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I'm struggling to grasp the relevance also. In NYC, you'll have Subway sandwich flyers and comedy club flyers thrown your way also, but I don't think those have

by pmulv 9y ago

I'm struggling to grasp the relevance also. In NYC, you'll have Subway sandwich flyers and comedy club flyers thrown your way also, but I don't think those have anything to do with VC. Why do bikes rentals strike you as a "VC cash burn?"

lifeisstillgood 9y ago
It just surprised me I guess - without looking deeply at it I saw at least two "levels" of street workers, along with some smatreringnof online and mobile booking that smelt of enough tech to "qualify" for VC, with a lot of competition in an industry that does not strike one as profitable - new bikes being rented with what looks like an eye on turnover not profit just "smelt" VC. Clearly my radar needs updating
- godot 9y ago
  Specifically though, are you talking about like literally local mom-and-pop bike rental shops for tourists? Or are you talking about the shared bike service with stations at every other street corner, popular in many cities nowadays? If it's the latter, I can understand why you thought they were VC-backed startups.
  - lifeisstillgood 9y ago
    The latter - these are clearly not mom & pop setups. I'm impressed if they are actually profitable day to day.
    - waah_waah23 9y ago
      > The latter You mean the ones that have "CITI BIKE" plastered all across each bike and every station? hmm, I wonder what company could be behind that? Citi? naahh, probably a VC... wat?
      - lifeisstillgood 9y ago
        I will answer this even though the spirit of your post was not looking for an answer No these are no the citi sponsored rent a bikes. They are (seemingly) tourist focused rentals, with a large street presence and in one case I tracked down renting or owning large retail units one street down from central park (hence my "cannot work oit the economics" - I mean renting a retail space a stones throw from Central Park as a bike storage place, seems a stretch for any profit)

by pmulv 9y ago

lifeisstillgood 9y ago

It just surprised me I guess - without looking deeply at it I saw at least two "levels" of street workers, along with some smatreringnof online and mobile booking that smelt of enough tech to "qualify" for VC, with a lot of competition in an industry that does not strike one as profitable - new bikes being rented with what looks like an eye on turnover not profit just "smelt" VC. Clearly my radar needs updating

godot 9y ago
Specifically though, are you talking about like literally local mom-and-pop bike rental shops for tourists? Or are you talking about the shared bike service with stations at every other street corner, popular in many cities nowadays? If it's the latter, I can understand why you thought they were VC-backed startups.
- lifeisstillgood 9y ago
  The latter - these are clearly not mom & pop setups. I'm impressed if they are actually profitable day to day.
  - waah_waah23 9y ago
    > The latter You mean the ones that have "CITI BIKE" plastered all across each bike and every station? hmm, I wonder what company could be behind that? Citi? naahh, probably a VC... wat?
    - lifeisstillgood 9y ago
      I will answer this even though the spirit of your post was not looking for an answer No these are no the citi sponsored rent a bikes. They are (seemingly) tourist focused rentals, with a large street presence and in one case I tracked down renting or owning large retail units one street down from central park (hence my "cannot work oit the economics" - I mean renting a retail space a stones throw from Central Park as a bike storage place, seems a stretch for any profit)