I designed and built Bike-Base to overcome my own experiences with my young cycling family. As I am not in the manufacturing business I am looking for someone to either buy the idea outright or manufacture it under license. All approaches / communications must be UK based only, will be at my discretion and subject to a confidentiality agreement. If interested please send me your contact details and brief resume of your business using the form below. Thank you.

Bike-Base is;

• A method of storing up to three bicycles safely and securely, primarily (though not exclusively) in a domestic situation.
• A quick and efficient method of transporting and lifting up to three bikes simultaneously onto the back of a vehicle for transportation.
• A method of holding a bicycle at standing working height when being repaired in a domestic situation.
• A way of promoting exercise by making it easy to go cycling (getting over the fuss / apathy of ‘loading up the bikes’).

Cycling is an ever popular past time in the UK giving enjoyment to millions promoting a healthy lifestyle. Often, access to national cycle routes, parks, visitor attractions etc. requires the safe transport of bicycles to distant locations from the home base. Leisure cycling is increasing in popularity with young family groups who are less inclined to use congested highways due to road safety concerns. The result is an increase in the use of proprietary bike carriers taking families and bicycles to ‘safer’ leisure locations.

Transporting up to three bicycles from a garage to a vehicle can be hard work and time consuming. Bike-Base eases / lessens this ‘chore’ by lifting up to three bicycles simultaneously, via a proprietary bike carrier (or a purpose made one for Bike-Base), onto the back of a vehicle. Bike-Base greatly reduces manual handling strength requirements and reduces risk of physical injury. Lifting of bicycles onto the back of a vehicle is generally limited to adult males in the household. If ‘Dad’ is not available cycling may not take place e.g. during school holidays.

A ‘snap’ decision to go cycling away from the home base / neighbourhood, or to take bicycles on a family holiday / outing in the first place, is more likely to result in actual cycling if bicycles can be loaded, via Bike-Base, onto a vehicle with ease, speed and safety.

Sports bicycles (road and off-road / mountain) may be washed down whilst on Bike-Base with a hose, if necessary, before going into storage.

Bicycles may be removed quickly and safely from the back of a vehicle via Bike-Base – a bonus if arriving home after a long journey, in the dark, in the rain etc.

A bicycle with a puncture / disrepair may stand idle / be forgotten due to the inconvenience / effort of having to ‘squat’ to undertake a repair. Bike-Base brings a bicycle up to a convenient working height.

Bicycles are expensive high-risk theft items and need to be stored securely – typically in a garage. Bicycles are cumbersome to store and manoeuvre in a confined space such as a garage. Modern / new houses are very popular with young families as they are low maintenance. UK National planning policy requires 1.5-car spaces for two and three bed houses and two spaces for four bed houses - excluding any garage space. Many modern / new houses have integral garages to save on plot size. Garages are popular / sell houses but are used mainly (due to small size) to store family items such as bicycles and gardening equipment etc. Cars are more often than not parked on the drive / street. Generally all garages (regardless of age of property) have limited space and bicycles need to be readily accessible to encourage use and to be moved out of the way of the lawn mower etc. Bike-Base allows safe, mobile and compact storage for up to three bicycles. Security by mass is achieved if bicycles are chained together on Bike-Base.

• Families – principal market.
• Weekend enthusiast cyclists – secondary market.
• Professional cyclists – limited market.

Anyone who is fit enough to ride / lift their bicycle.

Yes. Bike-Base is designed to work with, enhance and promote the use of proprietary bike carriers available from High Street outlets that fit onto tow-bar brackets by lifting fully laden carriers into position. However, this may also be considered a strength as tow-bar mounted bike carriers are stronger and safer than other types than ‘hang’ on the back of cars via webbing straps. Insurance companies do not like those that are strapped onto the back of cars etc. Also the number of vehicles with tow-bars and manufacturers thereof is greater than ever before due to greater disposable incomes and increased leisure.

Unless a specific bike carrier is made / used exclusively for Bike-Base a simple mounting / holding bracket is required to be made for each brand / type of bike carrier on the UK market. The mounting / holding bracket employed on the prototype that I use with Bike-Base is clamped to a popular bike carrier manufactured and sold exclusively from a chain of stores with a large segment of the bike carrier market in the UK.