Last week was the start of what is about to be a busy month. I went up to Portland to meet with Zen Fab and our new powder coater to make sure everything was where it should be on the Ramblers with regards to accuracy and quality.
The first meeting was with our new powder coating shop. The last couple of rounds were not terrible, but not as good as I demand for these bikes. I asked around, talked to a bunch of shops, explored wet paint, and settled on a local Portland vendor for powder. Their work exceeded my expectations by a long shot, they have the work!
Next up was a trip to Zen to inspect the next 50 Ramblers pre powder. There were a few adjustments between the first two batches and these. I wanted to make sure everything was in the right place before paint went on, much easier to fix that way, assuming you would need to. Once again I was blown away.
Two things stick in my mind, the fact that everything is spot on, and that I was able to meet with many of the guys that made these bikes real from a pile of steel tubes and fittings. It was late in the day, they stuck around to say hello, and for that I am thankful. This Round of Ramblers is going to be awesome. These are proof to me that things can be made here in the USA, by hand, at a high level of accuracy with a level of pride that had been rumored to have left our country for good.
What changed with this round of Ramblers? The dropouts are now stainless for improved axle fit and reduced corrosion in an area that will be scuffed during normal use. A few minor adjustments to the cable stops for improved cable routing. The rear brake stop was switched to a Paragon model to ensure straight cable pull. Adjustments in the position of the mid blade rack mounts in anticipation of the upcoming front rack system.
The Ramblers are headed to powder this week and delivery will begin in the first week of August. The time to get one is now. There are only 50 made this round, 10 are spoken for, and the rest are going to go fast. The free shipping offer will last through 9AM saturday July 20.