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Permalink Reply by Joseph Rudwick on April 11, 2012 at 0:25

i agree the ryobi system is terrible in 3 years i have gone through 5 strimmers 1 hedge trimmer and 2 mower attachments i am now looking to invest in Stihl . ryobi is cheap £100 for the strimmer £60 for the hedge trimmer so its a good start as for waste since it cost the customers money to get rid of they always take it away or i can arrange for a company to pick it up. i have done paving, fencing, decking and laying patios i pay man with van to drop of wheel barrow cement mixer etc so it only cost £10 ph and all jobs are with in an hour so that odd £10 to do a big job is nothing. i would recommend it  Paulette Singer and the trailer cost £60. most people get all the tools and van then go bust. so get a bike and trailer start small then eventually you will build up a customer base and money.. the future for me is to get an electric van 

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Helen Dawe on April 11, 2012 at 15:28

I'm a cycling gardener too - although i also push a wheelbarrow full of tools, pull a handcart, and take a massive rucksack on the bus to get to my clients.  Its hard work especially when i've got a long cycle home at the end of a day's graft, but for me its a good way of getting a reasonable income and being able to build up my business from scratch while keeping overheads low (plus, i haven't passed my driving test yet).  I don't use the cycling as a selling point - i don't think it'll get me any extra business as Newcastle definately isn't Brighton - and to be honest when i've passed my test and saved up a bit of money, i'll probably get a van of some description.

I just started up on a part-time basis at in the second half of last year, and have just gone full-time. In terms of garden maintenance I only do regular domestic work, not one-offs - so i am able to plan when i'll need to organise extra transport during hedge-cutting season, etc.  I also have other income streams - work for varuious community gardening projects, and i've just started doing garden consultations and border designs.  Some of the consultation work has already led on to some border planting and small landscaping jobs - for which i have to arrange transport or find suppliers who can deliver to the client's address.  I'm going to start target my advertising a bit better, to try and build up maintenance rounds in particular areas to cut down on travel time between jobs.

I stupidly bought the Ryobi combi system, because it ws all i could afford at the time, and am regretting it now - i wish i'd saved up for the Stihl!

I'm looking to buy a new bike trailer, so any suggestions from other cycling gardeners would be appreciated.

If anyone's interested, there's these lot from Canada too who have a good website - and there must be something in the water in Montreal (or it mustn't have any hills) because there's a cycling removals business there too.

Good luck with starting your business Paulette

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Permalink Reply by Mark on April 11, 2012 at 18:54

Plus you wouldn't have a pile of broken parts that then have to be recycled and remanufactured again and again, so greener to....

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Stuart Diprose Land-Scape.co.uk on April 14, 2012 at 11:23

friend of mine has been doing this for 20/25 years - a good set of waterproofs, a good bike (no trailer) and i think he did 3 days a week plus a paye job at the weekend.   always used the custoemrs tools which 'keeps them clean and working'  rather than letting them rust away...

so i guess if the weather were too bad, he'd schedule for another day.  as for does it work, he still does a couple of days, it certainly works for him

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Pro DesignerPermalink Reply by Ben Lannoy on April 14, 2012 at 12:02

I love the idea and have thought about doing a kitchen waste service as part of the business until I realised that the council had cottoned on and start theirs this month. I found another good permaculture based biking business that has spread across america here  http://pedaltopetal.com/ If i remember right they've now started using a van which runs off biofuel so they seem to have outgrown the bike.  Unfortunately, a lot of clients like stripey lawns so the mower has to come with me! I'm a bit of greeney too and loving the idea, just can't see it being scaleable.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on April 14, 2012 at 19:56

Heres an Idea - Buy / Build a Rickshaw type assemblage like http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/interview-no-impact-man-colin-95351 the image at the bottom.

This will allow you to carry alot more tools.

Then add an electric Motor such as the ones found on;

http://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/Item/Brands/IZIP/IZIP_Trailz_ST_Elec...

You could do 90% of the work yourself, double battery or add a car one even to give 20 miles powerd range.... 

Would be an amazing project - I might build one for the hell of it and sell (Im keen on Mountain Biking so I know the skills required for this project are not great - It could be done by any confident person in about 1-2 days).

You could then carry all your tools and Maybe 1 dustbin. Howabout it?

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Rudwick on April 15, 2012 at 10:55

compost, compost loads of compost cant get enough lol we have a centre in brighton which does 1 tone bags for 47 pounds with delivery free cheapest ive found. this is the trailer i use its big and fits all my tools. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-CARGO-BICYCLE-BIKE-TRAILER-BLACK-RED-...

 with the mower it is always going to be a problem with being able to lug 1 about but funny enough every garden i have done have there own mowers 

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Permalink Reply by Paulette Singer on April 16, 2012 at 18:24

Been researching trailers and a friend of mine swears by this one: http://www.carryfreedom.com/Y-Frame.html

The person selling these also offers an open source design for making your own trailers which is great, due to money issues that is what I am going to try to do...watch this space.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on April 16, 2012 at 18:33

Just a thought - From alot of experience with Mountain bikes (I broke 2 frames in 2010) and their frames... That trailer will work if you are careful with it, but surely it is better to build one that is actually designed for some abuse - then It should last 10+ years. Even at the rated carrying capacity, its shape means that it would snake with the center of gravity you would get with tools in the back (High center of gravity). Its also made from tubes - These will bend over time with the sort of use you envisage, and certainly with tools bouncing around in it. (It looks like a great bit of kit for camping though and I may build something small like it :).

For about £50 materials and 2 days of time you could build a trailer that will take 300Kg weight easily, is flexible in use, and will be easy to tow. If you want I will sketchup a basic design for it.

It would need to be made of 20mmx20mmx3mm angle iron at least, Although 4 or 5mm thick if you can find it would help. Use Road bike wheels to make it easy to tow, and set them about 2/3 back from the front (Length including tow hitch). Make sure you put some suspension on, whether it be (Very extreme looking) MTB Forks (Cheap second hand for about £15) which will take alot of abuse, or Rubber bushes which will be less long lasting on rough roads or potholes. All the parts are cheap and available off the shelf from every bike shop or metal supplier in the country!

Paulette Singer said:

Been researching trailers and a friend of mine swears by this one: http://www.carryfreedom.com/Y-Frame.html

The person selling these also offers an open source design for making your own trailers which is great, due to money issues that is what I am going to try to do...watch this space.

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Permalink Reply by Paulette Singer on April 16, 2012 at 18:42

If you are up for sketching the design up then that would be great.  I am sure other people on the forum would also be interested in it.  I am not at all DIY savvy so the simpler the design the better.

Although the stihl kit looks great, I am struggling with the use of petrol for tools and would rather use electric knowing that I get my electric from renewable sources. So I think the trailer isn't going to be knocked around like crazy!

So far my work has very much been clearance and maintanence and hasn't required anything more than an electric hedge cutter and mower. I am happy to work a few days a week if that is all I get, I am not one for choosing to work 5 day weeks so more than happy if I only attract a select few people in my area. 

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on April 16, 2012 at 21:20

Are your tools Pellenc? Or are they things like Domestic (Green) Bosch etc? Remember most home-owner electric tools have plastic gears and bearings and will break after a matter of months, so Look at the top end. Stihl do do electric tools which are not that bad, and the best to my knowledge is Pellenc. Stu @ Eco garden maintenance on here uses them - Hes good to talk to about low environmental impact approaches to this business.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on April 16, 2012 at 22:32

Bellow this is a concept obviously change anything to suit, but the basic Angle Iron frame can be bottomed out with either Chequer plate metal or Wood (which you could get free off pallets).

The wheels can be mounted on the outside either "Hard" or on some suspension to aid smooth running.

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