Big props if you can get this going and sustain it. As an engineer who's been in manufacturing all my life, I know we can manufacture just about anything but the cheapest stuff in the US and do it fairly competitively. The problem almost universally is upper management looking for a quick and lazy solution, rather than willing to find a homegrown domestic solution. You might need higher volumes to make it economically feasible, or you might need to live with slightly lower margins, or you might need to automate more processes, but it is doable, but the easy solution has typically been to just rush to China for everything where you can throw cheap labor at a problem and hope that timezone problems, language barriers, cultural differences and shipping issues don't get in the way. And cross your fingers your ideas aren't outright stolen either. Love to hear about re-shoring and hope you keep us updated as much as you can.
The time is definetly right. Local manufacturing will come back to the US for sure. And light mobility is a perfect starting place. We successfully ran a Camera Gear company in NH for a decade using both in-house CNC machines and outsourced to local NH and Maine machine shops, and a local anodizer company. When we retired the company stopped as no-one wanted to take over. We know lots of machinists that are in their 60's and can't hand down the business. We need more young entrepeneurs like you.
I've been in manufacturing for over 20 years and I'm proud to hear that you're taking on this challenge. I'm sure your subscribers wish you much success in your endeavors. I'm eagerly awaiting what you have in store for us.
I’m a bike commuter, and while the purist in me is resisting e-bikes (mostly because I’m fighting off my Hank Hill bod in my 40’s), I’d rather ride my pedal bike on roads filled with e-bikes than cars and SUV’s. The infrastructure is much more simpatico for bikes of all descriptions than it is for cars and bikes. More power to you.
Age is coming. My advice at 65 is hold off as long as you are able, your body will tell, BUT…start visiting web sites like Propel and keep your educating yourself on your dream bike.
Chris, this so cool! And, i love that it's happening in Detroit! It's almost a full circle kind of thing. After decades of everything being built overseas, it's so great to see a return to the states for manufacturing! The best of luck with this venture. If your success with Propel is any indication, this will be immensely successful.
Brilliant! The time is absolutely right for all of the elements in your proposal: reshoring, urban renewal, micro-mobility sector growth coupled with smart, flexible vertical integration. I wish you every success. 👏🏽💪🏽👊🏽❤️🚲
This is really exciting. I hope your reshoring efforts attract the attention of legislators handling the Inflation Reduction Act manufacturing incentives for electric cars.
Love this. I’ve gotten into cargo and my emtbike in the last 24 months and great to see US innovation. Don't forget Canada, 30million people up here ready to use free trade and help out!
Congrats Chris on the exciting new venture. I read about it the other day in BRAIN. This is Bruce, one of your first R&M customers. We met at your Brooklyn shop in Nov 2016. If you ever need a Detroit contact - maybe an e-bike tour guide, an e-bike loaner - then please reach out. I work and e-bike commute in pretty close proximity to your Detroit venture.
Hey Bruce! I will definitely be reaching out and it would be great to grab a coffee soon. It's been way too long. Hope you are doing well and look forward to catching up
@@Propelbikes Sounds great. I don't believe I have your email as it's been a while. But I can reach out through your shop/staff and pass my contact info.
Of anyone I have encountered in the RU-vid world and the bike industry, I have always felt you had them most integrity. If anyone can make this endeavor a success, it is you, Chris. Godspeed.
No one thought E-readers/books were possible and it was and now we have Amazon as proof. Good for you - I am excited to watch what happens. I could not ride bikes in the hilly area I am in without assistance. I wish you good luck in this new venture.
Like the idea of USA assembly and manufacturing. You're in a unique position to make your ideas a reality. I might envision some bike companies switching manufactering or final assembly to the US. Best wishes.
Camera manufacturers, all based in Japan, found the hard way during the pandemic that they couldn't make some cameras, because some lower end components inside an expensive camera, were made in China. So, they had to pause sales, going as far as not releasing some cameras. It's probably the same with e-bikes, you need to be able to source ALL of your parts locally (ideally), to safely produce a product. I wonder if that will ever be a reality.
We are so excited for your new endeavor with Justin and can't wait to see more eMobility manufacturing and supply chain development in the motor city! 😄
Love that this happening in Michigan. I said out loud “I’d love to work in an E-bike factory” and I really mean that. If you know of any job opportunities for this space happening downtown how could I learn more?
I truly wish you success and the best of luck. I actually went to Propel to buy a bike during "the thing" and it just didn't happen. I had to order the bike I wanted out of state and had it shipped to me. You truly walk your talk and I admire that.
I really appreciate that and I appreciate your attempt to patronize us Propel during "the thing" as say. It was definitely a challenging time and we have leaned a lot during that time and we're excited about what's ahead
Honestly, I don't live in this world (thematically). That said, I absolutely love these initiatives and ideas. Yes, there are barriers to thinking differently, and going against the mainstream. But, many of the most amazing partnerships and rollouts have come from moves like this. This is good for multiple reasons. Kudos my friend, and I look forward to watching, learning, and cheering.
What a great idea! You can succeed - one of my biggest problems doing high precision mechanical development is finding reliable suppliers. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Detroit were ground zero for another mobility transformation?
I have always admired your leadership style and collaborative bent. I have no doubt this will be an amazing ride with real potential for huge success. You have a large cheering squad!
We want the ebike industry to evolve to the point that it take's away much more market share from the auto industry, ways to do that are to use the synergies of being in Detroit by borrowing innovation: 1) proper hands free navigation assistance, 2) built-in theft security (biometric unlock, no functionality without registered access), 3) V2X (vehicles to everything) transponders for safety and infrastructure awareness... The incredibly light weight of an ebike vs. an EV needs to be viewed as the advantage it truly is, not as a weakness or an immaturity
I just want to make sure I've got the gist of what you're doing. One of more of the following?: A) Creating a web-based clearinghouse of information about resources for anyone who wants to manufacturer bicycles in the US. B) Creating a web-based networking (of people/companies) graph-database, so potential bicycle/parts manufacturers can look at existing networks and easily plug themselves in as an additional node of a network or choose a pre-existing network to get parts (or all) of what they need done without everyone needing to recreate those networks from scratch. C) Facilitating the building of factories to do some or all of said manufacturing, on a contract basis, so one factory can apply the economies of scale while distributing those economies to multiple contracting businesses. (This is the Chinese model that allows them to be so efficient.) Such facilitation done by networking entrepreneurs with investors and banks willing to fund these factories, and with owners of unused factory buildings. D) Actually build and own some of these factories yourself, to fill in the gaps in existing networks. (Naturally, you would have to be super-transparent so people wouldn't suspect you of going all "Amazon Basics" on existing manufacturers.) E) Hopefully, facilitating and promoting the co-op, employee-owned business model as much as possible. If not all all five, why not? 😊
if the batteries sold in us were regulated to pass US certification, it would also boost local manufacturing. This would be a great step. There are many restrictions for parking ebikes etc in buildings. I would love to buy a bike that was at least partially produced locally and meeting safety requirements
Great to have you back giving us new info about the E bike comings.. Here in the UK we have guys who think unless they go at the fastest speed they can but make it difficult for the lesser speed freaks to enjoy E biking we will not grow as a industry for E bikes.. but what you are doing is helping the world to enjoy E biking & fresh air out in the country.. So I hope the small companies out there can stay with it on this great journey for the people who love to ride bikes but also need that extra help to get along.. Rock On Chris..
It's a really good time to do this. The investment climate now - not just geopolitically but also demographically - supports doing more things locally, and "back to basics" industry instead of being focused on financing and leveraging. And it's something happening not just in the micromobility space, a realignment has hit in a lot of different industries, where the problem being solved has changed - Tony Seba's thesis about this being the "most disruptive decade" comes to mind. Just looking at computing, for example: At the bottom of the stack the standards are shifting in favor of more open hardware; the systems software is being rewritten in Rust language, ending the 60-year tenure of C; and generative AI is sweeping through all the applications software and redefining the goals of "information work". Everyone is worried about their existing career, but new kinds of jobs are appearing too.
Very exciting Chris and glad to hear that Bloom is going to be headquartered in my home town of Detroit. We have a couple of businesses here in the Twin Cities, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) and Park Tool that service the bicycle industry that are using a similar growth strategy using a combination of made in USA and imported products to support their customers. Happy to facilitate some conversations if it might make sense.
Proud owner of a serial one rush city speed here. I am glad to hear this! Not only do Americans want american made ebikes, America needs to bring back american manufacturing. I also believe that the rest of the world would support american produced ebikes.
I look at some of the bikes from Canadian companies, look at the logistic and supply issues they have faced, and lament that we/they aren't able to produce our own bikes here in Canada/North America. So hggood on you for taking that step in the US and you have a fan pulling for you guys up North.
You're right, I do like this. I really hope you succeed. Bringing back manufacturing to the US is going to be very difficult, but on the other hand it is shocking how the bicycle industry in the US is imploding. Retailers are going broke and shutting down, big makers are struggling. So many of the issues have to do with off shore manufacturing and supply chain issues. So maybe this is the right time to be trying to do this. Good luck!
Chris, We wish you all the best in this great initiative. @highwaycycles UK. Brompton has made it work as a niche brand and is sold worldwide. Before my recent involvement in the cycle industry, I spent 40 years running my own engineering company. We were constantly innovating, and it was a whirlwind ride. ENJOY👍
Also...Create a 'Bloom" stamp of approval; where any members/manufacturers must have interchangeable components like wheel sets etc--this would be a great way for consumers to be able to mix and match old purchases with new ones. Right now it is impossible for a serious commuter to ensure that their bicycle components purchased for reliability will be usable for their next purchase. I put 20,000 miles on my first purchase from Propel and I already have 10,000 miles on my present vehicle purchased from Propel in Brooklyn. Good luck Chris!
Specialize e bikes has a problem suppling bikes I have wait well over a year for a Specialized large como 5.0 IGH Auto shifting. Crazing maybe Bloom can help them, have a consulting company let’s connect. Love your vision, you are correct with your concept. Great video my friend.
So - I watched this video and was unable to discern the focus of Bloom. Is it engineering? Manufacturing? Marketing? Research? Testing? or whatever? I guess we'll have to wait and see some specific outcomes to understand just what the final output of Bloom is going to be. This video was mysterious/opaque about it.
Didn't mean to be confusing about things. Here is our short description Bloom is America's first vertical integration partner for the micromobility revolution, providing a full suite of capabilities for domestic contract manufacturing, assembly, delivery, and after-sales servicing, all while creating US manufacturing jobs and decarbonizing transportation.
This is excellent!! I think an alternative to the Bosch component set focused on cargo/utility bikes and user serviceability. I love the Bosch system, but it doesn't feel like it's going to be 'future proof', The best thing about traditional bikes is they can be ridden, serviced and updated for decades. It would be great to bring that to E-bikes, and I think it could shift the value proposition as a more durable good. Can't wait to hear more about what your working on!
This is better than good, it's Great.. Thankyou for the great content again, your vids are very informative & interesting. Clear facts & figures. Please keep up th Great work. Many Cheers from Australia🇦🇺...
This is an amazing and much needed program/initiative! I’m extremely impressed and can’t wait to see what you guys make happen. As part of my job, I spend time with quite a few bike shop owners and they are all very concerned about the future of the bicycle industry.
This is one of the most intelligent conversations I've heard in a while. I always wondered why we dont compete against Tiawan for some of the tubular metal industry. How or what are they doing, correctly, to own so much of a singular industry?
Wow so great to see young people forging ahead and you being such and innovator and motivator with a real and crucial direction, the core of the paradigm shift the Green Generation must lead! Thanks for a great presentation and all you do for a better world!
I would love to see support from city, state and federal to build a planned and quality bike path system. Also for public transport to connect cities as well. Bike to train station, travel to city where my sisters or niece lives and bike to their house, would be incredible. I did a commute for years from home to work using bike/rail. Other work mates that lived near me simply could not be convince to do the same. Church I attend is 10 miles away outside of town. Have ridden this for decades, still can't convince locals within a couple miles to bike, everyone drives (many EVs now). The California way of thinking will have to be changed somehow to make change.
Is this the start of a US R&M factory 😅? I mean, most parts come from asia anyway, so it makes sense to have this manufacturing in the US ? I love the idea and hope it all goes well. Even if it turns into a whole new brand all together, you know better than most how important the quality of parts are, and the service is such a big part of the industry, i think you are probably in a good place with regards to experience in order to start something like this. Good Luck going forward!
I am from France originally and lived in the US for 25 years, in California, Bay Area more specifically. Everybody I know in france, absolutely everybody, has a bike of some kind (or two) and use them. Here in the US, I can't believe how many people just don't have a bike (but may have two cars). Those who have one use them very little, like on the occasional weekend. Maybe that would explain the difference between EU and US: the demand. In the US the roads are dangerous and not bike-friendly. Also "everything is far" because everything has been designed assuming that people have cars. Although I did live in a French city for two years with no car and just a bike, I can not imagine doing this here and I feel that my biking life is limited to the occasional mountain bike weekend ride: there is no way I'd use a bike for transportation here, nor will my kids ever do it.
It looks like you respond to just about every comment thats a big props to you. I think this is a really great idea. I admit I havent seen all of your video's, but have you looked at rental industry? Do you have data in the rental industry? Id like to look into manufacturing for the rental industry. The mindset that a small fleet of ebikes and a few stations is easily scalable for people in small cities as a way to implement affordable transit systems. Btw I'm in Petoskey Michigan, and am often in Detroit. Either way I look forward to your success.
If this could manifest some positive changes in production (and very importantly maintenance) systems it would make my confidence in purchasing an ebike much higher
We need a consolidation of the quality bike industry throughout the west. We need massive mergers with huge investments! Prices for many ebikes are way too high and we need much larger scale production, especially of components too. We need Pinion MGU on a massive scale with prices maxing at 2-3000 euros. - Detroit from Motown to Bitown! Go Detroit! 😊 Perhaps Cube and Raleigh etc. could merge and start producing in Detroit...
This is very exciting! There’s so much opportunity to move away from giant gas guzzling SUVs/trucks and I think having a place to find new solutions is going to be a key part of a better future.
I love this so much! I will be buying my annual lotto ticket next week. If i win, full funding coming your way :) I work in equity and the possibilities are endless on so many levels. I will be watching and cheering.
Yes, there the bike industry is messed up because of too many choices. Imagine having to keep that supply chain going? Making your homegrown company more like an in and out burger (only a few choices) would streamline the whole experience. And to have easy to get parts and education so that the bike owner (or community college program) can fix and develop their own fleet quickly with a line of interchangable parts would be great.
Glad to hear that there is an over supply of e-bikes. Waiting for prices to drop significantly. As long as a decent e-bike is as expensive as a motorcycle that has way more raw materials and machining then a bicycle it’s obviously that e-bikes and bicycles are overpriced.
I think the price drops we are seeing right now will likely be the best we see until we get to better scale like in the motorsports industry. The industry has been pushing to innovate so much that it hasn't fully gotten the opportunity to scale and benefit from those economic opportunities
Onshoring! Great video, feels like you're speaking directly to me as I sell a cycling product I would much rather produce in North America. Most of my customers are in the states or canada!
Good luck, I hope you guys can manage to avoid getting destroyed by the trio of government, lawyers, and unions. We unfortunately pay too many people too much money to tear things down.
This is extremely cool! You really ought to consider opening up an office or shop in Fort Collins, CO! There is funding and excitement around this very type of business in our town. Please feel free to reach out to me. Thanks :)
I will often pay double for MADE IN USA rather than China. If I can't find it I'll buy from a European Country second and finally anywhere BUT China if possible. Often times it is not possible, but i try. Looked at EBC simply because they are made in USA but they jut don't have the hill climbing quality I feel I need. Now looking at Riese and Muller.... If you have a ebike like the Homage4 PLEASE let me know. Also if there is opportunity to open a store in the SouthEast USA I'd be interested.
Maybe collaborate with a European company that already makes bikes in volume and leverage from what they already have. They could propagate their brand and you would achieve your objective as well. There are several new manufacturers in France who might be interested.
Take a page from the auto industry and 1) Start colluding with other bike companies 2) Prioritize bike lanes 3) Destroy car lanes 4) Increase demand for your product 5) Profit! Actually everyone would profit from this plan... Except the Auto & Oil industry.
We need the street infrastructures designed for bikes to co-exist with cars. Without this, eBikes will have the same issues that the cyclist riding regular bicycles deals with. Most folks who I see with eBikes rides them for a short while and ends in the garage collecting dust.
