Is the industry saturated?

[vermont]

I have an idea for a lightweight and different design of a "everything" bag and attachment.  I have had an urge to create something potentially sell-able in the past and nothing happened to it (the bike panniers on here http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html are mine).  My fear is that I would be wasting time on something no one would want or find different than whats out there already, aka the industry is saturated.
Any thoughts on trying to bring something new to the market?  Its fun to make something unique for ones self but to take the extra step to sell it is my quandary.
thanks,
Scott

[Lentamentalisk]

There are a million people in their basements making low to medium quality bikepacking bags. There are a few *really* high quality bag makers out there, and a fair number in between the extremes.

But they are all making essentially the same few bags (seat bag, bar bag, frame bag, top tube bag, and snack bags). If you have something novel, then go for it! I think how things are attached to a fork is still developing. I'll add that if you find a way to attach something to a carbon fork with no mounts, you'll make millions!

[hubang]

I'll add that if you find a way to attach something to a carbon fork with no mounts, you'll make millions!

Attach something to carbon without mounts? That's easy! Just add a whole lot of epoxy. Now where do I collect my millions from?

[jeremy11]

Having a good innovative product is welcome in any market. Having the ability to take that product to market and become competitive is a whole different challenge. You'll have to think these things through for yourself and see if it is worth it. You will have to refine your product design and manufacturing process so you can make your idea in a time efficient manner. You will have to develop and maintain an online presence with some type of marketing, build a reputation, and so on.

I own Cleaveland Mountaineering, home of the "Everything Bag" for 6 years, and a new machined clamp/mount that works with carbon forks! www.cleavelandmountaineering.com
In fact, two bikes in the Iditarod 1000 this year are using my mount, on carbon snow bike forks. I haven't sold millions, by the way!
This has always been a side business for me - intentionally. My day job is in mechanical engineering. I used to make "low to medium quality" seat bags, bar bags, and top tube bags, but I moved on from this as better options became available in the industry. This allowed me to focus on the things I could do well (custom frame bags and Everything Bags), without having to invest in product development of bags that others were already doing a good job with.

Good luck!

[vermont]

Jeremy, I was wondering if you would chime in...
You recently went from full production to limited production but very core products.  Its what I would prefer doing.  My idea would be an everything object (similar to yours but different, I swear), stuff sacks for said object and insulated water bottle holders, which there seems to be a total lack of.  Keep it simple, keep it easy to produce, keep it as a side project.  I love my full time job.  My idea is coming to a snag in the process as my sewing machine is not doing its part with seatbelt webbing.

[MikeC]

I do a few trips each year that are long enough between resupplies that using the fork legs for storage is more or less mandatory. 

The way that placing the load there changes the way the bike responds has never been acceptable to me.  The bike handles like shit.

If you could create a way to store things on the fork legs without affecting the handling of the bike, then you'd have something.  Instead of a big bag (or bottle) of crap hanging off the back/side of the fork, maybe create a long, skinny cylinder (and a novel means for securing it) that runs the length of the fork leg, but that is tucked tight to the leg the whole way.

The goal simply being to create storage without compromise.  No one has yet succeeded at that.

[vermont]

Jeremy...  Have you considered putting two holes in your clamp/mounts so you could either use the midfork eyelet as one mount or use the outside downtube eyelets?

[jeremy11]

MikeC - If your concern is the mass of the cargo - there ain't no way around that - but you already knew that. If your idea is to improve the handling of the mass by reducing its lever arm (less net torque on the fork by the cargo during bumps and steering), then you may be onto something. Maybe a thinwall titanium or stainless tube, capped at each end, with a screw on top, or even a valved bottom - similar to your Snoots fork legs that hold fuel, but for us pawns that can't get a hold of such things. This idea is pretty neat, I'll have to think on it, but would obviously restrict what you could store to water, fuel, or snacks. Attaching this would be simple enough I think.

Vermont - I'm not quite sure what you mean. Wolftooth already has a bottle holding system with threaded holes and slot cuts that's pretty slick, but there's only provisions for zip ties - a cool enough product but not what I needed.

[MikeC]

Exactly -- I want it held close against the fork leg to minimize swing weight.  Fluids are too dense to use in that placement, but snacks could work great.  Mike 'n Ike's on one side, M&M's on the other...

Interesting that you brought up the Snoots.  Because the mass of that fluid load was within the fork leg, I could never tell a difference in handling whether they were empty or full, nor if one was empty and the other full.  But hang that (or a similar) load off the back of the leg and it's a dealbreaker.  Yes, I am princess and the pea with that sort of thing...

[vermont]

Mike C...  what bout what Jones does?  Would that fix the issues you are talking about.  Increase the surface area to decrease the movement.  It seems like you are needing a fork that hasn't been designed or braze ons that have not been created.  I have wondered about adding a 1/4 inch rod that parallels the fork and attaches around the crown but would it be worth the added weight?
Jeremy.  If adding a hole to your product does not decrease the strength then it would seem to be a win win situation.  Your product is designed for hose clamps while the Wolftooth is designed for braze ons.  Why not combine the two?  You could add a hose clamp to the Wolftooth too and it would the same effect.  I'm thinking mostly about a touring/CX fork with one midfork eyelet.

[vikb]

I have an idea for a lightweight and different design of a "everything" bag and attachment.  I have had an urge to create something potentially sell-able in the past and nothing happened to it (the bike panniers on here http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html are mine).  My fear is that I would be wasting time on something no one would want or find different than whats out there already, aka the industry is saturated.
Any thoughts on trying to bring something new to the market?  Its fun to make something unique for ones self but to take the extra step to sell it is my quandary.
thanks,
Scott

If you just want to have some fun and cover your out of pocket costs that's not super hard if your idea is good. OTOH if you are trying to make enough money at it to compete with a day-job that's a much bigger hurdle as long as you aren't working minimum wage.

You can take that first step without having to ever take the second step.