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Great idea: Bike Fixtation self-repair vending stationFixtation 2.jpg

Great idea: Bike Fixtation self-repair vending station

Minneapolis, USA has its first public bike fix station. At the station, funnily enough.
by nick_rearden
Thu, Aug 11, 2011 10:56
9

Two 'bike people' called Chad and Alex have started a company called Bike Fixtation selling a system to provide public bike servicing facilities. The first work station is already in operation at the Minneapolis, USA Uptown Transit Station.

We've seen bike vending machines before; we believe it was Trek in the USA that was offering a machine to stand outside bikes stores to dispense inner tubes, tyre levers and the like to stranded cyclists out-of-hours. But we've never seen such a comprehensive set-up. In Bike Fixtation's case, there's the high-security vending machine, a free air compressor and universal work stand including comprehensive tethered tools.

Bike Fixtation is offering a modular system meaning bike shops, railway stations and community venues can buy as many of the components as they need to suit individual requirements. The first installation at one of Minneapolis's main train and bus stations is installed in a secure lobby, cash machine-style, that is automatically open from 6am - midnight 365 days a year.

But it's not hard to see how this might work under an awning outside a bike shop in a busy city location or at Herne Hill Velodrome. Also plenty of big-company sponsorship potential; those machines would look good in Continental yellow, we reckon.

Details: www.bikefixtation.com

breakdown service
Bike Fixtation

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9 comments

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Diesel9a1 | 13 years ago
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It's a shame the UK public are idiots. We vandalise anything for no reason at all. I am embarrassed by our nation.

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Giant Rob | 13 years ago
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No Chance in the Midlands. Shame.

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James Poole | 13 years ago
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Very useful. Judging by the pictures perhaps it also stocks a range of hipster essentials - trispoke front wheels, velocity rims and moustache wax perhaps?

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Daclu Trelub replied to James Poole | 13 years ago
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James Poole wrote:

Very useful. Judging by the pictures perhaps it also stocks a range of hipster essentials - trispoke front wheels, velocity rims and moustache wax perhaps?

Moustache wax! Where?
(twirls ends)

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Tony Farrelly | 13 years ago
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Well here's a bike vending machine on the mean streets of New York, not just bike bits it's got to be said… Blackberry anyone? Cos as we know you never want to be out on the mean streets without one of those.

There's some more info about the NY machine here on Core77 where we first spotted the Bike Fixation as well
http://www.core77.com/blog/transportation/bicycle_vending_machine_part_2...

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Oh heck... | 13 years ago
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I love the idea of them, but as above, they're going to be vandal magnets unless they're very carefully located. (A bit like elecrtic car charging points on the street, as thugs will think it's the funniest thing in the world to unplug cars charging, and that's if they don't trash the points...)

The best place for these are going to places such as 24 hour petrol station forecourts, supermarket foyer areas or such places with good lighting in busy-ish areas.

I really hope they do well, as I agree it raises the profile subliminally of cycling.

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handlebarcam | 13 years ago
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That's a great idea for locations, like as you say velodromes, where the risk of vandalism is reduced. But if electric groupsets catch on, a recharge point will be necessary...

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dlp | 13 years ago
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^ ditto.

Did you hear about the art installation of piano's which toured the world (N & S America plus europe etc) with all the pianos intact.

Within a week of installation in Bristol half of them had been burned out and the rest were removed to save them.

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pmr | 13 years ago
0 likes

Well I know what would happen to that if it was in the UK. Sadly.

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