By Meredith Hoffman – DNAInfo.com
It’s one of cyclists’ worst nightmares: puncturing a tire late at night while pedaling home, and finding no open shops for service.
But now, one savvy start-up is looking to give city riders their quick fix — a 24-hour vending machine with essential needs.
Express Biker — a service pioneered by amateur cyclist Shimon Kivman — has already set up two Brooklyn kiosks featuring tubes, lights, patch kits (to patch tires’ holes), and other crucial tools and parts. Riders just stop at the kiosk, swipe their credit cards in the machine, and make their selection of accessories ranging from $5 to $30, Kivman said.
“There’s nothing else out there full-time for cyclists,” the Crown Heights resident said of the need for such a machine. “We’re trying to get them in as many places as we can…anywhere that’s a crowded and congested area.”
Currently, Express Biker has a kiosk on the border of South Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant at the Emporium Gas Station on Flushing Avenue, and one at the Mobil Gas Station at 415 Empire Blvd. a few blocks away from Prospect Park, Kivman said.
“We take care of everything. We stock it and we make sure it works. You just plug it in,” he said of local businesses’ ways to partner with the service. “The whole machine has been customized.”
Even runners can find what they need at the machines, which offer nutrition gel packs, Kivman said. And in case of sudden storms, dry bags for iPhones are also in stock.
“The idea is to be able to have as many cyclists out there as possible,” he said.
To Shimon & all the Kievmans, we love you entrepreneurship! Keep it up!
Hey Shimon you rock
Shimmon keep it up!!!!!!
In every city near all the newest fad bike rentals from the city
This is such an innovative idea, why is there even a tiny bit of negativity?
Hatzlocha to mr kievman, youre going to make it big and prove all the naysayers wrong
I think he’s saying that. Thy model is no different than a snack machine so at y most it Wil be a snack machine in sales and number 12 is saying snack vs bike. Snack wins
greattt idea! i’m so proud to be ur favorite niece!
#3- well, someone’s pessimistic. Cheer up-it’ll be a great idea
#12- ummmm… maybe you need Overeaters Anonymous. Most people are out excercising, and the few lame ones are eating potato chips on the couch. Maybe you fit the latter.
#10- perhaps you need a dose of Alcoholics Anonymous.
#7- love love love the idea!!!!! us LA’ers really need it these days.
unfortunately more people eat potato chips and snacks. i don’t see this making much money after all the costs associated with machines and location fee’s. however entrepreneurs usually hit it on 3rd idea…
this should go big
You should also stock shelf-stable farbrengen supplies when we run out at midnight. Freeze-dried herring, powdered vodka, the good stuff.
also #7 true true
shimon, this will be a big hit, cant believe no one did it yet
This could franchise nationally and even internationally, especially in bike-friendly areas of the world like LA. Chicago,Colorado, Amsterdam, Lindon, etc.
To #3: Kieveman might have to be selective in his placements if there’s trouble, but a genius idea still!!!
What a good idea!
And instead of people making stupid comments as per usual, it would really nice if appreciation would be shown now and then to those of us who try and help out others to no benifit of their own!
Thanks Shimmi! I, for one, and my friends really think its a big help to many of us, and to those who mock, I say,I hope one day , you’ll have to make use of this new venture, and then maybe you’ll look at things with a less critical/mocking eye
#4: It’s gr8 2 know that we can bike over to the kiosk in case of a plumbing emergency, eh?
This is great if my faucet is leaking and I need to divert the water into the toilet. Now I’ll have access to inertubes 24/7.
Wow! Wonderful idea.
Unfortunately, because of weak government, if these machines are vandalized, the criminals will walk away with a ‘slap on the wrist.’ (After-all weak laws keep cops on the job, fill up jails, build more penitentaries, more guns, more training, etc., etc.
Derrick Nelson, the auto burglar was arrested, incarcerated and re-arrested about 20 to 30 times!
NY State Government: “Citizens, enjoy your suffering and pain.’ We put our autos in garages…too bad for you. (We also carry guns. . . you’re not good enough.)
Waay to go! this is just what we need.
this has been yoske’s idea for ages!!