Granted there are a lot of things to consider but for arguments sake, given a manufacturer who currently has their bike manufactured in China, already has a frame design a build run of 1000 units and is just looking at the cost of switching production to the UK is there really that much of a price difference? I mean they or a company representative would have to go to China every so often to check on quality and or new designs, changes etc otherwise the lead times would be very long.Good question..
I suspect even with the all import costs it would still work out cheaper to import from China. The problem is not just the cost of the actual frame, it's the cost of designing it and all the operating and running costs of the business.
I've never seen a roll-on stand before I don't think - neat idea.The minor additions to make it a post bike would not cost much, front and rear robust carriers and a roll-on stand.
It would be tougher to compete with a hub motor model, given the choice of low cost models already available (£320 to £1000).
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And yes off the shelf hub bikes would be difficult to compete with.