RIDE88 Blogs
In Stock and in Full-Swing
Our Ride88 QR3 racks arrived from the factory late April and we have now sold and shipped 1/3 of our inventory. It is exciting knowing that there are about 1,000 of our racks around the US, and even around the world. We have been receiving great feedback from our customers and have shared some of their pics on our website and social media. We have also been working with customers to create new solutions as well as working on ways to create a more universal mounting system. If you have specific needs for your truck, please don't hesitate to reach out and we will do our best to find a way to get our rack to work for you. We've also been working on a way to load our racks into vans or with trailers. We appreciate your support! Make sure to get your ultimate bike rack system today, and make sure your friends have one too!
Learn moreProduction Update - 4 (4/7/2019)
Hello, we are back from Taiwan with good news! Your RIDE88 racks are being packed into boxes and will be ready to leave Taiwan on April 11th. Before we left the factory we were able to observe 75% of the product already packed and stacked on pallets. We also observed production in progress and took a lot of time testing function to make sure everything will be functioning properly and smooth for you. At this point we will be at the mercy of the ship and sea port in USA. The products will arrive at port in Seattle. Next everything will have to clear customs and be delivered by truck to RIDE88 in Meridian, Idaho. All the logistics surrounding this process have been arranged. We are ready to go when the racks arrive and will begin shipping all our pre-orders out immediately. We know you have waited a long time, the wait is almost over, thank you!!! Please share about us on your favorite social media. We need to promote and our customers say it best! Here are some pictures from Taiwan below. Taiwan is the "mecca" for bicycle manufacturing and has played a large role in the mountain bike boom and all types of bicycle manufacturing. It came as no surprise to see this scene just outside our hotel room. It is good to see the people of Taiwan, known for recreational bicycle manufacturing, have developed a culture of end users as well. We are certain we are making our product in the right country with the right partners! We are still expecting a mid May 2019 arrival with an ETA of May 15th. The factory is committed to staying on time. We will keep you updated.
Learn moreProduction Update - 3 (3/14/2019)
Just a quick update on production progress to keep everyone informed and as involved as we can. As of today we are well in the middle of mass production. All systems are moving along on time. We have been hard at work solving minor issues and facilitating factory questions everyday. This is what we wake up and go to sleep thinking about to ensure no details are missed. You can see some images here of production underway and parts are stacking up! We will be going to the factory in April to ensure all the packing and assembly has been properly executed. We will be looking for any details that need final attention. If all goes well production ships by ocean mid April to arrive by mid May. We will continue to keep you posted. Thank you once again for your support and trust in our product, we think you will be very happy with this original, one of a kind product. Tell your friends to check us out, we need a community to make this happen. We look forward to seeing pictures from you using your racks systems that we can share on our site! We are still expecting a mid May 2019 arrival. The factory continues to report good progress without any production delays. This time line will be updated as production progresses. RIDE88 will always keep you informed of new updates and progress reports.
Learn moreProduction Update - 2 (1/28/2019)
Looking at the timeline, you will see production has been approved to proceed with the factory! We received two sample racks and have been testing them for about two weeks for anything that may need improvement. A few adjustments were needed to get the wheels sizes to fit a little better. Those adjustments were made which took about 1 week. Now we are back on track but that will push out the timeline by about 2 weeks. This is very normal when making 1st production of a new product. Also we have decided to produce the decals in the USA and provide them to the factory because we were not satisfied with the factory's decal material. We took some photos of the pre production samples to share with you in this progress report. The racks are looking amazing and are of very sturdy construction. They feel durable and their function is smoother than anything we've built so far. We can not wait to get them to you, our first customers of the QR3 system. We hope you are blown away! WHAT'S LEFT TO DO? Because this design is completely original, there are many things being developed for the first time ever. All of the components require custom tooling and have already undergone refinement to allow smooth function. In this process it is necessary to take enough time to get it right! The calendar below will help everyone see what's left to do and when we expect things to happen. The factory has advised a new shipping date after adjustments and production approval. You can see the adjustments in the time line above. We will see a May 2019 arrival based on this update. This time line will be updated as production progresses. RIDE88 will always keep you informed of new updates and progress reports.
Learn moreProduction Update (12/31/2018)
It's been a busy 2018 and we are looking forward to the adventure 2019 will bring! In this post I am going to share the latest progress and images of the QR3 racks as they stand today. I will also share a calendar which will start giving you a better visual on what to expect as things move forward. Below I am showing you the first assembled and welded system using production tooling and welding. This is in it's non painted state. We will be seeing the powder coated finished samples in about a week. In this video you can see the welding machine in action and some other clips of pre-production development. Here are photos showing individual components right off the welding rig. 0 WHAT'S LEFT TO DO? Because this design is completely original, there are many things being developed for the first time ever. All of the components require custom tooling and have already undergone refinement to allow smooth function. In this process it is necessary to take enough time to get it right! The calendar below will help everyone see what's left to do and when we expect things to happen. Production can be a moving target. We are shooting for an April 2019 arrival assuming everything moves along without delay. This time line will be updated as production progresses. RIDE88 will always keep you informed of new updates and progress reports.
Learn moreFrom Our Friends at the Loam Wolf
The RIDE88 Rack Jerry Lathrop knows a thing or two about bikes. You may have seen his previous work for companies like Fly Racing, Troy Lee Designs or other familiar brands in the Supercross and MTB circuits. The designer decided it was time to branch out and start his own project, dubbed RIDE88. A rider from a young age, Lathrop had always used tailgate pads or tie downs to shuttle his bikes, but as the bikes (and trucks) got more expensive, he wanted to find something that kept all that shiny paint in good shape. After searching the offerings on the market, Lathrop wasn’t impressed. “I set out on a mission to make my own, I am addicted to READ MORE...
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The RIDE88 Story
After buying my first “nice” bike, I realized I didn’t want to toss it in my truck with tie-downs like I had always done with my dirt bikes. Tailgate pads scuff paint, and hitch racks stick out too far—I wanted a simple, secure way to mount my bike forward-facing in the bed without removing the wheels or modifying my truck. When I couldn’t find a product that met my needs, I decided to create one myself. That decision led to an obsession with designing the perfect truck bed bike rack. By the third prototype, I knew I had something unique—an easy-to-use, drill-free system that took advantage of pre-existing truck bed holes. With a patent pending, my wife and I launched a Kickstarter, but when that didn’t pan out, we kept pushing forward. Manufacturing out of our home shop in Idaho, we built and sold 150 racks, proving that our concept had real demand. Now, we’re bringing back our original round-tube design with the QR3, a quick-release system that allows for the fastest bike loading and securing on the market. We’re excited for the future of RIDE88 and invite you to check out our innovative truck bed bike rack—built for riders, by riders.
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