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Uncle-Pasha
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 24
Location: Moscow (20% of the time) and Staritsa, Tver region (the rest of my life)
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 Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 7:31 pm Post subject: Scooter rental - any interest? |
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Last year I rented a scooter in Odessa (Ukraine) and had a fun-filled day. Now I'm sort of playing with the idea of availing one to my clients in Moscow and perhaps St. Petersburg. Before I sink 2-3 thousand into the project I need to have an idea what, if any, you travellers think about renting a scoter. The likely rate is $25/day to cover the cost and maintenance.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Pasha |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4903
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Scooter rental - any interest? |
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| Uncle Pasha wrote: | Last year I rented a scooter in Odessa (Ukraine) and had a fun-filled day. Now I'm sort of playing with the idea of availing one to my clients in Moscow and perhaps St. Petersburg. Before I sink 2-3 thousand into the project I need to have an idea what, if any, you travellers think about renting a scoter. The likely rate is $25/day to cover the cost and maintenance.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Pasha |
That sounds like a great idea. We have them here, small ones 50cc, the customers don't need a drivers license, and the price for a day is the same. They work well in places that aren't too hilly. They are very popular here. I think that would work well. In the Asian countries, it's one of the best ways to tour the country. But I hear the traffic is bad in the larger Russian cities. Might put people off a bit. |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Is traffic going to be a turn off for anyone to care to rent them? I guess it depends which part of M. or S.P. you are in. If it's outside of town then it could be a good idea but... how many will care to rent them outside of the center? |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject: Re: Scooter rental - any interest? |
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| Uncle Pasha wrote: | Last year I rented a scooter in Odessa (Ukraine) and had a fun-filled day. Now I'm sort of playing with the idea of availing one to my clients in Moscow and perhaps St. Petersburg. Before I sink 2-3 thousand into the project I need to have an idea what, if any, you travellers think about renting a scoter. The likely rate is $25/day to cover the cost and maintenance.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Pasha |
well it would be seasonal and what about theft |
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Uncle-Pasha
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 24
Location: Moscow (20% of the time) and Staritsa, Tver region (the rest of my life)
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:52 pm Post subject: Demand for scooter rental in Moscow & St. Petersburg |
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Thank you, yorbclbud and vitalsigns, for your feedback.. Is it $25Canadian in British Columbia? I was thinking of scooters as a _solution_ to the dense traffic and congested public transit but clients of course are weird creatures from another planet, thus my interest in hearing from travellers first. Do you, vorbclbud, rent these out to clients? Any data on the accident/death rates? Canada is different but suppose multiplying Canadian figures by 3-5 I'll get a fair estimate of what to expect from my scooter renters in Russia. A similar idea I'm playing with is to make a beaten up old car available to my clients. The sort of a vehicle you can leave anywhere and not worry about dents and scratches. Something for leisure travel between Moscow & St. Petersburg or around the Golden Ring or just to have sitting near where you are staying more for psychological comfrort than anything else.. If, based on this post, I get let's say 5 requests for scooters, I may perhaps venture to get one as an experiment..
Pasha |
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waytorussia
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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| I think you should go for it -- it's a great idea, although the price is a bit high. I'd say take a good deposit from clients and charge $15-$20 / day -- same they'd spend on a gypsy taxi if they want to move around the center. Also, maybe it's worth finding a second hand scooter for up to $1000 first, so 50 days rent (realistic 1st season) would pay it off. We will be happy to advertise this service on Way to Russia as well... also somebody in Moscow should start renting out bikes to English speaking travelers... |
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Uncle-Pasha
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 24
Location: Moscow (20% of the time) and Staritsa, Tver region (the rest of my life)
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject: Scooters |
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| The opinion of one highly esteemed WaytoRussia professional counts as a that of a small crowd of ordinary mortals. I just may try that.. |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4903
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:54 am Post subject: Re: Demand for scooter rental in Moscow & St. Petersburg |
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| Uncle Pasha wrote: | Thank you, yorbclbud and vitalsigns, for your feedback.. Is it $25Canadian in British Columbia? I was thinking of scooters as a _solution_ to the dense traffic and congested public transit but clients of course are weird creatures from another planet, thus my interest in hearing from travellers first. Do you, vorbclbud, rent these out to clients? Any data on the accident/death rates? Canada is different but suppose multiplying Canadian figures by 3-5 I'll get a fair estimate of what to expect from my scooter renters in Russia. A similar idea I'm playing with is to make a beaten up old car available to my clients. The sort of a vehicle you can leave anywhere and not worry about dents and scratches. Something for leisure travel between Moscow & St. Petersburg or around the Golden Ring or just to have sitting near where you are staying more for psychological comfrort than anything else.. If, based on this post, I get let's say 5 requests for scooters, I may perhaps venture to get one as an experiment..
Pasha |
Well here they are classed as " limited speed vehicles" so a drivers license is not required to ride them. And they are constantly rented out at 25 dollars ( canadian) per day. I think it's a great idea, don't know about the cars, though. I also have bicycles with small gas engines on them. But I'm not privy to insurance requirements in Russia, perhaps you would know better than me? What about bicycles? I assume its not so hilly as to negate bicycles? They would require less capital for startup. Here we have designated bike paths, I don't know what it's like for cyclists there. I think any of those kind of rentals are a great idea. I think considering your clients are coming from the West, they might pay more than $25/day. That's really not much to ask from a tourist who'll have the whole day to explore the city. I think you you should go for it. I'm sure you could pick up a Vespa cheap there, so you certainly wouldn't have much to lose. At worst, you would have yourself a cheap scooter to scoot around the city yourself. I say do it. Most of my customers have credit cards, so you can make a temporary charge on it, as a damage deposit, to be refunded upon return of the scooter.  |
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Uncle-Pasha
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 24
Location: Moscow (20% of the time) and Staritsa, Tver region (the rest of my life)
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:18 pm Post subject: Bike for rent offer to test the market |
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I've put together a Bike for Rent page to see how the travelling public reacts. See
WWW.CHEAP-MOSCOW.COM/RENT_A_BIKE.HTM
The rest will depend on what sort of interest the page generates. If the concept works I'll be adding more bycycles, thus my next question:
WHAT SORT OF BIKES DO WESTERNERS PREFER THESE DAYS?
Suppose cyclists and scooter riders are sort of the same pool and this bike experiment will have predicting power.
Pasha |
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nikir
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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Дадя Паша! It does not open.
Anyway personally I think that if you aren't half mad to start with, you will be totally crazy after riding a motorbike in Russia. |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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Crabman
WayToRussified
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 401
Location: Middlesex
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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Uncle Pasha,
Great site! You also have a great sense of humour!
| Quote: | | Emergency health care is free and available to all regardless of whether or not you are a resident. For help dial 03 (or 030 from your cell phone). If you speak no Russian, ask passers by to make a call or, if the case is hopeless, to properly shoot you. Consider appointing me to arrange your burial in Russia or the shipment of your body home. |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4903
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: Bike for rent offer to test the market |
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| Uncle Pasha wrote: |
WHAT SORT OF BIKES DO WESTERNERS PREFER THESE DAYS?
Suppose cyclists and scooter riders are sort of the same pool and this bike experiment will have predicting power.
Pasha |
The most popular bikes that I rent and have people request are what we call mountain bikes, usually 18 or 21 speed. But I am in a mountainous area. In a city like Moscow, it may be that road bikes would be more popular. And yes I think that scooters and bicycles would rent to the same sort of clientelle. |
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mister_wizzz
VIP
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 582
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| nikir wrote: | Дадя Паша! It does not open.
Anyway personally I think that if you aren't half mad to start with, you will be totally crazy after riding a motorbike in Russia. |
...and finish in beauty in a wooden box  |
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Uncle-Pasha
Frequent Guest
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 24
Location: Moscow (20% of the time) and Staritsa, Tver region (the rest of my life)
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: Death of the rent-a-bike concept |
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Not a single enquiry to my www.cheap-moscow.com/rent_a_bike.htm offer 
Glad I did not go ahead and buy a couple of bikes and a scooter.
Thank you all who shared information and views on the subject.
Pasha
PS. There was one request however for an old car for $150/week from this page. Same concept: basic cheap vehicle. |
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