New bike cafe and workshop in Bristol – crowd funding content

At last somebody with some sense who can see through this yuppie charade.

To be perfectly frank, I cant see it lasting long once the funding dries up.

I’ve done a lot of infrastructure work in the past 20+ years for Community groups, social funded projects etc. and the majority seem to follow the same format.. They last a couple of years, with the paid ‘staff’ coasting along. Ultimately the funding dries up and they scream blue murder to the local rags. A few months later the same people have come up with another local community idea and the whole process starts again.

Most of the (paid) people running these ventures are pretty much unemployable outside of charity/community work. Suppose it keeps them off the dole/streets though.

I dont mean to be negative, but I’m just speaking from experience. I regularly go to new community funded startups and always seem to see the same old faces. The projects never last. Bet the people with the idea have a history of charity work but little real business experience.

Are you saying Bristol has so many cafes there’s no way another one can survive (regardless of bikes or not)?

I dont mean to be negative, but I’m just speaking from experience. I regularly go to new community funded startups and always seem to see the same old faces. The projects never last. Bet the people with the idea have a history of charity work but little real business experience.

You’ve read their business plan then? Is it your experience that leads you to make assumptions? The longer I work, the less I assume and the more I deduct from fact. I’m sure they would welcome your experienced eye over their work so far.

Are you saying Bristol has so many cafes there’s no way another one can survive (regardless of bikes or not)?

Not at all.. The blurb says that they’ve trialed the cafe and it did well.. So why do they need funding.. Their aims seem good intentioned, so surely if they’re socially minded they could work voluntarilly whilst they build up the business slowly. All profits ploughed back into providing the free/cheap services they offer.

If the cafe isnt commercially viable enough to fund the enteprise, then they will undoubtedly require more funding in the future. At some point that WILL dry up.

Are you saying Bristol has so many cafes there’s no way another one can survive (regardless of bikes or not)?

No thats not my point, If the workshop element of the business can not generate enough money to subsidise the cafe, to survive, the cafe must subsidise the workshop and thus it needs to attract more than cyclists alone because for the reasons stated earlier

We the cyclists alone, are not going to generate enough custom for the venture to survive in the long term. As I said, who goes there when we are at work in the week? The critical factor is why would a non-cyclist choose this cafe over Starbucks? Call it the “mum test”, why would my parents, both retired with too much time during the week, go to a cycle cafe and not starbucks or costa if there was one within the vicinity. They know what they are getting at a Starbucks, it might be average but its reliably average the world over. I just dont think a cafe with a cycling bias will generate enough custom to sustain both a cafe and a workshop.

Regardless of the bike element, a new cafe has to offer something above and beyond the existing choices to make it sustainable, it doesnt have to be unique, it could simply be location on a busy street. Whilst there is room for more cafes in Bristol (though I’m not sure where!) they can not rely on wifi, organic flapjack and fairtrade Peruvian coffee to survive…

If you need cheap/free servicing you are unlikely to also spend £5 on a latte and a piece of organic, homemade flapjack from a cafe whilst you wait, or if you can, then you should be charging them £5 for the servicing and make them forego the cake…..

I’m sounding like a broken record here, but the people buying the cake and coffee are not necessarily the ones who need bikes servicing cheaply.

The critical factor is why would a non-cyclist choose this cafe over Starbucks?

Because it’s cheaper? Because it’s friendlier? Because they’ll be paying their staff properly? Because the coffee actually tastes like coffee and not a milkshake with 7 extra sugars added?

why do they need funding..

Because they need to cover their start-up costs. The alternative would be getting a massive loan and being owned by the bank, which would in turn reduce the profits that they’re able to invest in the business and other social enterprises.

the majority seem to follow the same format.. They last a couple of years, with the paid ‘staff’ coasting along.

See the example of Oxford Cycle Co-op above – they’ve been running for over 10 years now. I think you ought to volunteer for a charity or a social enterprise before you accuse them of “coasting”.

Coffee for the shop must be purchased from two day coffee roasters on st michaels hill. Great little Indy business, nice people and amazing coffee!

I’ve pointed Rob in their direction. 😉

And the reason for revisiting this thread…

Hi everyone! We’ll be on the front deck outside Hamilton House on Stokes Croft next Tuesday afternoon (Sept 25), and each of the following three Tuesdays (Oct 2, 9 and 16). In partnership with the excellent folks from Coexist Community Kitchen and The Bristol Bike Project, we’ll be running a poup bike cafe from 3pm-7pm on each of those days.

You’ll be able to grab a bite (sweet and savoury, and hearty enough to be your dinner if you want) and a drink, plus get your bike checked over free of charge by a super-skilled Bike Project mechanic. We’ll have to charge if you need any new parts, but the labour won’t cost you a penny (donations to the Bike Project gratefully received though).

We’re really excited about doing something in the real world while we get everything set up for opening a permanent premises over the next few months. So please come along and see us, have a cuppa and chat, and we can all put some faces to names.

And don’t worry about the weather. We’ll have some good cover for the deck. Since when were cyclists put off by the weather anyway?

I’m sounding like a broken record here, but the people buying the cake and coffee are not necessarily the ones who need bikes servicing cheaply.

but you havent given any indication as to who is buying the coffee and the cake?…. seriously, i just cant see people giving up their usual cafe to use this one wherever it is. if they arent a cyclist unless its slap bang on a commuter/shopping street. as i said, people are creatures of habit and like their usual and niche cafes wont survive unless they can appeal to all demographics. go back and do the “mum test”, would your parents or your partners parents use it if there was a “chain brand” on the same street…. now, be honest?!….. its a good idea and deserves to succeed but thats not enough 99% of the time.

Because it’s cheaper? Because it’s friendlier? Because they’ll be paying their staff properly? Because the coffee actually tastes like coffee and not a milkshake with 7 extra sugars added

bar the cost, the vast majority of people dont actually care about any of this, particularly when there are companies going under, the threat of redundancy looming and zero economic growth. you’re a coffee snob who can afford a conscience, good for you. I’m not and I can’t. The fact that the likes of starbucks and costa are always busy suggests that people at worst tolerate the coffee.

the fact that the pop up cafe will be outside Hamilton House say it all…. i still wish them all the best but now I’m definately coming, i’ll be the one wearing the pro tour team lycra… hell, its a cycle cafe after all right? 😉

Congratulations on your 24-carat, gold-plated logic. That’s why no-one bothers opening a bike shop that isn’t an Evans, a food store that isn’t a Tesco or a restaurant that isn’t a McDonalds.

dont get me started on “the rules”….

and I know you’re joking but being serious, thats the problem I am predicting, its going to be a fixie hipster hangout and everyone else gets snubbed, roadies are made to feel unwelcome and dont come back and the place goes from being a cycle cafe to a fixie cafe…. how much money do the owners lose out on because some customers treat it like their own private club and mock the others for not being in the clique….

Christ almighty. You’re worried about being judged on first impressions, yet you’ve already decided they’re a bunch of snobbish fixsters?

plus get your bike checked over free of charge by a super-skilled Bike Project mechanic. We’ll have to charge if you need any new parts, but the labour won’t cost you a penny (donations to the Bike Project gratefully received though).

Reckon they’ll change the bearings on my carbon Santa cruz FOC??? 😀

So to summarise the argument, it’s yes there is vs no there isn’t demand for a cafe.

Bloody hell – I’ve just stumbled on this thread and read the whole thing through and all I can think of is the number of cyclists knocking an idea that basically supports cycling. Jesus! This is a cycling forum isn’t it? As someone who’s happy to drink an espresso at Mud Dock or a mug of builders at the buttery – if it’s a cycle friendly venue then it deserves support from this community surely? Stop pulling apart the business plan and engaging in petty political rants and get behind it – in words if not in cash.

Basically cycling does not equal drinking coffee.

‘Ave a word.

Good grief.

For the record, I’m not aware of any ‘cycling cafes’ in Bristol. Mud Dock is not a cycling cafe.

i’ll be the one wearing the pro tour team lycra

Anyone who isn’t a pro on a team wearing a pro team setup can push past me to the front of the queue for anything, for they must be TEH AWESOMENESS.

The critical factor is why would a non-cyclist choose this cafe over Starbucks?

because it isn’t Starbucks? You do know about the whole Tesco / Stokes Croft thing? I bet you think the Bristol Pound is a bad idea as well.

Serious question – are cafes not being affected by the economic downturn?

I’ve started taking a flask with me in the car if I’m riding somewhere cos I just won’t pay fancy prices for mediocre coffee at mountain bike hubs. Don’t get me started on the price of cake!

That Bristol pound shit is just a load of reverting to tribalism crusty bullshit.Do you see the. chavs and St Pauls brigade bothering with that shit.This place is going to be Elitist and exclusive.

Do you see the. chavs and St Pauls brigade bothering with that shit.

I don’t use them as a benchmark for my behavour or my actions. You appear to have a better knowledge of Bristol suburbs than might be expected of a monkeyhanger – are you sure you aren’t a sockpuppet that really belongs to another user? Your posts are getting very trollish now.

That Bristol pound shit is just a load of reverting to tribalism crusty bullshit.Do you see the. chavs and St Pauls brigade bothering with that shit.This place is going to be Elitist and exclusive.

The more you type, the more of fekwit you become.

yeah, that was a too hypocritical….. ah well, good luck to all concerned, i’m glad team lycra earns queue jumping status, now i dont have to rely on my swarthy hispanic looks to push in as I ignore yout tuts.

This place is going to be Elitist and exclusive.

If it’s exclusively for the elite who pay for a cup of tea with money they have earned from a *job that they do, then I’m all for it.

*By job, I do not mean the fortnightly queue for JSA, monkey.

Do us all a favour and stop breathing.
If you don’t have the decency to do that, then stopping typing would be a welcome start.

They’re up to £7,000.00 now.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investment/roll-for-the-soul-a-community-bike-cafe-for-bristol-1228

I recognise a fair few of the donors’ names and they’re a diverse bunch consisting of everyone from girly girls on Pashleys to a pro rider who was in the breakaway of the ToB two days running.

But the question on everybody’s mind is how many “fixie hipsters”? 😛

Cab’s on there. He’s not a hipster though, he’s just been riding fixed long enough for it to become fashionable again.

its going to be a fixie hipster hangout and everyone else gets snubbed, roadies are made to feel unwelcome and dont come back and the place goes from being a cycle cafe to a fixie cafe….

the guy i know who’s involved is very much into vintage touring bikes. the girl i know (who i’m 99% sure is involved iirc) certainly doesn’t ride a fixie.

it’s not going to be a fixie fest.

Cab’s on there. He’s not a hipster though

Have you seen him now he has a haircut? I had to double take!

There were some pics on a certain social networking site of him wearing a suit! 😯

cinnamon_girl – Member

are cafes not being affected by the economic downturn?

Some must be, some aren’t. I gave an example earlier of one that’s going from strength to strength, and not coincidentally the people behind this have been picking their brains.

Personally I’m as tight-fisted as the next man, but I’m not organised enough to take a Thermos and a packed lunch with me everywhere.

Well… they did it!

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investment/roll-for-the-soul-a-community-bike-cafe-for-bristol-1228

And in (possibly not) related news…

http://www.ramonwrites.com/2012/06/the-gallery-bids-farewell-to-its.html

Nice work!

Just slipped 50 notes in their fund; I like what I see there.

Nice one!

Ant, if you could have a small word, and suggest Broadmead for their location, that’d be ace

Whether this succeeds or not it is a great idea and all power to those that are having a go. They get a couple of quid from me and the next time I am in Bristol I will pop over and have a brew. I have never ridden a fixie so I might be able to get some advice too……….

Dogsby

You can just imagine it.A bunch of boring Fixie beardoes sat about in a drug daze convincing themselves that Tricky and Portishead are a good vibe.With to tall in the corner drinking Latte doing a southerner impression.No wonder we Eck wants to escape the English.