Love and passion, rather than return on investment, inspired Sumone Khoosuwan, the managing director of Khookhum graphic design studio, to set up her classic bicycle refurbishment business, the Rebiker, Ride with Style, about a year ago.
Ms Sumone shows off one of the retro-look bicycles in which her company specialises.
"The profit is very small but I'm very happy every time I work on a bicycle. It's really good when you see people love your work too," she said.
Ms Sumone accepts that cycling is not popular in Thailand because of the heat and strong sunlight. But she found that some people really love classic bicycles.
Her love for classic bicycles started on an overseas trip a few years ago when she saw people riding classic bicycles. She fell in love with the old-style bikes and wanted to have one.
As she didn't know where to buy one, she decided to make one herself. She bought a ruined bicycle, imported parts to rebuild it and spent a few months to remake her first classic bicycle.
"In the first place, I did it only to ride myself. It's a quiet pleasure. My friend saw it and wanted it too. So I sold it to this friend. Since then, I have got orders and some friends like to borrow my bicycle to use as a prop for magazine shoots," said Ms Sumone, 34.
Ms Sumone's the Rebiker, Ride with Style is gradually growing. She has rebuilt and sold eight classic bicycles and she now devotes her free time to working on bikes.
"I never think about the money earned from this job. It's my dream work and at the same time I can save this classic bicycle, which is part of our old days, and pass it on to the new generation," she said.
However, refurbishing classic bicycles is very new in Thailand. The market only has tiny demand, from real enthusiasts.
A word-of-mouth strategy is introducing the product. Ms Sumone markets her bicycles through cycling websites. She has also set up a blog (http://therebiker.wordpress.com) to feature her products and ideas.
"It's not easy for people to spend 10,000 baht on an old bicycle, even though it has been renovated. The selling point of our bicycles is style and creativity and some classic-bike lovers think it's worth it," she said.
University students and hotels, particularly in the provinces, are the main target groups. But some customers buy a bicycle to decorate their homes.
One university student rang up but could not purchase a bike, as 10,000 baht was too expensive for him. He called back a few months later when he had saved up enough.
"He came to get the bicycle the next day by taxi and rode it many kilometres back to his home. He showed me that he really liked the bike and wanted to own it. That's great," she said.
After getting an order, Ms Sumone spends about two weeks renovating a bicycle. She imports some materials and commissions local craftsmen to make elements like baskets. The bikes are priced between 6,500 and 14,000 baht. The frames are all from British or Japanese brands because these combine strength with a variety of designs.
Source: Bangkok Post
