The autumn colors are peaking here in the Pacific Northwest and the leaves crunch delightfully under the tires while cruising along the local rail trail. After a very busy spring in the shop, we spent the summer streamlining our build process, working on some R+D projects, and getting ready for the fall rush. One of the projects was a new belly pan that will reduce build time and add an inch of headroom. The velomobiles will be a little bit sturdier as well, as the new belly pan will rest on the trike frame instead of hanging from it. We're currently building two velomobiles with the new belly pan and are excited to see how much it will speed the build process. In addition, we're adding a new dealer on Bainbridge Island, Washington as well as new customers in California and Massachusetts. Also, we now have velomobile-sized cardboard boxes for faster, less expensive shipping.
Summer wasn't all work - Taylor had a great time riding Cycle Oregon, a week-long, fully-supported ride that tours a different part of the state every year. This year's ride was the 26th and took us through the high-desert country of eastern Oregon along with 2,200 other riders. We don't often climb mountains without electric assist but the entire ride went smoothly even with over 13,000 feet of elevation gain, almost 5,000 of it on the first day.
