riders to be seen and heard by other cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians.
With the introduction of a bicycle fleet, we also recommend getting your ducks in a row to minimize risks by creating a liability waiver. Waivers help to present the risks of cycling to riders while simultaneously reducing your liability.
Helmets keep your guests safe while providing another branding opportunity
MAINTENANCE
Regularly servicing your fleet is integral to its longevity. We highly recommend cultivating a relationship with a local bike shop. These professional mechanics will ensure everything is in proper working order by routinely tuning up your fleet. Simpler tasks such as maintaining tire pressure, greasing seat posts, and checking the batteries in lights, can be handled in-house. However, to ensure you are cultivating top-notch experiences, be certain to have your bikes regularly serviced.
Considering joining the growing list of businesses offering bicycle fleets? Contact us at 800.631.0630 or orders@brooklynbicycleco.com to discuss the best options to accommodate your needs and budget. Whether you opt for our brand or another, our team is always happy to share our experience to make your bike fleet program a success.
We build bikes for vivid lives—for taking adventures, reconnecting with old friends, discovering new neighborhoods and exploring hidden gems. Inspired by the streets of Brooklyn, our bikes are built for style, comfort, and durability. Made with top quality parts, crafted with care, and sold at an affordable price, your bike is yours for life. We scrutinize every component for maximum sustainability and performance, and every millimeter of the frame for ultimate comfort and style. We take pride in our process, in our products, and in the people who sell them.