Wins, Surprises, Setbacks and Beer - A Disjointed Chronology of RUX

And just like that... we've done it! We've shipped our first few thousand RUX pre-orders and are enjoying a rare moment of inventory on the shelves. 

But was it really just like that?

Flashback to summer 2019 - Tony Richardson and Andre Charland were drinking beer and shooting the $#!t about how they could create a better way to pack, carry and transport all of Andre's toys to and from his cabin - garage to truck, side by side to boat, all weather, all seasons. Easy right? RUX was born, but had no name and no product.

Skip to late spring 2020 - The new aluminum rim samples arrived. After an all-out assembly line blitz, the prototypes were built, and, well, they sucked. Too heavy, unreliable connection points, you name it. Wait, what?

Flashback to fall 2019 - Tony is feverishly chasing the vision down different rabbit holes, failing fast, learning faster. Plastic molds, material testing, sniffing too much epoxy. No idea was a wrong idea. Methodical chaos.

Jump to November 2020 - The latest protos are on point, testers are stoked, and the freshly launched crowdfunding campaign is blowing up. Huge support from friends and family gets us out the gate, Indiegogo takes notice, and things get wild. 

Skip to Spring 2021 - We did it. The RUX 70L is designed, tested, built, and on a boat... to nowhere. Nowhere to dock that is. Nothing like launching a new brand amidst a global shipping crisis. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?

Back to present - Both our first and second production runs have arrived, we're shipping them all to our amazing early customers, and the vibe is high. We're seeing RUX sightings at new retailers each week and we're welcoming the feedback, photos and videos from everyone who's taken their RUX in the wild. What a feeling!

Just like that.

--

We Owe Some Thanks

Big thanks to all of you early Indiegogo backers! Look what you started. Extra props to Axis Mountain Technical and Santa Cruz Bicycles for staking claim to our first collab product, one of whom is still patiently waiting for customs clearance.

Huge thanks to all the creators and testers who've shaped the product and brand to date.

Shout out to our key retail accounts for believing in RUX sight unseen; Huckberry, evo, Backcountry, Moosejaw, Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Trail Bay Source for Sports and Exclusive Motors. 

And thanks to everyone who gave us a nod of encouragement along the way. We're just getting started, let's have some fun with it eh.

Keep your gear tight, and your plans loose.