Cyclomend, a mobile bike repair startup, launched ten days ago in the District. Founded by Colin Deschamps, Cyclomend brings trained bike technicians directly to riders' bikes, cutting overhead costs for mechanics and saving time for riders.
"There are mobile mechanics who want to [fix bikes] and there are people with busted bikes," explains Deschamps. "I saw an opportunity to connect them."
Users make appointments on Cyclomend's website; the minimum charge for a mechanic to visit is $25. With the exception of fixing a flat tire, which runs $10, Deschamps says that most repairs are worth at least $25. "There is almost always something else wrong," he explains. Compare that fee to a typical hourly bike shop labor rate, which usually clocks in, he says, at $75 to $85 per hour.
Cyclomend takes 15 percent of the amount charged to the customer as its commission. Since Deschamps doesn't have the overhead of running a physical shop, he is able to pass the rest of the fee collected on to the mechanic who performs the work. The model has proven popular—ten mechanics have applied online to work for Cyclomend and Deschamps has engaged five so far.
"I am looking for additional mechanics," he says. "I'm trying to maintain a balance between supply and demand." Additionally, Deschamps anticipates hiring his first full-time employee sometime in "early winter. Things are getting busier and busier," he explains. "We want to have our systems completely up and running when demand goes up in the spring."
Deschamps, an avid biker and triathlete who spent the last decade working in international affairs, is bootstrapping Cyclomend—for now. "I'll need to get some outside funding at some point, either from outside investors or from crowdsourcing," he says. "I can only eat so much ramen."