Apr 10, 2020
In our previous update, Dave promised to give you a walkthrough of the new demo bikes that he brought back from Taiwan after the pilot manufacturing run. So here it is, a short video tour of Marengo…
MEET MARENGO, OUR BRAND NEW DEMO BIKE
*We have a new videographer too – Dave’s wife very kindly helped us film while the team is working from home.
MARENGO’S NEW FEATURES:
- New handlebar display: bigger, brighter, better. Based on your feedback we’ve upgraded the handlebar display. We’re really pleased with the new one – and it’s got some pretty cool features (like automated light control). You can also see detailed riding stats like calories burned and power output.
- New brake levers: these are shorter, so work better with the fold. They also allow us to tilt the brakes up slightly which gives a more comfortable hand position.
- Improved hinge design: for ease of maintenance and improve serviceability. Dave explained the updated hinge design in our previous update.
- New tyres: with increased puncture protection. We’ve opted for the Schwalbe Marathons for better durability.
- Matte paint finish: we love the new matte finish! It looks super sleek.
FRAME MANUFACTURE CONTINUES
Taiwan continues to lead the world in its public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic with fewer than 400 confirmed cases and only 6 deaths. This effectiveness means that there is no lockdown on the island and the economy, including manufacturing of bicycles like ours, continues to operate fairly normally.
We still look to be on track for the timeline we shared before, but also want to be honest that there continues to be uncertainty in international manufacturing and logistics. The main bottlenecks that we are keeping tabs on are the sourcing of components and raw material from non-Taiwanese suppliers, and disruption to global logistic networks.
Both of these are international problems for all manufacturers at the moment. For example, you may have seen the stories of manufacturers switching to making ventilators, and medical cargo and other shipments having to be completed by passenger aircraft.
We talk to our suppliers all the time to keep track of the situation, and are pleased with progress. We will, as always, let you know first of any changes.
Back in Taiwan, we’re currently manufacturing all of the CNC parts of the bike frame. This process takes about 6 weeks, so we’re going to share some videos as the parts emerge from the raw metal.
Below we explain a bit more about the CNC process so that you can get more of an idea about what it involves:
CNC MILLING – SO WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling is a process by which a solid metal block is turned into the desired shape by the progressive removal of material.
The part design is uploaded to the CNC mill, which uses computerised controls and rotating cutting tools to gradually remove the material from the solid block of metal.
As you can imagine, this process takes quite a long time, but it allows us to make complex parts like the hinges (see video below). To make these two hinge parts takes roughly 1-2 hours.
THANK YOU!
As a team we also just wanted to say a massive thank you for your understanding and support. Whilst these are very strange times with COVID-19 we hope that your bike delivery will be something for you to look forward to when we all come out the other side.
As always, if you have any questions feel free to get in touch. You can reach us by email or phone – our lines are still open and we’re always happy to chat!
