Press Release: Ride WrapRideWrap is stoked to announce the launch of the first-of-its-kind software for the bike frame and fork protection industry.
Our Super Cutter software is an on-site, on-demand bike protection kit cutting solution for use in bike shops, PPF/tint shops, bike manufacturing facilities, sign shops, mobile bike service businesses, or any place that is looking to offer kit creation and install service to customers.
Super Cutter users gain access to our complete, constantly growing library of Tailored, Covered, and Essential protection kit patterns. Our patterns are carefully designed to suit all types of bicycle frames and forks including mountain bikes, e-bikes, fat bikes, road bikes, gravel bikes, commuters, and more.
In tandem with
RideWrap Bicycle Protection Film , these two create a complete solution for businesses looking to grow their bicycle frame and fork protection offering.
What’s Included In The Super Cutter Program?The Best PatternsRideWrap’s design team leverages proprietary technology to deliver the best bike patterns. We changed the game with our design ethos, and now it's available on-demand.
The Fastest Growing And Most Complete LibraryWe have a dedicated team measuring bikes around the globe every single day creating the most complete and up-to-date library of models.
Less FaffOur user interface and system is designed to be simple and efficient. We tested and developed our program in conjunction with protective film installers.
Support When You Need ItWe have a dedicated team of real people ready to take your call 7 days a week. The software is developed in-house, so our team is able to react quickly.
How Does The Program Work?The program is available to RideWrap Dealers. Not a dealer?
Sign Up Here 1. Sign up for a Super Cutter account
Go to
www.ridewrap.ca/super-cutter to learn more and register for your Super Cutter account
2. Order materials and credits
Submit your order for RideWrap film and Super Cutter Credits right in the system.
3. Order cutting equipment/verify your existing equipment is compatible.
3. Download and install the desktop app.
4. Start cutting kits on-site and on demand.
 | Since we started shipping protection kits, we’ve always looked to support LBS and other businesses to grow their offerings and expand their businesses. Now with the Super Cutter, instead of having to wait for the shipping couriers, businesses are able to get their customers' bikes dialed in immediately, reducing ‘New Bike Day’ delays. As an added benefit, the number of shipments and resulting shipping carbon footprint is drastically reduced.—Dan Seguin, Co-Founder & Director of Product Development |
231 Comments
Love it!!!
I imagine they nest the same. The shops only cut what they sell so there is nothing old, not used, and ultimately thrown away.
And yeah, so great for shops to not need to stock up and guess about frame popularity, etc. Or lose a sale due to a 1-week delay. Hoping this helps the LBS.
They are £500-£1200
Heres a much larger one, thats about £2k - www.grafityp.co.uk/gcc-puma-4-132lx-1320mm-cutting-plotter-10110116?returnurl=%2fsearch%3fq%3dpuma
Other than that, it deserves a mention that this is a great reason for people to buy bikes at their lbs instead of over the internet. Unless the web dealers also offer this service of course. But the too-cheap ones who are only shifting boxes and don't have the room/people/skill to unpack them and apply such a wrap at least won't get a piece of the pie.
1200 for the cutter
undisclosed amount for the software from RW. let's assume it's a license fee and you pay per file printed. that would be the way a smart person would do it....so what is your guess? £10? £20? since full RW kits are around £85, I would put the fee from RW closer to 30-40 quid given that vinyl is super cheap.
so.....
£35 for the license to print a kit
£10 in vinyl
you sell the wrap for £85(gonna be tough to charge more than directly from RW)
you clear £40
just to pay for the machine, you have wrap 40 bikes. I know a very busy, very popular MTB shop in surrey that does a crap ton of sales of £5000+ bikes. they don't wrap 20 bikes a year.
I just do not see how this is a useful thing for a bike shop. but like I said previously, a small OE wanting to offer kits pre installed on bikes? absolutely
You also have no idea if the shop really tries to sell the service currently - I would guess it probably doesnt but would if it was as easy as printing the wrap and applying it.
They dont need to clear £40.00 either, how about 'free wrap with every bla bla' as a selling point?
Who cares if you dont see how its useful, you are full of shit.
Being able to supply the customer with a wrap on demand (where a lot of customers probably bring their own RW that they bought online before that) should allow them to sell more kits (making the money on the sale like you described) AND make the installation costs.
Think of cutting the film for only bottom tube protection for multiple frames, sizes/designs, you could stack them really close to maximize the film usage, where if you’re doing 1 bike, you’re going to waste a bit more film. It could be negligible, and likely the savings on individual packaging out weighs the wastage issue.
Might be worth setting up an agreement with a local sign shop, turn around time would be great for larger centres.
so this waste issue is a non-starter. same amount of waste whoever is printing it, wherever they are printing it.
Willing to bet there is a correlation to our access to disposable income, and consumption….
let me crib a saying real quick.....
each to their own ability, each to their own need.
Why not approach a local sign shop, maybe the one that does your printing anyway, the likely hood of them having a cutter is pretty good.
Then have printed off what you need, when you need it.
Pretty easy value added service for all bikes that shops sell, along with printing generic kits/patches for others.
The only reason that shop in Surrey isn’t selling more, is that THEY don’t see the value in it. Local shop here installs a tonne of them. Surprisingly, things are different in different places around the world
The whole point of cutting in house is to avoid all of this.
Would be fairly easy to make a case as a shop to do some of the more popular bikes ahead of time as a value added option.
My circumstances are different than yours, so I can easily make a case of fit, maybe you cant
Imagine selling 2 kits a day and having to take daily trips to a sign shop, deal with communication, lead-time, accounts, payment etc - twice a month, fine, 10 times a week, not so much.
What do you think a vinyl cutter costs?
The argument on doing it locally is for less packaging, transport, etc. Those should outweigh the increased wrap waste by having it cut locally.
The space, employee time, and production time don’t make it practical for me to have my own plotter/cutter, but having that available locally, around the corner, is invaluable to me (for my current businesses, not for wrapping bikes)
If I had a shop, I see this as a great option rather than ordering from RW, as the turn around time would be great. In theory, most of the items you listed as concerns (communication, payment, etc) are the same whether I’m dealing with the local sign shop, or ordering direct from RW or it’s distro. In fact, once the cut file is saved, it’s simply a matter of uploading, and picking up same day. The correct kit, as long as there was film a available would always be “in stock”
- Yes, we believe there will be a positive impact on the environmental footprint of doing business. Namely, because the product is so specific, shipments from our production locations are typically a couple of kits. With this system, we ship bulk materials, and the kits are cut on-demand at the shop.
For every single roll of material, we will remove 15+ individual shipments.
- There should not be additional material wastage at a shop. As some have mentioned, we have efficiently nested kits, and in our productions, we produce on demand (where we also don't have a lot of wastage, because it's bad, and it's throwing money out, we don't like either). Shops have access to the same efficient nests, and when following best protocols for equipment set up, machine wastage is sub 1%.
- I have fear of saying this, but data points suggest that wrapping a bike can have a positive effect on the environment. Many keep their bike longer since it's not 'beat up'. Many will consider purchasing a used bike rather than a new one because it is not beat up. Both extend the effective lifespan of a bike and keep them out of a landfill longer.
This one will really get the keyboard scientists fired up... A protective layer disperses impact energy, which, in certain cases may protect the substructure from crossing a damage threshold. Very simply, if the damage threshold is 100J, and a rock comes flying with 101J of energy, this protective layer disperses/absorbs some energy and the effective impact is 99J, in this case, the threshold is not crossed and the bike is not irreparably damaged, it is kept out of a landfill. There are endless variables, but extending this concept over millions of strikes on millions of bikes and statistics will keep some number of bikes from being busted up!
- The ROI for dealers will be very quick. Cutting equipment is not proprietary and can be acquired at low cost, the machine we will offer to supply is list price at $720usd. All other costs are relative to usage and they will make margin on each kit sold.
Shops will be able to make margins (higher than ordering from our production) on the product, and they will make install fees.
For shops, scheduling service one week down the line because they are waiting for the product to arrive reduces the probability of that service actually happening. At worst, they ordered the product and then the customer bails, which leads to either an inventory item, or a return process.
On top of that, this machine does have other uses that shops can take advantage of. Who doesn't like a spiff die-cut decal?
Kit on my buddies bike was individual pieces, can’t remember the manufacturer. With high enough volume, there could be loads of variation.
Roll size both length and width would be a huge factor as well, as the end and start would likely create the most wastage. If RW was using much larger rolls (I’m making an assumption, as I’m not entirely sure) there could be significant wastage savings.
Excellent info/backup, appreciate it.
$720 is a pretty low cost investment to be able to cut your own film on site.
Can the files and licences be downloaded immediately, if a customer walks in, with a bike the shop doesn’t have the files for, can that still be turned around right away?
Were always here to answer questions!
The system is online and communicates directly with the machine, no files are downloaded. Once they are set up with their equipment and account, literally choose the bike from the selector and the machine cuts it.
If you've been to our site as a customer, you'll see our 'Super Checker' bike selector which pulls up the available kits for a given model. Same same, but with the ability to cut.
who wants to pay £265(parts and labor) to wrap their bike? very few people. so most buy it online and spend 7 hours doing a worse job themselves. lol
see also, Cushcore installs.
Either that or could be a good win if a local print shop with a lot of smaller LBS nearby teamed up.
Lots of options that could work IMO
You get one sheet with your kit cut on it. No different that a shop doing it.
I don’t work in a shop anymore, but that seems like a long install time.
I did my buddies bike, bunch of beers involved, and I think we were 2 hours into it. ..
Any shops with experience have any input?
No way the shop is going to make money on install or they would have to charge $250 on top of the kit. RW making more money now selling the "printers" and bulk plastic. Dont fall for the trap LBSs!
i like ride wrap but after spending all day doing my bike, i don't think its something a bike shop would want to invest in.
Where do you get the idea you have to buy the cutter and vinyl from them.
Little more knowledge before posting
Thank You.....Simple but valuable observation...Crazy how long it takes us to get to, "just don't use it" these days ..
Sometimes a cable can scuff pretty badly, but you don't have to wrap your whole frame for that.
seems like a great innovative idea for LBS to offer more services to their clients
i.e. apply ride wrap and make a larger box that can bulk package 15 frames for a trip overseas. Less bubble wrap on each one. Effectively re-use the ride wrap as a shipping material then as a product people want on their bikes eventually anyway.
The one issue with spinning it as saving packaging in the manner you’re suggesting, is if damage en route is common, customers wouldn’t want the wrap to be damaged on their new product.
We will always offer DTC products and look to support LBS and other businesses.
A local mobile installer could do several in their area in a day out of their truck where as every LBS would need to own their own account/cutter.
Also suspect this won't be a big hit at shops 'cause I don't think they *want* that business (Maybe the printing. Not so much the installing.). I asked around at nearby shops, about installation, when I ordered my frame wrap, and the few that even offered the service all wanted a hellacious amount of money (Like, I could've got a total suspension rebuild for less.). I suspect this has as much to do with how time consuming it is as them not wanting to do it much at all. Price it such that most people aren't going to be willing to pay, but you'll be making a a handsome profit on the ones you actually do end up having to do...
The only way this makes sense as a freelancer is if you can line up enough jobs to make it worth it, and ideally on new framesets, not already-built bikes. Those seem like it would slow it down a lot, more cleaning required, etc. on an already-built frame.
I can see the business model working like this:
- LBS does full disassembly / assembly
- The sub-let jobber gets a completely stripped frame. I've got to think that some of the feedback that it takes a shop a full day could be including the assembly/disassembly time too.
There are definitely already some of the LBS/local business partnerships setup and they work great. Our shop in Whistler supports install for a couple bike shops in the area, and future shops will do the same.
I do it 100% for resale value. It's amazing how much a scratch through the paint devalues resale...let alone limiting the number of potential buyers (some people won't even touch a bike with a scratch on it...so the more buyers in the pool, the higher the value you can expect).
How quickly can even the best install this pre-cut kit on a full suspension mountain bike for instance?
Those suggesting mobile installers - same deal - how on earth would you have the space and contaminate free area to do so.
The cutter being small enough to get tucked away...... these items are dust sensitive. Even if covered, the lifespan in a shop environment would be quite subjective.......
Wrapping your bikes - yes.
Suggesting this business model..... questionable.
On the equipment front, a little wipe-down keeps it good to go!
Our very first plotter, 'Gail the Great', is still in service at our Whistler install facility years later.
We are also expanding our online tutorials and our own physical footprint, we get it, install is not for everyone.
:-)
Because I always wear through mine on the down tube. I even wrap my down tube with an old tshirt first.
Definitely doesn't self heal on the down tube.
Great product, but doesn't last long in the tailgate pad.
As @niclac suggested the Shuttle Armor is definitely what you are looking for, very thick/durable urethane pieces for the DT. Protection Film is a wear product, and with acute wear such as shuttling, it just gets worn out (self-healing features are for scuffs and minor marks, were not talking gecko limb regeneration).
Hahahaha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as5jcZsDYsE
Not sure if this is an anomaly or what
2022 XL Norco Range VLT A1 if you guys are reading this @RideWrap
see, here is the issue. no shop is going to buy the equipment to do this. it isn't cheap.
small OE that want to offer on demand kits pre-installed? absolutely.
I know you claim to have some involvement with the bike industry, maybe you forgot how much workshop tools cost?
For certain shops this could be great - allows the shop on-demand to wrap a brand new bike literally the same day, no need to wait days for the kit to arrive etc etc.
Depending upon the cost of a download it wouldnt take long to get a return on the investement.
The decision to develop this is one that was born from looking to support shops and pricing to match.
@fred-frod: Yes, the amount of time and effort involved in gathering measurements, designing kits, and prepping for cutting is our largest team of people. Some kits get produced many times, others just once, but we want to ensure as many people have an option.
anyways, "depending on cost of download". well LADEEf*ckINGDA! isn't this exactly what I have said at least twice in this thread!? maybe we can get @ridewrap to tell us what the per print fee is, and we can stop the conjecture. Until then, perhaps go back to sucking Trudeau's micro penis.
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