Longbikes

If you recently sent me an email, please resend. My Longbikes emails get directed through Gmail and this morning everything in Gmail got accidentally deleted. I know there are some people in need of parts...please resend and I will get back with you.
Greg

Here is another believe it or not. After 26 years of doing Longbikes plus the wheelchair side of the business (which pays the bills), it's time to stop. There are lots of ways to make or loose money in the bike business. The first few years I was devoted to the bike business, spending lots of money and not generating enough revenue to justify continuing, but I persisted. 2003 came along and I was able to get out of my wheelchair non-compete and did so thinking I could jump back in where I left off. In the six years I was out a lot changed in the industry and the plan of former hero returning with customers breaking the door down didn't quite happen. However after a couple of years of floundering and beating a dead horse, an opportunity to solve some problems in the industry jumped in front of me, to which I responded yes, I can fix that. That evolved into Seating Dynamics, twenty years later we are the only company in the world solely focused on providing movement within the wheelchair seating system to kids with Cerebral Palsy. I love the field, making a positive difference in a persons life is very rewarding, something most people don't get to do. It's a growing business with sufficient opportunity to innovate products and manufacturing processes. I have developed manufacturing processes and equipment that I am working on turning into a tooling business for CNC machining centers. Additionally we have had difficulty getting our machined aluminum parts consistently anodized to my satisfactions, so with nothing else to do we have been working for about a year now starting another business, Colorado Metal Finishing, to be an automated anodizing job shop which should be operational by the end of February, 2025. I have finally admitted to myself that at my age, 77, that if it is not fun or profitable I'm not going to do it! At this point I would rather ride a bike than build them. We will continue to support our products, but we have welded our last frames! We have a small hand full of Slipstreams welded and unpainted that are not spoken for, but will not be building any more. I'm glad to have had it be a part of my life, but it's time to move on...Thank you to our many happy customers and owners.

Believe it or not, I finally got in some Shimano front derailleurs, so it is time to start welding some Slipstream frames. I have spent time today updating the cost on the bill of materials. I was shocked on two fronts when checking pricing on the bike parts. A 50% increase on off the shelf parts seems to be about normal and several of the items that I fortunately have in stock have been discontinued, most likely replaced with this year’s part number. Raw materials are frequently several times higher and not necessarily available. Needless to say, since the pricing on the website for Slipstreams had not been adjusted in probably 10+ years there is a big adjustment coming. One way of easing the sticker shock is as many have told me over the year they purchasing their last bike. If you amortize the cost over 10 – 20 years or as one Eliminator rider told me, over 100,000 miles it’s quite inexpensive.

I got a welder who I spent quite a bit of time training and he has come around quite nicely. With him in place and the supply chain opening up a little on bike parts I am expecting to get started on a batch of bikes before long. It is still dependent on availability of parts with derailleurs looking like the biggest problem. The published date for planned delivery of front derailleurs is July and November 2023...thankfully we have some in stock. If you would like to discuss or be added to the list of seriously interested, call or email. [email protected]

I'm looking for a TIG weldor / fabricator to join the company. Work involves production bench welding of wheelchair components primarily with recumbent bike frame. Experienced would be great or will consider training an appropriate person. Email me at [email protected]

It's been a crazy year with Covid induced bike parts shortages and I have bikes that I can't finish due to parts not being available. I'm waiting on Shimano front derailleurs with no idea when I will ever get them. We are done for this year but just in case parts become available for next year, if you would like to be put on a wait list for a Slipstream or Eliminator, drop me a note: [email protected] with complete contact information and what you would like. No guarantees of any deliveries but it could help me plan.

Believe it or not, we have a new website almost competed. Having some new photos would be a nice addition. If you would like to submit photos, look to see what you have that shows: You on your bike, either still or action. These tend to look better than standing near it. The photos should have an uncluttered background so that you and your bike don't get lost in the crowd and the background should be "interesting and scenic". If interested in having photos considered for the website, please email to [email protected]. Thanks

It seems that the bike business is alive and well here. Unfortunately it is alive everywhere which has created a shortage of components. I just stocked up on as much as I could and had to substitute some components, upgrading them from what we normally use. As a result pricing will be affected and reflected in a quote when you start a new order with us. And as I've been saying for a long time, the prices on the website although old are being honored until I get around to updating them.

For years I have thought that the Slipstream was as highly refined is it could be...and I was wrong. There are a couple of components that we are running short on, so before a work order goes to the shop to make more of the same I decided to redesign / improve both the seat mount to make it easier to use and the lower idler mount to improve as well.

Someone in Michigan gets their new Slipstream delivered tomorrow, just in time to cast his vote for the nicest bike he has ever owned! Thanks Bob, great working with you to create this beauty.

Would there be any interest in a LWB with above seat steering, similar to famous bike brand which is no longer available?