BD Biketalk
What is BD Biketalk?Let us first explain about the Bike Talk articles. David Hawkins is a 36-year Bicycle Industry Expert. He and I will write and post articles on bicycling and the industry as well as issues related to bicycling. Think about the new Bicycle Lanes being designed for Seattle in the coming years. We will also post articles by Guests who have a topic that fits. We will also bring up subjects that may be skated around by others. David Hawkins and I are committed to bicycling as a great exercise and a great way to support the Green way of Transportation and see the cities around you in a new way.
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BD Bike Talk ArticlesThe Seattle Bike Expo, Why we like it and Other AdventuresThe Group Health Seattle International Bicycle Expo is one of the largest Bike Expos in the country. For the past 5 years we have attended as an Exhibitor. It is a low-cost event, but it works well for us by generating inquiries by telephone, website and sales. So how does it feel or look for an Exhibitor at this Expo? It started with a move-in day Friday March 7th. David Hawkins and I had talked about showing the Volcanic Police Bike with a 2-lever Brake Director set up (meaning either left or right brake lever operates the Brake Director™. David delivered the Volcanic bike Saturday. We featured the Volcanic Bike, which are sold to Bike Police around the country, including Bike Police in Los Angeles and -- surprise! -- Seattle. Since starting to negotiate with Volcanic, I have noticed every Bike Policeman riding Volcanic. More about them later. So I show up Friday around 4 pm. I have the REI Novara Comfort Bike, our Test Bike for the Test Track. For the last 5 years we have supplied a bike to the Test Track, at first a Dahon Folding Bike, then the REI Comfort Bike. So I set things up. |
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Last September the Wounded Warrior Project represented us at Interbike, the largest bicycle trade show in the Country. We were also sent an inquiry by the International Police Mountain Bike Association to do a test and write a review for the Summer newsletter. It was through them that we found Volcanic Bikes in Olympia. This sounds confusing, doesn't it? Let me explain A little over 2 years ago, I was sitting and reading a Harry Potter book at Seattle Worksource North. I looked up and saw 2 Army Recruiters standing and talking. I closed my book and asked if I could talk with them. I explained what Brake Director is and how it works and asked how I could get info to returning veterans who were injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. One of them gave me his card and said to call him in 2 weeks.
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 Figure 1: The Booth |
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I did. He then referred me to the Public Relations Office at Fort Lewis. PR had no clue what to do with me, so he gave me the number of the Pentagon and told me to call them. I did. The Officer at the Pentagon had no clue what to do with me, so he gave me the number to Walter Reed and told me to call them. I did. The receptionist at Walter Reed transferred me, but the gentleman I talked to had no clue. While I was talking to him, I brought up the Walter Reed website and I saw a link for Disabled. I clicked it and found a group called the Wounded Warrior Program. The Gentleman said to call them. So I did and the Officer at the Wounded Warrior corrected me by explaining that the Wounded Warrior Program was the Government Pac that interacts with congress and the military to secure funding for the Wound Warrior Project. That’s whom we need to call. One more call and doors of opportunities flew open. We have been working with them for the past 2 years and this is how we ended up at Interbike last September Now as to Bicycle Police, that is a little more twisted. Out of the blue e-mail dropped into our mailbox from John S. Kennedy (no relation to JFK) President of the United States Bicycle Polo Association:
I attended a Bicycle Polo Tournament in July 2007 between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, BC. It was fascinating. I saw that a left lever version of Brake Director would give a Team a real advantage. No more skidding, more control, more clean shots. But at the time, David Hawkins was unable to attend and wanted to look at himself before we moved forward. The polo development is still in process to date, but it was through John Kennedy that we made contact and became a vendor with the International Police Mountain Bicycle Association. I sent e-mail to Maureen Becker. Executive Director, International Police Mountain Bike Association, letting her know that we would be represented at Interbike in the Wounded Warrior Project Booth. We decided to become a vendor in November 2007. Then in December I received a follow up e-mail from Ron Burkitt: |
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Figure 2 WWP Notice decal, brochure and flyers |
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I had been sent promotion materials by IPMBA, but I just gave them a light glance. So in January 2008 I turned back and started thumbing through the newsletter from 2006. On the 4th page was an ad for Volcanic Bikes in Olympia WA. I almost fell out of my chair. I called the number and left a message. An hour later Eric Kackley of Volcanic Bikes called back and was very interested in seeing our product. We met him on a Sunday, picked a Volcanic Bike in Seattle the following Thursday. So at the 2008 Seattle Bike Expo we represented the Wounded Warrior Project and Volcanic Bikes. Every year we bump into past attendees from years past, but many more are seeing us for the first time. |
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Figure 2 David Hawkins showing off Volcanic to attendees |
Saturday February 8th started at 9 am. I used WWP as the opening, asking attendees if they knew about WWP, then after I explained how WWP worked, I then added that Brake Director had been working with WWP for the last 2 years. That worked very well. In fact I gave out so much literature about the WWP on Saturday that I could have given out double the amount if we had it. We also received WWP pins. We only gave those to members of military or military families. When one military member saw it, it really touched him and walked away with a wider smile. We showed off the Volcanic Police Bike with dual lever set-up. It showed our validity and demonstrated that Brake Director earns by the quality of the product. It really works. We talked to a lot of attendees. The interest ran all over the map from no interest (We always get that. This is an alternative that still needs to grow in the public mind before it is accepted in the retail mind.) to very interested. But the proof is in the experience. David Hawkins told me that one gentleman came back more than once, took the test ride and came back with an awed look, eyes wide. |
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Sunday February 9th started at 10 am but fell in the weekend change from Daylight Standard to Daylight Savings. So we lost an hour, came in a little tired. David had coffee. I had a Pepsi. Early on two Seattle Policemen walked by and I instantly mention the Volcanic Bike. They recognized it instantly as well, but when I mentioned Brake Director, that took a little more time. But as I explained how it worked, I saw the understanding grow and they became very interested. I gave them a DVD, brochure and Flyer and told them to contact Volcanic Bike directly. I talked with both Group Health and Childrens Hospital and when they saw that we were successfully working with bicycle police (via Volcanic and the Puyallup Bicycle Police), they took it more seriously. We had made presentations our first year in business, got a lot of interest, but not a single sale. Group Health had contacted with a patient who needed us, but left it to the patient to contact us. He didn’t. An occupational therapist who stopped by our booth explained that insurance programs generally don’t cover purchase of items like Brake Director. A therapist from the VA talked with us, saying there is no funding for bicycles or Brake Director. I mentioned the Wounded Warrior Project (we had materials at the booth) and mentions the Bicycle Alliance of Washington that grants money to promote bicycling in Washington State. Between them, there could be a path to get the patients a bicycle and a Brake Director™. Add in the therapy students from the UW that want us to make a presentation to their class; I think it was pretty good. At the very end a woman was sent to us. She has built a Cargo Bike and the brakes are in the front pulling heavy weight in back. She not only is interested in getting a unit to try out, but will also showing our product to the Makers Fair show in San Francisco, a large event displaying creative ingenuity of all sorts. Lightfoot Cycles has agreed to purchase a unit to have on hand. Right after the Expo, we got a follow-up call from Lightfoot about a Policeman with a weak hand that they thought could use Brake Director. David Hawkins recommended referring him to IPMBA So looking back at the months leading up and briefly after it’s looking like a very good year for our 5-year-old company. We continue to attend the Bike Expo for several reasons. Over the last 5 years our presence and our booth have developed. People now seek us out. Not a ton, but enough to know we are building awareness and visibility. I was a member of the Cascade Bicycle Club back in 1990 when a bunch of us were kicking around the idea of a Bike show in Seattle. It had never been done and it was the right time for the community. I support Cascade and the Bike Expo because they are truly the best advocates of cycling. In the last 12 months they have stretched their political arms and played an intricate role in developing the Master Bicycle Plan approved by Seattle. It’s a great way to reconnect with other vendors who share their latest news. We also meet new vendors and develop a friendly comradery that may lead somewhere. This is not an overnight type of product. It takes time and marketing to build toward success. So we move on from here. We will share the adventure via BD News pages. There will be more articles coming up weekly or as close as we can get. If there is someone who would like to write a guest article, please contact us directly at davidk@brakedirector.com. David Krafchick |
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