Anyone Hired a Bike or Kayak before or Interested in Hire One?

LRyan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 09:13
Last edited 05/10/2024 - 11:25

Has anyone here ever hired a bike or kayak? Or would you be interested in hiring one?

My friends and I noticed that many people own bikes or kayaks but don’t use them very often. So, we’re thinking about creating an online marketplace where people can list their spare bikes and kayaks for hire. But before we dive in, we’d love to know if there’s real interest in something like this.

Here are a few situations where hiring a bike might be useful:
Commuting to work or school
For overseas visitors
Weekend or holiday rides
Trying out different types of bikes

Similarly, with kayaks, people might hire one for:
Holidays or weekend getaways
Testing out different types of kayaks

I'd really appreciate your feedback or thoughts on whether you'd be interested in hiring a bike or kayak, or if you’ve done it before. Thanks!

Poll Options Sat, 19/10/2024 - 00:00

  • ?
    I'm interested in hiring a bike
  • ?
    I'm interested in hiring a kayak
  • ?
    I'm interested in hiring a kayak/bike
  • ?
    I'm not interested in hiring a bike or kayak
Sports & Outdoors

Comments

  • MS Paint on 05/10/2024 - 09:17
    +7

    Do you have to own a RAV4 with roof racks to hire a kayak?

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:29
      +1

      No. It is easier with roof racks but there are a few options if you don't have.
      1. There are modular kayaks which can be dissembled and put into a car
      2. There are inflatable kayas, take some effort to setup but can be easy transferred.
      3. There are also foam roof racks, which can be tied on temporarily

      • MS Paint on 05/10/2024 - 12:05

        That makes sense. Cheers

        • bloom on 05/10/2024 - 14:54
          +1

          SHAME TOYOTA SHAME

      • HeWhoKnows on 06/10/2024 - 08:54
        -2

        And the same applies to bikes ????

        Maybe not

  • fantombloo on 05/10/2024 - 09:24
    +4

    I have, but almost always right on location. (I did hire a kayak once off location but only to test for a potential buy). Apart from removing the transport / storage rigmarole it also means there is immediate support if something goes wrong. To hire otherwise I'd want a pretty steep discount or other sweetener.

    • apsilon on 05/10/2024 - 09:30

      Same. I've hired kayaks before but they were right on the water where we wanted to go. Never hired a bike before. I own several bikes and a kayak now so would have no interest in hiring unless it was for a particular spur of the moment use while on holiday and they were right there.

      • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:38

        Thanks! Would you be interested in renting out your bike?

        • apsilon on 05/10/2024 - 19:18
          +1

          Not a chance. I've seen how hired stuff is treated.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:37

      Thanks for your response! What do you think would be a good price for hiring a kayak off location?

      When I was on holiday in Cairns, I wanted to rent a kayak for a few days, but the local hire shops charged by the hour, and the daily rate wasn’t much cheaper. It got me thinking—if someone owns a spare kayak, the cost of renting it out for a day versus a few days probably isn’t that different. So, they might be open to offering a big discount for longer hires.

  • mapax on 05/10/2024 - 09:34

    I hired a bike once, it was $5 for the day.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 05/10/2024 - 10:17

      Free bikes from the Bali hotels for me.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:40

      that's a really good price. Was that in Australia?

      • mapax on 05/10/2024 - 12:03

        Yes, at caravan/cabin rental park.

        • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 19:40

          That's very handy

  • FoxJump on 05/10/2024 - 09:48
    +3

    pretty sure bike hire business exist and used to litter the city with bikes

    kayak hire is great on location. otherwise … it would have to be a good kayak at a great price

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:44
      -1

      Most bike hire businesses I know are run by shops, but I’m hoping there’s room for a marketplace.

      As for kayak hire, the feedback I’ve received so far is similar to yours—people are much more interested if the kayaks are available on location.

      What would you consider as a great price ?

  • FoxJump on 05/10/2024 - 09:49
    +1

    don't be specific. implement a hire-a-thing where i can lease out anything i own. but you provide insurance

    thing next door?

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:47

      Yeah, we actually thought about that, but if all kinds of items were listed, it’d be tricky to figure out how to value them and provide insurance.

  • holdenmg on 05/10/2024 - 10:02
    +3

    What is your Business plan?

    What Insurance will you have if/when someone:
    gets injured
    bike/kayak is defective
    bike/kayak gets stolen

    Public Liability… nuh…

    • djones145 on 05/10/2024 - 10:31
      +2

      business plan is

      get idea up
      create app
      get a catchy brand name
      give freebies and sign up on ozbargain
      gain customer base
      sell to uber - kayak/bike
      $$$$

      • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 17:41

        Exactly, that's the dream! 😂 But honestly, it's more than just the money—we really want to create something that brings real value to people.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 11:51

      That’s a great question for my insurance broker! 😊 Honestly, we haven’t chatted with them yet, but at the end of the day, it’s not too different from how Airbnb or other similar marketplaces handle it.

  • djsweet on 05/10/2024 - 10:06

    I would probably only be interested in hiring a high end road bike. But they are $$$ and require specific setups for specific m people and come in different size frames. There might be a market, but not sure if it would be worth it.

    • Tee Rex Arms on 05/10/2024 - 10:42
      +1

      Exxy bike = need proper bike fit to make the most of it.

      • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 17:47

        Thanks for the feedback.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 17:46

      Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, we’re not totally sure about the market size either. One idea we’ve been thinking about is a "Try and Buy" option, where people can rent a high-end bike to test it out before buying. If they decide to go for it, the rental cost would count as credit towards the purchase. If not, they just pay the rental fee, which is way cheaper than buying the bike outright.

      • holdenmg on 05/10/2024 - 18:09

        https://www.sportcorp.com.au/bikes/ is already being done.

        Your idea isn't backed by market research or analysis of demand.

        Why wouldn't people prefer the 99 Bikes Perfect Ride Guarantee on bikes where you have 30 days to ride your bike purchase and if you don't completely love it, you can swap it free.

      • djsweet on 05/10/2024 - 18:12

        Could work. Obviously question is what happens to the returned bikies? You can’t really pull the rent and buy game on the next person since it’s now a used bike they are renting.

  • rumblytangara on 05/10/2024 - 10:46
    +2

    Trying out different types of bikes
    Testing out different types of kayaks

    Any specialist sports gear that is worth 'testing out' is probably not the sort of thing you'd rent to some total random noob.

    Higher end bikes and fast paddlecraft go well north of 5K and are made of materials that need some degree of care.

  • EFC94 on 05/10/2024 - 12:26
    +1

    I think it would be easier to just stop planning this idea out now, it's not going to go very far.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 17:48

      yes, that's easier, but just don't want to give up too early.

  • Euphemistic on 05/10/2024 - 13:38

    Maybe itll work, but i suspect not.

    Bikes are cheap and easy to store so hiring is only really going to work for people away from home not having acess to their own bike. How would you manage punctures on hire bikes.

    Kayaks are difficult to transport unless you are set up for it. Kayak hire is best 'on location'.

    Kayaks and bikes are ususally stored in garages or backyards. How do you manage pixkup and return without ua ing to hand over the item, or leave it outside unsecured.

    I have several bikes and would probably not hire them out. I like them looked after to my standards. I have a couple of kayaks, not sure id want randoms coming to my house and into my backyard to take them out. Then theyd probably drop them from the roof and ending up cracked before i use them again.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 18:03

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts—I totally get where you're coming from. But on the flip side, what if hiring out your bike or kayak could actually help you upgrade to a newer model? It could turn your gear into an asset that earns you some extra cash, so your hobby doesn't end up costing you anything. And of course, this would only work if we can make the process super smooth and safe for both the owner and the renter.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 05/10/2024 - 14:19
    +1

    How many hire business pitches are we at now, is it 5?

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 18:04

      Was there any ? good to know :)

  • freefall101 on 05/10/2024 - 16:21
    +1

    The reason this hasn't been done is because the value of the asset is too low. Trying to make money as a middleman doing none of the real worth simply isn't worth it and there's no way to create value there.

    The requirements to setup the website, cash collection/making payments, security, insurance and issue resolution makes it a horrible idea. It can be done with cars because the cost is so high. Doing it with bikes? You're going to be talking people renting out $500 bikes for $5 a day and you'll make 50c a transaction. You'd need volume in the hundreds of thousands of rentals for it to be remotely worthwhile and that's simply not going to happen. Whereas for a kayak/bike store renting them out, they own the asset, they can mitigate the risk (review every bike that is returned, check for damage, hold credit card details)

    I'd work on a business case on how the numbers work before asking whether anyone would use it.

    • Euphemistic on 05/10/2024 - 18:01

      they can mitigate the risk (review every bike that is returned)

      This is a big thing. Bikes can get knocked around and need semi regular maintnance. How is a re.ote app going to ensure the bike is ready for next time. Plus, who is going to get the blame for damage after three riders have used the bike, the owner hasnt checked it and the next hirer refuses to take it because xxxxx has happened and they dont want to get blamed.

      • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 18:27

        You’re right—this is definitely the biggest risk we’re facing. It’s frustrating how one bad experience can mess things up for everyone. Reviews can help a bit, but like you said, if damage isn’t caught right away, it’s tough to figure out who’s responsible. And at that point, the damage is already done.
        We’re trying to think of ways to reduce this risk, but it’s definitely a challenge. I don't know the answer to it.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 18:20
      -1

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You’ve raised some really valid points about margins, risk, and maintenance. We’ve definitely considered these, and while we don’t have a perfect solution yet, our thinking is that if a shop can make it profitable, bike owners should be able to as well. Maintaining a bike isn’t rocket science, and the costs aren’t huge for individual owners.

      Plus, a solid platform could streamline things like payments, insurance, and logistics—maybe even more efficiently than a shop can. Combining these factors could help make bike rentals more viable for individual owners.

      • freefall101 on 05/10/2024 - 18:26

        I think you missed my point, it’s not how it’s profitable for them, it’s how it is profitable for you.

        Although it’s likely not going to be that useful for them either. Every man and their dog will put a bike up on there. With a car you can verify ownership, make, model and value to a fair degree. A bike you can’t. A stolen bike becomes very difficult to track. A rental store it’s easy, bike doesn’t come back they charge the credit card.

        What happens the first time someone says “my bike was stolen!” on your platform?

        • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 18:42

          Thanks for the feedback! If a bike gets stolen, that part is actually pretty straightforward. Just like how rental shops charge credit cards for unreturned items, a sharing platform could do the same—similar to how Airbnb handles damage claims. The real challenge is when a bike gets returned damaged, and it’s hard to pin down who’s responsible. That’s definitely tricky.

          As for profitability, it’s all about keeping the platform’s running costs low. If we can hit the volume of, say, 50 bike shops but operate with lower overhead, then the profit could be similar. Plus, for many bike shops, rentals aren’t their main income, and that might be the case here too.

          Lastly, we’re not trying to build a unicorn startup—just something local, profitable, and useful for the community.

          • freefall101 on 05/10/2024 - 21:29

            @Ryan2008: Scenario for you. Person renting out the bike says it was never returned. Person who rented it says it was returned. How do you deal with that?

            A rental shop that's easy, they can tell if the person comes back with the bike or doesn't. But you don't have that knowledge, you're the middleman between two individuals.

            Your profit scenario doesn't make sense either, you're not earning money off renting out the bike like a bike shop is, you're just earning a cut as a middleman for running the platform, while dealing with all the legal issues and insurance. For airbnb and turo, taking a 20% cut of a $300 a day/night event means decent revenue. You're talking $20-50 a day revenue that you get a cut from for each bike hired. There's a lot of work involved and not exactly a huge market of people wanting to do this. Have you actually figured out a pathway to profitability? Because it sounds like you like the idea and how it'll ever be anything besides a massive time and money sink is secondary to that.

            Bike shops do it on the side for some extra cash, with little overheads because they're already bike shops. I don't know how your overheads get lower than that while building a platform.

  • simplystu on 05/10/2024 - 18:33
    +1

    what is wrong with the bike/kayak hire places down along the river of your town ???
    +++ have captured soo much of the market.

    obviously, they have a good business model - as soo many have been operating for 15+ years.

    as to PRIVATE hire of said items … meh.
    unless proper business + INSURANCE/etc == 100% no go.

    I guess one could put up an AD on FB - but nah - 100% opening yourself up to all sorts of potential issues.

    • Ryan2008 on 05/10/2024 - 18:51

      Nothing wrong with those places at all—kind of like how there’s nothing wrong with Hilton or Hyatt, but we still have Airbnb, right? They just cater to different types of customers.

      The idea behind a platform like this is to make things easier for individuals by offering stuff that's usually too hard or expensive to manage on your own, like insurance and risk checks. It’s really about giving people more options.

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