SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Spinlister, a peer-to-peer bike rental program, is increasingly being used by new bike shoppers to demo models before making a buying decision.
"High-end bicycles are becoming increasingly expensive, while consumers are being offered an ever-increasing array of options at various price points. Often times, a simple test ride around the parking lot of a bicycle retailer isn't enough to sway a consumer's buying decision. Consumers are searching for legitimate and authentic personal experiences aboard bicycles prior to making their final choice," the company said.
The company said Spinlister is being used to demo more than just high-end bikes. It is also being used by shoppers curious about non-traditional bicycles such as cargo, folding, and e-bikes. Spinlister has partnered with brands including Yuba to support its dealers.
Spinlister and Yuba are rolling out a program in which renters will be able to rent a Yuba cargo bikes via a retailer and, if they choose to purchase a bike, they can apply a percentage of the rental cost to the purchase price. Spinlister assumes the insurance risk and eliminates retailer inventory costs. Spinlister insures all bicycles against damage or theft during a rental period for up to $10,000.
Spinlister also has announced new programs to work with its network of Official Bike Shop Partners.
The retail partners can serve as a location for peer-to-peer rental transactions, bringing potential customers into the store.
Spinlister also offers partner bike shops' mechanics the opportunity to work at Spinlister-sponsored community events during shop off-hours. Spinlister often lets the mechanic wear a shop T-shirt and pays the employees for their time.
Spinlister is also running a Twitter promotion that includes its Official Bike Shop Partners. Spinlister creates a scavenger hunt by hiding $100 gift cards from Official Bike Shop Partners in featured cities and then tweets clues of its location to its 25,000 Twitter followers. Followers are encouraged to follow the clues to locate and retweet the whereabouts of the gift cards in order to receive the gift card.
