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Although bicycles have been used commercially for more than one hundred years, their commercial use
has been in general decline since the arrival of the automobile in the 1920s. Yet in the past decade,
as traffic problems have increased and concern about the quality of life and preserving the environment
has grown, commercial cycling has undergone something of a renaissance. With little capital but lots of
enthusiasm, dozens of individuals have started small companies and cooperatives to deliver goods,
provide services, and transport people by bicycle.
Unfortunately, the failure rate of these businesses has been high. In the pedicab industry, for
example, pedicab owner John Snyder estimates the failure rate may be as high as 75%, based on a survey
he conducted with Carl Eitner in early 1998. An important factor, I believe, has been inadequate
information on operating a commercial cycling business. When I started our company six years ago, I
found a paucity of information on this subject. Without any information to act as a guide, I purchased
the wrong equipment, took on unprofitable business, undercharged customers, and mismanaged operations.
I wrote this book to help prevent others from making the same mistakes.
You don't need to be a professional racer to succeed at making your living by bike. This book shows
the many ways it can be done and how to go about making your business flourish. The author draws upon
his own experience as well as that of fellow bike-based businesses around the world. The first part of
the book covers the various kind of bicycle-powered operations that are open to full-time and part-time
employment, listing what kind of equipment is needed and the practical aspects of marketing and
operations. The second part of the book describes the specific requirements and modes of operation for
each particular kind of business.
Jim Gregory is co-owner and founder of Fresh Aire Delivery Services in Ames, Iowa, a bicycle-powered
delivery service that handles anything from straightforward parcel pickup and delivery to furniture
moving. His business has grown from a small one-person part-time venture to a full-time operation
employing two people full-time and seven part-time all that in a small community in the middle of Iowa,
proving that anyone armed with the information in this book can succeed in cycling for profit.
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