Tag Archives: Bike Leasing Company

The Bike Leasing Company

Why Should Anyone Invest In Somebody Else’s Bike Business?

That’s a good question.

To put money into anyone else’s idea, you first have to know what good is going to come of it – for you, not just for the business.

Sure, the business gets access to funds to help it grow, but what’s in it for the investor?

To put it bluntly, a successful small business is more likely to be bought up by a major player in the market. Successful niche companies have a habit of being bought by bigger companies, looking to increase their loyal customer base and share in the some of the good feeling that a great smaller business generates. The bigger business can usually offer customers a wider range of great products too, so everyone wins.

The best bit is that the bigger business, the one doing the buying, usually pays good money for the great smaller business which has grown through your investment…. So you make a profit, in return for helping the small business to become so attractive.

Crowd Funding? What’s That?

Crowd Funding is an awesome idea which probably wouldn’t have worked before the internet. It’s a way of making it possible for small investors to contribute to big plans. By reducing the costs of organising funding and increasing the ability of normal people to see where their investment will go, crowd funding allows people like you and me to share in the growth of great businesses.

The Bike Leasing Company

The Bike Leasing Company on CrowdCube.com

I got my bike from The Bike Leasing Company about 12 months ago. I should really publish a “year long review” piece here, but for now I’ll just say that the experience was painless and I got a lot of bike for not a lot of money. The Bike Leasing Company is now set for growth but needs investment, so they’ve turned to CrowdCube to see if the internet can make it happen.

On the right hand side of this page is a widget showing how the appeal is going, and by clicking the “Help Fund This Pitch” button you can see what freebies you get for your investment straight away – and don’t we all like something for nothing? But don’t forget, your investment isn’t only for a free t-shirt, or a free lease of a totally cool new bike…

It might help to get a lot more people riding cool bikes. It might also make you a handsome profit.

Tell the bank manager Phill sent you 😉

The Bike Leasing Company, My Experience

You Can Lease Bikes? Really?

I didn’t know that leasing a high end bike was an option until seeing BLC’s stand at the Cycle Show in Birmingham: I’d always assumed that the only way to afford one without a major windfall was to seek 2 or 3 years’ interest-free credit.  So I picked up a leaflet and read it at home later.

First of all I checked the BLC website and noticed a few bike brands which weren’t commonly advertised, which impressed me.  Up to that point I’d only looked at 0% credit options, so my shortlist had been limited to the high volume brands sold through major retailers.  BLC opened up a wider range of boutique options.

So, How Does It Work?

Paul at BLC talked with me about where and how I ride, to help narrow the search to a couple of strong choices.  A little thinking and advice later and I’d made my decision to lease a 120mm full suspension bike to progress from my previous hardtail.  A Merida One Twenty fitted the bill perfectly.

My lovely Merida One Twenty

Phill’s Merida One Twenty

The choice of leasing options was helpful: I chose to pay a heavier initial payment followed by 24 months at a very affordable rate.  I’m only paying for around 2/3 of the bike’s overall value, so in two years I can decide whether to purchase my bike, or hand it back and begin a new lease.  The biggest reason to lease instead of buy was the way that BLC’s lease option makes higher-end bikes available with affordable payments.

The bike was delivered to my work at my convenience, even though Christmas got in the way of deliveries for a short time!  BLC put a mechanic in touch with me, who came to my home – at a time that suited me – to set the bike up.  He (Ben) was pleasant, professional and remarkably skilful, setting the bike up quickly and perfectly with no fuss.  After a quick test ride around the street to confirm that everything was right for me, he made sure I had his number in case anything went wrong and left me to it.

Cut To The Chase: Is It A Good Idea?

There’s no feeling quite like riding a new bike for the first time. Snowy conditions didn’t keep us indoors on the first day we had the daylight and the time to get out.  Making fresh trails in the white powder was even more of a pleasure than when I’d done it in the past, and the bike performed beautifully.  I’m looking forward to spending more and more time enjoying the great outdoors, climbing and descending the pennine foothills on my shiny Merida.

Thanks very much to the Bike Leasing Company for making a potentially complex process very simple, and for delivering and setting up a fantastic top-end bike for me to play out on!

You can look at BLC’s website here, and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter too.

Tell ’em Phill sent you! 😉

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