A case study on how Kowide Outdoors helped customer RADELN develop and bring to market their new bicycle cover.
RADELN - Rodie Bike Cover
Introduction
RADELN is introducing a new bicycle cover to protect any bicycles from road and weather hazards while carried on a vehicle’s bicycle rack. To make their product a reality RADELN partnered with KOWIDE OUTDOORS to produce their vision.
Dan, founder of RADELN and an avid cyclist, found out for himself, during a 6-month road trip around the United States, the perils of transporting his bicycle on his car’s rack.
“The last thing any cyclist wants to do after a long drive is to clean their bike. I got so fed up with putting a perfectly clean bike on the bike rack only to have it be dirtied just from driving.” – Dan (RADELN)
At one point during the trip:
“…I remember trying to ride one time and my right shifter wouldn't engage my rear derailleur. I found out that dirt and grime can get into shifters, especially when they are positioned sideways on a bike rack, making it hard for the tiny gears inside to catch and finish the shift.” – Dan (RADELN)
That was when Dan decided to venture out of his familiar eCommerce territory and create his own product, the RADELN Roadie Travel Bike Cover.
“During 225+ hours of driving, we encountered every issue imaginable related to hauling bikes on a bike rack.” – Dan (RADELN)
Having sampled many of the products currently on the market, Dan felt sure that his envisioned product would not only meet his own needs but also solve the same issue for other cyclists.
Main Product Objectives
RADELN’s Rodie Bike Cover had a couple of critical criteria to fulfill:
· Protection: keep the drivetrain, frame, and shifters safe.
· Durability: be able to withstand the rigors of road travel including highways and unpaved roads.
· User-friendly: be as user-friendly as possible and create the least amount of inconvenience to the cyclist.
“There are tons of bike covers out there [which are simply] a large piece of material that drapes over one or multiple bikes. These covers create a driving hazard, putting drivers and bikes in danger, they can parachute causing unnecessary stress on a bike rack, and are made from cheap material unable to withstand highway speeds.” – Dan (RADELN)
RADELN enlisted the help of a designer to develop the technical specifications and drawings necessary to have a first sample manufactured. The resulting design was a bike cover that protected the critical areas of the bicycle such as the drivetrain, frame, and shifters. A cover that was easy to put on and take off, minimizing the time cyclists would waste protecting their bikes or getting ready to ride.
Pattern of the RADELN Roadie Bike Cover
Other factors were considered too. The cover had to be able to resist high-speed airflow when transported on roads, while not blocking the visibility of key road safety features of the car such as the brake and signal lights.
After numerous samples had been made by another manufacturer, RADELN realized they needed to change manufacturer. They needed a manufacturer that could bring new ideas for fabric and trim materials to attain the product quality and durability level RADELN was aiming for.
It was during this search, for a new manufacturer, that RADELN came across Kowide Outdoors and connected with our North American office in New York.
“It was convenient to have [Kowide Outdoor New York office] so close by to help with edits in person…[They helped] educate me along the way and probably saved me a bunch of money on design work from just talking through adjustments together.” - Dan (RADELN)
Production
At Kowide Outdoors, we brought our over 50 years of experience making very technical soft goods to the table. Between our globally connected sourcing department and vastly experienced production floor, we were able to help advance the product design and build quality to the level RADELN had set as its goal.
“Look, at the end of the day, quality is the most important factor. A manufacturer can't even be considered if they can't produce a quality product up to your standards. Kowide immediately proved that their quality was superior to anything else I had seen.” – Dan (RADELN)
Kowide Outdoor worker cutting fabric according to a pattern
Our factory was able to source the right fabrics to meet RADELN’s criteria. The bike cover needed to be weather-resistant and durable. The chosen fabrics had to be able to protect the bike from anything the weather and road could through at it, but also be gentle on the bicycle as well, to not scratch it or damage any components.
At a critical stage during the development cycle, Kowide made 2 different samples, each with a different combination of fabrics, in order for RADELN to be able to test both and decide which one was the right way forward. RADELN was able to test these in torrential downpours while mounted to a bike rack on the back of a vehicle. That instance gave us the right combination of 600D Ripstop, heavy neoprene, and PVC needed to meet all the requirements for the bike cover fabric.
Kowide also provided different design options for the neoprene parts, for RADELN to be able to test which solution accommodates the widest array of bikes while still offering the best protection.
“I had an idea of the materials that I wanted but Kowide was tremendously helpful in taking the thoughts and descriptions of my ideas and tying them to functional materials to meet my design objectives.” – Dan (RADELN)
Our expertise and experience enable us to suggest production methods that further strengthen and enhance the bike cover, such as seam-taping key areas for extra weather resistance. We used our in-house laser cutters to achieve a higher level of precision, minimizing material waste and maximizing precision between adjoining mixed media pieces. Our in-house screen printing allowed us to streamline production, causing no delays from needing to outsource logo and reflective artwork printing, to finalize the product.
Kowide Advantage
Bringing your first product to life is always a challenge with a steep learning curve. Designs often start as a vague idea, sketch on a napkin, or a Google Word doc. Our experienced customer service team, sample-making department, and patternmaker will be there to help you turn your ideas into reality.
“…[They helped] educate me along the way and…” – Dan (RADELN)
For people starting out with their first product, and sometimes even for experienced designers, knowing which fabric, hardware, and trims best fit all your criteria is not easy. Kowide has a vast network of suppliers and can help find the right materials for your design.
“Many prototypes were made through [another] supplier [at first]. The language barrier and general pressure to move forward became an issue [and most of all] their quality just could not match that of Kowide. You could tell they were taking shortcuts by using cheaper material.” – Dan (RADELN)
Language barriers can be a huge issue in manufacturing and can lead to misunderstandings, mistakes, and delays. For this purpose, we have built up a high-proficiency multilingual team, to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation. This allows Kowide to accurately and in a timely manner translate all client communications, techpacks, feedback, and specifications, into Mandarin and Vietnamese, and vice versa.
We take great pride in being able to provide superior quality to all our clients. In this very competitive business, we fervently believe that providing superior quality is the ultimate competitive differentiator.
“I truly feel like we have a great partnership - I never felt the need to conceal the fact that this was my first product design / production run.” – Dan (RADEN)
At Kowide, we also believe that unparalleled customer service is paramount. We want our customers to feel they have a supportive partner in us.
“Right from the start [Kowide’s team] were ready, willing, and able to help progress my core product along. After the first iteration, they came to my apartment to review their sample and my old ones to minimize the need for additional changes on the next one. They made it extremely easy to make edits and adjustments.” – Dan (RADELN)
Conclusion
RADELN will have launched their RADELN Roadie Travel Bike Cover in June 2024. A product born out of Dan’s, RADELN’s founder, passion for cycling and Kowide’s unwavering dedication to the highest quality manufacturing and customer service.
“I would absolutely recommend other folks looking to manufacture soft goods products to use Kowide. Without them, my product may not have been able to come to life.” – Dan (RADELN)
Kowide Outdoors is built on trust. Through open communication and accountability, we provide the highest level of transparency from start to finish to deliver unmatched customer service. In combination with our talented and experienced factory staff, we are able to gain RADELN’s trust and deliver them the highest quality product.
“A healthy balance of trust, transparency, and quality. And I believe I found that in Kowide.” – Dan (RADELN)
Kowide Outdoor workers assembling RADELN’s Roadie bike cover
RADELN
Founded out of the passion for cycling and the need to better protect bicycles, RADELN is committed to creating a bike cover that will provide optimal protection for bicycles transported on vehicle bike racks.
After two years of design iterations, prototypes, and test drives, RADELN has created a travel bike cover that protects the most vulnerable parts of a bike from functional and cosmetic damage, while being effortless to use.
KOWIDE OUTDOORS
Bespoke Backpack and Outdoor Apparel Manufacturer from Taiwan
A leading OEM manufacturer, with over 50 years of experience, supplying products to world-renowned brands across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Our world-class production facility in Vietnam, situated within easy reach of Ho Chi Minh City, is ideally suited to cover all manufacturing needs, from R&D, sourcing, and prototyping, to bulk production.
Through technical expertise, ethical management, and rigorous quality control, Kowide Outdoors continuously strives to exceed client expectations and takes pride in helping clients achieve success by delivering the highest level of quality and unparalleled customer service.