Timaru men granted patent for mountainbike stands

An innovative mountainbike stand designed by two Timaru men is ready for export as a worldwide patent is granted.

Alliance Group’s Smithfield plant handyman Nigel Mobberley created the first prototype in his garage after his new mountainbike fell over and was scratched last year.

His work colleague Chris McIvor, an engineer, worked further on the concept.

 After 18 months of development, a mould for their polycarbonate-injected “MTB-stand” was produced in China in May, and Christchurch company Talbot Technology started manufacturing them.

“We got the patent for around the world a week ago,” McIvor said.

The men are in discussion with an English company which was looking to import the MTB-stands.

“The exchange rates make it difficult.”

Two bike shops in Timaru stock the MTB-stand, and the inventors sell them at mountainbike events and online.

The stand, which comes in red, blue or black, lightly grasps the bike wheel holding it steady. It can be used attached to a garage wall or freestanding.

Mobberley and McIvor are not about to give up their day jobs yet – despite selling about 130 stands over the last few weeks.

McIvor said the whole process from prototype to sales had been harder than they had anticipated. Advertising and setting up a facebook page, MTBstand, has been a challenge for the self-described technically challenged blokes.

“The last ones to make the money are the designers.”

Planning ahead, they have also developed a road bike stand which they have patented, but they will not move it forward until they have sold a few thousand MTB-stands to cover their costs.

They estimate they have put hundreds of hours into their project and hope it will pay off.

Sales are expected to increase as the mountainbike season kicks in over the late spring and summer months.

“There has been a lot of interest and encouragement from people,” McIvor said.

 

 

Source: stuff.co.nz