Happy New Year!
about 9 years ago – Tue, Jan 05, 2016 at 09:28:07 PM

Happy New Year Backers!

We hope everyone had a great holiday season - it's tough to believe that 2015 is already over! It was an amazing year for us here at Redshift Sports, highlighted by the launch of the ShockStop on Kickstarter.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 ...

So besides stuffing our faces with fruitcake and tearing open presents, what have we been up to for the last month?  In a word: testing.  In order to make sure that the ShockStop will be the safe, durable product that you (and we) expect, we've been running a complete array of different load and cyclical fatigue tests.  We built a custom test rig (complete with smartphone control!) to put hundreds of thousands of fatigue cycles onto the prototype stems.

Tests have been running almost non-stop for the last month, which has made for a noisy office environment.  The video below shows a prototype ShockStop loaded with over 180 lb (80 kg) on its way to 100,000 cycles. This load is approximately 4-6 times higher than normal riding loads, so if you plan on doing pull-ups on your handlebar, know that you're covered (well up to 100,000 anyway).

The results of each test allow us to strengthen areas that need reinforcement while removing weight from areas that experience lower stresses.

Ultimately, the testing and design iterations allow us to build a stronger, lighter, more durable stem that will withstand the abuse of years of riding.

We had originally targeted to start production tooling in December, but we decided to extend the up-front testing period in order to minimize the risk of encountering issues later on in the production process, when the schedule impact would be much more severe. We expect to start tooling later this month, and we're still confident that we're on target for April delivery.  As always, we'll keep you up to speed with regular updates on our progress.

Thanks again for all of your support this year!  We're excited to see what the new year holds, and we can't wait for you all to start riding your ShockStops!

Best wishes for 2016 from the entire Redshift Team!

Manufacturing Progress & Happy Thanksgiving!
about 9 years ago – Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 11:16:08 PM

Hi Backers -

It's been a busy month since our last update.  Thanks to everyone who filled out the Shockstop backer survey!  Over 80% of you have responded - for the remaining 20% (you know who you are), go ahead and find the survey link in your email - it only takes a few minutes to fill out. If you can't find your survey link go here: https://shockstop.backerkit.com/ or email us at [email protected].

Production Update

Earlier this month, Scott and Stephen spent two weeks in Taiwan hammering out ShockStop production details with our manufacturing partners.  It was an incredibly productive trip - we met with both our existing suppliers, as well as a number of new factories that provide a range of different services from CNC machining to 3D forging.  As always, it was a treat to see the manufacturing, inspection, and testing facilities of these factories - they are truly impressive in both size as well as attention to detail. Their feedback is critical to making sure that we are able to achieve and maintain the level of quality that we expect of all our products.

We're on track to place the purchase order for the first production run next month, and will keep you updated regarding the progress of tooling, samples, and testing.  We're really excited to start cranking these things out!

While most of our time was filled with meetings and design reviews, we did manage to do a bit of sight-seeing (and eating - Taiwan has really great food) during a free weekend.

We'll be following up shortly with additional updates regarding computer and accessory mounts, carbon ShockStop versions, and more details regarding the +30° upright stem model, so stay tuned!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our backers in the USA!

- The Redshift Team

It's Backer Survey Time!
over 9 years ago – Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 12:55:25 PM

Hi Backers,

It's Survey Time! We have sent you a survey invititation email with the subject: "Response Needed -- Get your reward for ShockStop: The Shock-Absorbing Bike Stem"

The email contains a personalized link to the Kickstarter fulfillment survey. The survey is powered by BackerKit (see below for details), and it's where you will choose your reward preferences (i.e. ShockStop angle & length), enter your shipping address, and tell us a little more about yourself. In addition, if you are interested in adding another ShockStop or a Mount you can do so easily with the built in Add-On system.

We've answered a bunch of frequently-asked-questions about the survey and BackerKit below. If you run into trouble and can't find the answer to your question here, please email us at [email protected].

Thanks,
Team Redshift

HOW DO I DETERMINE WHICH ANGLE AND LENGTH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

There are a couple options for determining which angle and length ShockStop is right for you. For guidance check out our tutorial (www.redshiftsports.com/shockstop-survey).

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT MOUNT?  

For guidance on choosing the right mount check out the tutorial (www.redshiftsports.com/shockstop-survey).

WHAT IS BACKERKIT?

BackerKit is a service that helps us collect and organize all of our backer information. The service was started four years ago by a fellow Kickstarter project creator. These guys are great and have been trusted by some of the biggest Kickstarter projects of the last few years (Reading Rainbow, Peak Design, etc.).

HOW DO I FILL OUT THE BACKERKIT SURVEY?

Just click the link in the email invite and follow the on-screen instructions from there. You will not need to create a login or password to fill out your survey - just follow the personalized link, and you’re good to go! If you want to go back to review or edit your responses, just click on the link in your survey email again, or enter your email address into the BackerKit project page to recover your survey link.

I CAN'T FIND MY SURVEY EMAIL.

The personalized survey link was emailed to the address that you provided for your Kickstarter profile. To determine what email address that is, simply login to Kickstarter and check under "Account" which can be found inside the "Settings" menu. Also check your spam folder, and if you still can't find the email, just contact us at [email protected].

CAN I ADD ITEMS OR CHANGE MY PLEDGE LEVEL IN BACKERKIT?  

Definitely! You can add items at the Kickstarter discount and change your pledge level all from inside the BackerKit Survey. When you finish your survey questions you'll see the Add-On screen. From here, you can add items to your reward (like an additional ShockStop or a Mount), or you can click the "Want to upgrade to a different pledge level?" button. If you pledged more money than the value of your award+shipping, you will see a credit when you get to the Add-On screen. If you add items whose cost exceeds your available credit you'll be prompted to enter a credit card to pay the additional cost.

I ADDED FUNDS TO MY PLEDGE FOR A MOUNT, HOW DO I TELL YOU WHICH ONE I WANT?

If you ordered a mount by adding funds to a single or double ShockStop pledge, you will have an opportunity to add the mount(s) after the initial survey questions via the Add-On system. Once you answer all of the initial survey questions, you will be presented with the available Add-Ons, and BackerKit will show you your available credit. Simply select the Mount type you want, and click "Add to Cart". You will see your Credit Remaining balance decrease on the right hand side (hopefully to $0 if you did your math right when you pledged!).

WHAT SHOULD I ENTER AS MY SHIPPING ADDRESS IF I MIGHT MOVE?

You should enter the shipping address that you expect to have in April 2016. If you have no idea what that address will be, then don't enter an address in the survey at this time. We will let everyone know when we are close to shipping, and at that time you can enter your current address or modify the address that you entered previously.

CAN I CHANGE MY SURVEY ANSWERS LATER?

Yes, you can update or modify your survey answers anytime before we begin shipping. Simply click on the same personalized email link and it will take you to BackerKit where you can modify your responses. We will be sure to let you know when we are close to shipping, and when we will "lock down" the survey (estimated for April 2016). One thing to note is that you must fill out the entire survey before we can ship your reward.

Still have a question? Feel free to email us at [email protected].

A HUGE Thank You! Plus details on the upcoming backer survey.
over 9 years ago – Fri, Oct 02, 2015 at 01:15:29 PM

Backers!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We can't say it enough - so we'll say it one more time: thank you so much for backing our project.

With your support, we raised over $88K to help make the Shockstop a reality - more than 3.5 times our original funding goal!  As Stephen's mom pointed out, 88 is a very auspicious number in Chinese culture, and indeed, we feel lucky to have 691 amazing backers supporting us.

Upcoming Backer Surveys

We've already gotten a number of questions about backer surveys, so we wanted to provide some details about when we'll be sending out the surveys, as well as what to expect once you receive your survey.

We're planning to send out the backer surveys via BackerKit in approximately two weeks (around mid-October).  You'll receive an email (to the address that you provided when you backed) with a link to the fulfillment survey.  In the survey, we'll collect the following information:

• What angle Shockstop(s) you want
• What length Shockstop(s) you want
• What accessory mount(s) you want
• What t-shirt size you want (for our $30 backers)
• Any additional items you'd like to add to your pledge (at the Kickstarter discount)
• Your shipping address
• Some info about you so we get an idea about how our backers plan on using the ShockStop

Don't worry if you don't know the answers to some of these questions right now - we'll help walk you through them once the survey goes out. Also, rest assured that you can change your survey responses at any point between now and when we are ready to ship (April 2016 target). So if you move, or get a new bike, or want to upgrade your pledge, you can update your responses at any time.

Eagle-eyed readers may notice that we didn't mention the carbon upgrade option above. As we outlined in the last update, we have some additional legwork to nail down the exact production costs and timeline for the carbon version of the stem.  Therefore, the backer survey will not include the carbon upgrade option right now.  Once we have the finalized cost, schedule, and specifications, we'll add that option to the survey and notify you that the upgrade is available. 

WHAT'S BACKERKIT?

We'll be using a great 3rd party service called BackerKit to collect and track all this information. BackerKit lets us send out simple surveys and track your pledges, rewards, and addresses more accurately. This lets us focus on development and manufacturing instead of wrangling huge spreadsheets of backer info. BackerKit also gives you another chance to take advantage of the Kickstarter discount if you want to add any items to your pledge. BackerKit has worked with many of the most successful Kickstarter projects in history, so when you see the backerkit.com link, please rest assured that your information is well protected.

That's it for now!  We'll be sending out updates regularly over the next few weeks, and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

The Redshift Sports Team

24 Hours Left, Carbon Stretch Goal, and Upcoming Backer Surveys
over 9 years ago – Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 12:00:13 AM

Hey Backers!

What a crazy, exciting month!  We want to thank each and every one of you (632 and counting) for choosing to support ShockStop.  You put your faith in us, and we're going to make sure that we deliver a product that exceeds your expectations.

24 Hours Left!

The ShockStop Kickstarter campaign wraps up tomorrow (Wednesday, Sep 30 2015) at 11:00 PM EDT.  Tell all those procrastinators out there that they have one more day to back the ShockStop at Kickstarter pricing levels!

$75K Carbon Stretch Goal

We knew our $75K Carbon ShockStop goal would truly be a stretch, and we're ecstatic that we reached it! Because of your amazing support, we'll be offering the option to upgrade to the carbon fiber version of the ShockStop in the near future.

What does "near future" mean? Well, we have some additional legwork to nail down the exact production costs and timeline for the carbon version of the stem. Since the target delivery date for the carbon ShockStop will be later than the aluminum version, we want to make sure we have well-defined pricing, clear specifications, and a concrete schedule for our backers who choose to upgrade.

Interested in upgrading? You don't have to do anything right now. When we have full details about the carbon upgrade, we'll be in touch via BackerKit (see the details below) and you'll have the opportunity to adjust your pledge accordingly. We'll keep you posted with regular updates!

Backer Surveys

A few weeks after the Kickstarter campaign wraps up, we'll be sending out Backer Surveys to collect a bunch of information.  In addition to specifying your shipping address and reward preferences, you'll also be able to adjust your pledge level if you'd like to add on any accessory mounts or purchase additional ShockStops (at the Kickstarter discount).

We'll be using a great 3rd party service called BackerKit to collect and track all this information. Rest assured that we'll have more information about BackerKit and the timing of the survey in our next update.

And with that, let the countdown begin!