Start Up Van Life
Start Up Van Life
Against the back drop of the dregs of the pandemic, soaring living costs and now war in Ukraine, is this a good time to be investing everything in a start up idea?! And one that currently still needs diesel? Well I guess there is no good time, there is always a reason why not, so this is going to be one hell of a stress test as to the validity of the Bike Van Co! If you’re going to be defined by anything, try to be for something rather than against something. So enthusiasm is dialled up, grip on reality is slipping……
What can’t be denied is that the rapid growth in the popularity of mountain biking, combined with the disruption to supply chains, has led to a significant amount of pressure in the system. It’s great to see MTB be on this trajectory though, it’s a sport that has so much to offer and is now beginning to see a changing demographic in it’s appeal. That’s because for alot of us this is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle, wrapped up in a cliche….
Hope is a good idea
But the lifestyle comment is true, this is a sport that puts demands on you outside of just riding your bike. You need a certain amount of (often expensive) kit to maximise your riding enjoyment and safety, you need to keep that kit somewhere, clean and maintain it and deny the amount of time you are spending on Pinkbike.com.
You will also, probably quite quickly, be seduced by talk of trails on the other side, those Go Pro vlogs promising pastures new! If the whole family gets involved, or you want to meet friends at the trailhead, then there is the sizeable logistics challenge of getting you and all that kit to the trails without leaving your shoes at home. Which I would never do.
If you have a van then you are already aware of the best answer to this challenge. Surfers, sailors, climbers, kayakers, stand up paddleboarders, anglers, windsurfers, triathletes, go-carters, gravel riders and anyone else defined by their sport have usually resorted to vans to get them and their kit from A to B. But buying a van requires a complete commitment to your lifestyle sport that is just not always feasible, practical, reasonable or indeed affordable. Not to mention even available these days…
If you use your van for work during the week then doubling it up at the weekend as an adventure vehicle is a great perk. However, swapping out of company car schemes or ditching your hard earned pride and joy for what will essentially be a big empty box all week can be a costly stretch. Maybe you have taken a better option and don’t even bother with the effort of owning vehicles full time, in the cities it might be a more attractive alternative to rent. Which is good news because now you don’t have to fork out for Porsche ownership when all you need to do is rent one for that school reunion….
And if you are unsure but want to try out van ownership, or you have a special event, holiday or race that you would appreciate that extra practicality for, please give us a go. Hopefully then we will understand better the validity of the Bike Van Co as an idea and whether the gap in the market, has a market in the gap.
Should we found a company against the backdrop of current challenges? Time will tell but I think yes, we are going to have a crack at being for something…
