Ongoing Service Delays

For those who may have experienced delays in fulfillment and delivery times of orders, or lags in customer service response times, RADHAUS sincerely apologizes.

As has been covered extensively in local, national, and global news reports, the past few years have been a perfect storm of disparate and unexpected disruptions that have changed the way most everything works for a small business, and changes take time to adjust to.

The COVID-19 epidemic was unquestionably the hinge around which the way things were turned into the way things are now. Beyond the serious emotional and social tolls of the pandemic, virtually every industry that involves physical products has seen technical and logistical disruptions across every business sector.

The shutdown of non-essential operations necessary to flatten the coronavirus curve around the world led to raw material shortages, manufacturing backlogs, shipping and transport slowdowns, and economic slumps across the globe in 2020-2021 that have had an insidious domino effect reaching all the way to the end consumer.

As Bicycle Retailer, Forbes, and countless others have been reporting for some time now, the whole bike industry is working hard to keep up with demand, and when recent global developments and economic trends are taken into account it’s inevitable that shortages and delays will last well into 2022 and possibly beyond in 2023 or even 2024.

Things seem like they might be improving, but we're not out of the woods yet. Classic economics says prices are set by supply relative to demand; many large component manufacturers have been increasing prices across the board, and as inflation sets in prices are expected to increase further before 2022 is out.

Considering all of that, and then factoring in the individual challenges facing our suppliers, peers, customers and staff, not to mention personal and family obligations… it is a wonder any of us are able to operate at all.

Of course on the bright side we are operating, and in light of all the challenges that fact is that much brighter. Bright enough to keep us going.

Thank you to our friends and customers for hanging in there with us. RADHAUS truly appreciates your patience and understanding; it gives us the sanity to do the same.

NOTICE // DELIVERY AND SUPPORT DELAYS

HEADS UP!
The unprecedented scale of manufacturing slowdowns, transport bottlenecks, and unexpected community and economic losses that have disrupted so many industries and individual lives around the world over the past year have been challenging for many small businesses to navigate, RADHAUS included.

Recent and current RADHAUS orders for products or services may be subject to fulfillment and delivery delays. Customer service and message response times have also been impacted.

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SHIPPING + DELIVERY DELAYS
To facilitate reasonable shipping and handling rates for customers the vast majority of RADHAUS orders are sent via the United States Postal Service. Unfortunately the combination of global logistics hurdles stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic with recent administrative changes at USPS has created widespread delays with US mail distribution and delivery.

You can find official USPS Service Alerts online as well as extensive reporting on the real world situation from NPR, Washington Post, CNN, USA Today, The Guardian, etc. Shipments via FedEx, UPS/BikeFlights, DHL and most commercial carriers are also experiencing delivery delays at this time.

Please understand that once a package is dispatched it is literally out of any individual's direct control — the tracking numbers provided with fulfillment update emails to customers represent the best source of information available at any given time.

While it is common to take several days for tracking numbers to begin scanning and transit delays can range from days to weeks the good news is that most all packages are ultimately being delivered; the unfortunate reality is that for now we all have to be a little more patient with delivery times until things improve.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
As the recipient we recommend reaching out directly to your local Post Office (and/or Customs House for international orders) to provide the tracking number and request delivery assistance. In our experience this process has been very effective in facilitating delivery as your local agency can sometimes utilize internal resources to locate packages within local or regional distribution centers.

ADDITIONAL HELP
Shipments are generally in transit within 48 hours of a tracking number being generated; after that as long as there are regular tracking scan updates indicating the shipment is in transit there are no further steps RADHAUS can take until delivery.

Whenever possible RADHAUS will initiate a package search to locate shipments that experience substantial delays in tracking updates. Please note that this service is not available for most international packages and most carriers will not initiate a Package Trace request for 15-30 days after the last scan. Once initiated it can take 60 days for a Package Trace to conclude and there's no guarantee of useful results from a 3rd party process.

In the unlikely event that a shipment be declared lost or destroyed by the carrier we will of course process a replacement order as soon as possible. Please understand that even with these unusual circumstances we cannot offer refunds or replacements while orders are still reported by the carrier as being in transit.

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CUSTOMER SUPPORT + RESPONSE DELAYS
For questions not related to shipping delays, the Contact Page is always the best way to get in touch. Please understand that like most small- and medium-sized businesses in this unprecedented and tumultuous time RADHAUS resources are stretched very thin and responses times are considerably longer than normal but every effort is being made to follow up with customers as soon as possible.

New orders continue to be processed as quickly as practical and normal operations will resume as soon as conditions allow. I apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding during these challenging times.

For now let’s all just do our best and with any luck we will all get through this soon, together.

Be safe. Have fun. Ride bikes.

— Eric/RADHAUS

RADNESS // Staying Productive During COVID-19 Shutdowns

In the seemingly endless flow of “news” and opinions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic one common theme has been the rapid shift for a lot of companies from offices and on-site staff to a remote workforce.

This transition has been smoother for those white collar jobs where the notion of a “home office” is practical, but for many others it has been a challenge to remain productive in a self-regulated environment. It is safe to say that while he doesn’t exactly have an “office job” Fabio Wibmer has been keeping his nose to the … uhm, grindstone?

Check out the “behind the scenes” details at https://www.redbull.com/fabioshomeoffice.

Thanks to the amazing @sethpatla for sending this inspiration!

RADHAUS - PDXTI - CAMPESTRAL

As of 01 January 2019 all Portland Titanium LLC retail products previously offered under the PDXTI name have been incorporated into the CAMPESTRAL brand, which is sold and distributed exclusively by RADHAUS. Henceforth the PDXTI name will denote activities of the race/adventure team only.

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RADHAUSPDX
SALES + SERVICE

PDXTI
ELITE TEAM

CAMPESTRAL
GEAR + COMPONENTS

What’s the deal?

Portland Titanium LLC was originally created to compartmentalize my business accounting and facilitate external sponsorship of the Elite level race team that had been assembled to do long term field testing of products from REN Cycles and other companies.

In the years since both the business and the team have continued to thrive, creating a logistical bottleneck under the PDXTI name and an obvious need for differentiation.

Going forward all Portland Titanium LLC hardware/components will live under the CAMPESTRAL name; PDXTI will continue with the race/adventure team; everything else will be here under the RADHAUS name alongside products from some other great companies.

Apologies for any earlier name confusion.
Please carry on.

— Eric

SHOP TALK // DROPOUT CONVERSIONS

Changing dropouts is one of the most complicated frame modifications to perform, and requests for those retrofits are becoming increasingly common as so many vintage frames built with durable materials like steel and titanium outlast the axle and brake standards of their day.

The complication is largely due to the sheer variety of dropouts that are in circulation.

Unlike head tubes, bottom bracket shells, main tubes, and other frame components that have traditionally been widely standardized and used more or less interchangeably on frames across all disciplines (the stalwart BSA English bottom bracket can be found on the vast majority of road, mountain, track, tandem, and even recumbent bikes built over the last half century), chain-stays and dropouts are rarely common across different product categories. Instead they have been made in a plethora of shapes and sizes, often designed for a specific functionality or axle/brake/spacing standard, and sometimes with proprietary dimensions or fitments. 

The lengths, angles, and shapes of a bike frame’s rear triangle ensure that the rear axle is placed in a precise location; changing that location by even a few millimeters can noticeably impact the handling of the bicycle, not to mention creating the potential for interference issues with brake calipers, cassette lock rings, and other component parts that are subsequently designed to reference the rear axle location.

It is easy enough to consider a number of dropout styles when designing a frame, before the tubes are cut. But when it comes to retrofits the details of the original rear triangle design often preclude simply cutting one dropout out and welding another one in. This is especially the case when the retrofit is intended to change the application/format of the frame: from a vertical road dropout to a horizontal track dropout; from a fixed non-disc quick release dropout to an adjustable thru-axle disc brake dropout, et cetera.

Different styles of dropouts -- especially those designed decades apart for different axle, brake, and spacing standards -- rarely have similar shapes, lengths, or angles of attachment for stays. Moreover, even across a size run within a single frame model/design there are often dramatic differences in the angle at which seat-stays and dropouts intersect; with all other design variables kept neutral a 49cm frame’s seat stay will attach to the dropout at a much more acute angle than a 61cm frame of the same model.

Ultimately this means that the replacement of entire chain-stays and/or seat-stays are often required to keep the rear axle in the same location.

For an example, see the images below, showing the complications with one of the more common requests: converting a traditional 130QR rim brake frame to a 142x12 disc brake frame with the Reynolds R3D flat mount dropout. The impediments to an easy conversion are numerous and obvious.

That said, Yes! it is possible to retrofit most frames with dropouts of almost any style. It will likely not be simple or easy, and it may require custom dropout fabrication, chain-stay and/or seat-stay replacement to work, but it can be done.

It is also worth noting that some dropout retrofits, especially when converting a non-disc brake frame to disc, offer the potential for cost savings when updating to modular setups like Rocker Dropouts. These systems use a frame fitment that uses dropout inserts with an integrated disc caliper mount, eliminating the need for a separate disc brake conversion.

To be fair, sometimes serendipity provides for a replacement dropout that mates well enough with an existing rear triangle that it is possible to do a straightforward cut-and-replace. This best case scenario is rare and still involves several hours of shop time and new dropouts, but is ultimately much more affordable than a more complicated retrofit that requires replacing stays.

For information about converting an existing frame to a new dropout please reach out with information on your bike, along with photos, as well as your end objective and budget.

PRODUCT // CAMPESTRAL CHRIS KING ISO SD 12TA Conversion Kit

If Chris King parts are known for anything it is durability. OK, cool colors too!

Chris King has been making super durable hubs for decades, first in California and now here in Portland, so there are an inordinate number of existing wheels rolling around in my backyard, countlessmore out there with in the world. Ooodles of fantastic CKPC hubs, almost all of them with QR or 15TA front axles.

The 100x12TA standard has rapidly proliferated to most forks for road, CX, gravel and other traditionally drop bar endeavors, and many of them have dropout pockets that will not accept most 100x15TA hubs with 20mm or larger axle ends — including the classic Chris King ISO SD front hub.

The CAMPESTRAL CKPC ISO SD Conversion Kit solves this compatibility issue and easily converts existing QR or 15TA Chris King ISO SD front hubs to be compatible with all 100x12TA forks.

Temporarily Out of Stock

CHRIS KING ISO SD // 12mm THRU-AXLE CONVERSION KIT

NOTE: All products previously branded PDXTI are now part of the CAMPESTRAL product family. READ MORE.

SHOP TALK // 5 QUESTIONS WITH 3D Print Show

Back in 2014 one of the projects I worked on was part of the Oregon Manifest design challenge, a recurring bike design competition that my client Ti Cycles was participating in. As a way of freshening up the event format the 2014 edition paired bike industry professionals with cutting edge design firms and then turned them loose on the theme of “the ultimate commuter bike.”

The Oregon-based team really swung for the fences. The designers at INDUSTRY were a forward thinking bunch, the Ti Cycles shop is known for specializing in titanium, and coincidentally one of the country’s first commercial titanium printers was just up the river at I3D. The collaboration ultimately rendered SOLID, the world’s first 3D printed titanium bike, which in spite of not winning the design competition did have its 15 minutes of internet fame.

During that time I fielded 5 Questions from Faith Robinson as part of the UK’s 3DPrintShow. Images courtesy of IndustryPDX.

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Why is it important to be able to offer customized items, like bicycles?

The demand for custom bicycles has existed more or less as long as the bicycle. Production bicycle size fit some people, but certainly not everyone.

As anyone who has ridden an improperly fit bike can attest, it doesn't take long for a bad fit to manifest itself in knee pain, wrist pain, back pain, et cetera. That pain can at the least ruin a ride and turn someone off to cycling, and at the worst lead to injury. To a certain extent cockpit components can alleviate some fit issues, but in many cases the available off the shelf frames or parts just will not work.

Biomechanics and fit aside, there’s a reason that bone stock articles of anything of any vintage are hard to find; be it bicycles or automobiles, Craftsman houses or cave walls, personalization has always been a part of human nature.

3D printing technology has proved itself to be incredibly well suited to creating one-off items. What is your opinion towards 3D printing in terms of facilitating this?

In many ways 3D printing is ideal for one-off or custom items. The SOLID bike's fork crown, for example, is not something we could easily make with traditional methods.

Tell us about your Solid collaboration with design consultancy INDUSTRY. How did it come about?

All of the design firms and frame builders were invited to participate by Oregon Manifest. There are two ways to approach collaboration -- put two minds together until they reach consensus, or take ideas from one and allow the other to riff on them. SOLID was the latter; Industry took the existing SuperCommuter platform and ran with it, coming up with a new design that is a clear separation from the Ti Cycles aesthetic.

The Oregon Manifest design competition theme is the commuter bicycle, and Industry definitely took that idea into the future -- especially with the electronics suite on the bike and connected app – while incorporating a number of Dave's signature elements like the monostay rear end, the chainstay frame break, and the integrated bar/stem combo.

Why was titanium the material of choice for this 3D printed bicycle?

One of the six key ingredients of a SuperCommuter is the titanium frame. We love steel bikes and continue to build them every year, but a bike is not a SuperCommuter if it can rust away in the wrong environment or come unglued.

Do you see a future for the development of this kind of production method?

When you see the parts that I3D can produce there is no question that 3D printing is the future. In 2014 it is very much in its infancy but such a fantastic technology! In particular with titanium but also with other materials, right now it is far too cost and scale prohibitive to do any real manufacturing. The tycoon who needs a new wobblygog for his yacht will be served well by this technology years before the rest of us. Ti Cycles turns 25 in 2015; my guess is that there'll be at least another 25 years of world class, hand crafted titanium and steel bikes before very many bikes are made from dust and lasers.

SHOP TALK // HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE COUPLER

Worth its weight in convenience, the basic hydraulic brake line connector is a part every shop should have on hand.

This small, lightweight, and practical part is ideal for extending hydraulic brake lines for longtail bike setups (Xtracycle, Surly Big Dummy, etc), cargo bikes, tandems, recumbents, or any other application using standard 5mm outside diameter hydraulic brake lines. Also works great for demo bike fleets or multi-use bikes where the ability to change handlebars without removing internal brake lines is necessary.

The central coupler body itself is machined aluminum with a black anodized finish and is compatible with any industry standard M8 hydraulic compression nut and any associated hose fittings for industry standard 5mm outside diameter hydraulic brake hose.

Hydraulic brake line couplers are available in several different kits to ensure compatibility with the intended braking systems. The central coupler body is universal between all variants; the only differences between kits are the system specific hose fittings.

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BASIC / STANDARD MINERAL OIL KITS

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Uses a flat bottom brass olive and two-piece hose fitting with a brass barbed insert and mineral oil compatible o-ring.

Intended for use with Shimano, TRP/Gevenalle, Magura, Campagnolo and most other systems utilizing mineral oil.

Due to the different chemical compositions of mineral oil and DOT brake fluid the o-ring seals used in standard mineral oil kits are not compatible with Hayes, Formula, and other systems.

Assembles with Shimano TL-BH62, TRP BR7156, SRAM 00.5315.028.030, or similar hydraulic brake hose fitting tools.

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BASIC / STANDARD DOT KITS

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Uses a single piece brass olive hose fitting with an integrated barbed insert.

Intended for use with Hayes, Formula, SRAM, and other systems using DOT fluid.

With no o-ring or brake fluid soluble materials this kit is technically compatible with all DOT and mineral oil based hydraulic systems.

Assembles with Shimano TL-BH62, TRP BR7156, SRAM 00.5315.028.030, or similar hydraulic brake hose fitting tools.

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BASIC / SRAM COMPATIBLE KITS

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Uses a proprietary SRAM Steath-a-majig two-piece threaded aluminum olive hose fitting and threaded stainless steel barbed insert.

Intended for use with SRAM hydraulic systems.

With no o-ring or brake fluid soluble materials this kit may be compatible with other DOT and mineral oil based hydraulic systems.

Assembles with SRAM Handheld Barb Driver Tool (MPN: 00.5315.028.030).