The Machining of a Monster

We have been very active at promoting that a Roddler is not your every day stroller. We are not sure how to better communicate the difference in quality from the conventional strollers on the market then to show you what goes into making them.

>>CnC MACHINING

Firstly, for those of you not familiar with a 5 axis CnC or lathes, we wanted to give you a little demonstration how a simple piece gets machined. Bear in mind, we start from a solid piece of 6061 aluminum and widdle it away into a sculpted component. Each Roddler alone has 10 unique parts that are machined from a block including the entire chassis. The very best stroller has a thin wall tubular aluminum frame which does not even impart a fraction of the structural rigidity that we offer. The little amount of tubing we use is the same stuff you find on the roll cage of a sprint car. Some say its overkill, we are just trying to give you something that will outlast your kid.

>>CUSTOMIZATION

Well, it is safe to say for the stroller companies, the buck stops here. Well actually it stopped before the machining even began, but for all intensive purposes and for a Kid Kustoms product, this is just where things are getting fun. There are a host of accessories available to customize your Roddler and trike.

Personalized license plates, exhaust tips, painted fenders or embroidered seat and top.  I am sure by now your head must be spinning, but we start adding some life to your model in production. Your imagination is the limit and we are sure we can even broaden that if budget isn’t an issue.

>>QUALITY CONTROL

We are clearly not just checking to see if there are the right parts in the box. Before they leave, every Roddler goes through a thorough 50 point check to make sure that every bolt is secured and snap is snapped…while it is assembled. We even don’t want to make you pretend like you have a tool box or any interest on figuring out how it goes together. You get the allen key and comprehensive set of instructions just in case, but it comes as you see it.

>>FROM OUR HANDS TO YOURS

Lovingly enrobed in safety plastic with the fenders packed separately, and then dressed in a protective case, the Roddler is boxed up and shipped off to its proud new owner. All you need to do when you receive it is be excited, tear open the box and go for a stroll.

As you can see, we don’t cut any corners or spare any expense and we certainly don’t need a fancy dutch designers name to justify a $2,000 price tag. The Roddler is a perfectly engineered, functional piece of automotive inspired art by a decorated designer.  We are proudly hand made in the USA and uniquely the only stroller that converts into a tricycle. If you were just eying us out before, let me know if you are feeling us now. We are really the next best thing to getting pushed.

Holy Macmess for Maclaren!

We are a little behind on putting this out but have been pretty disappointed with how Maclaren has conducted themselves in light of the enormous recall they issued. First off, dang, they’ve sold 1,000,000 units over the last decade, in the US alone!? But wait, they are selling the same models all over the world!? So what about the kids in those markets? It is not just that you don’t hear about the recall, it is because there has not been a recall issued internationally. So what they are trying to say is that mitigating the damage from the litigious American consumer is far more important then addressing the rest of the lost digits in more, soft spoken countries. Or, should we assume that there are nuances in the structural design of their strollers that are sold in the US, UK and other global markets and Maclaren is sacrificing their economies of scale in production to manufacture a stroller with a cheaper hinge for the US exclusively?

If there is a problem, it is global. In fact, we are talking about 15 complaints over the course of 10 years in and the design has been relatively unchanged since 1965. So are we to assume that the first few incidents were dusted under the rug until the voice of 15 was too loud to keep at bay? What about the parents that didn’t report an incident because clearly their child molesting the scissor folding mechanism stroller while it is being opened would have entailed some negligence on their behalf. Ok, forget them and forget the issues of archaic design. How hasn’t this been addressed as a problem 11 years ago in CSPC safety testing? Any sane parent reads the warning and wonders why such an obvious statement needs to be marked in enormous print? Clearly because it was intended was for the illiterate child to have read the prominently posted warning and inform themselves of the impending danger! If you didn’t notice your kid hanging on the stroller when you were opening it…don’t you think there is a bigger underlying problem?

Worse, how there can be reports that the recall was leaked early!? If there is a problem of that magnitude one would hope that any company would put their consumers before mitigating damage to their public relations. It is cataclysmic for both sides. Somehow only New Yorkers will be privy to demonstrations on how to install the covers they are issuing. If you live anywhere else other then the center of the world, too bad! How loud silence can be. I guess you can figure for yourself where you stand.

A model Mom

For those of you new dads that are just feeling out what toys there are to keep your manhood and marriage in tact after you have a baby…well, here we are! We know, the emasculation of carrying a floral diaper bag can be a rough entre into fatherhood. Now, drape it over the Roddler’s handle bars and it is suddenly a painless experience.  Aside from the ‘we are going to take the baby for more walks’ excuse we keep telling you to feed the Mrs., here is a new gem that may help your case!

Model mom of 3, Sabina Kelley was featured in her Pindown Pinup article in this month’s Car Kulture Deluxe. We clearly have different view of what it entails to pin down a Pinup but none the less, you know what we mean, you are shopping for strollers! Check out this shout out we got along with a picture of her and Grace Lynn in her Roddler! So, if  it is sounding conceited coming from us, uhum, Sabina Kelley says, we have the best strollers ever!

SEMA Spectacular

The SEMA Show had Las Vegas packed to the brim with the hottest rides, celebrity’s and scantily clad models. Everything we think the ABC Kids Show needs to become! Then again, even the fanciest, rarest Bugaboo is just a stroller round these parts, only a Roddler or pair of DD’s gets you all access.  Admittedly crazy as it is, humble Joe that you know from juvenile product land is a well known celebrity in the automotive world, so this is home away from home.  Made for a few nice shots I’d say. After the third year in attendance and on display we are tearing it up like the first day we hit the pavement.

‘Every stylin momma needs one of these…’ tweets Amber Goetz, the model, actress and host of of Hub Garage. She was glad to get behind the Roddler for this picture and we would be glad to get behind her when she’s ready to have a kid [we mean with a Roddler of her own...dirty birdies]

Brian Nix, One of Nick Baldwin’s talented team members couldn’t help taking the trike for a spin

Delicious pin up model Doris Mayday striking a pose

A trip down the red carpet

At least we made some girl’s show!

A few guys who stopped dead in their tracks when they found the perfect Christmas gifts for the grand kids

Just look at T-Bonez’s pin striping…how nice is that?!

Speaking of nice…sweet mother of g-d, look at those fenders! Brent Nolasco’s Tins for Tots submission could not be in better hands. My heart skips a beat for the one on the left [no, finally not the fenders].

We had to park ourselves next to this hammered hot rod.  One of these days we are going to put a Roddler on bags. Below are a few more gems from the show.

Check out the Good VS. Evil fenders theme on the trike

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SEMA Bound!

For the third consecutive year we have our product featured at the SEMA show in Las Vegas! With a Roddler and Trike this time out, we are going to be in some very special company.  Check back for pictures, updates and live show highlights as they happen. Here is a little teaser before they were packed up and put on the road.

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets. SEMA Show 2008 drew over 50,000 domestic and international buyers through two million square feet of exhibits. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.

Dealer Spotlight >> Bel Bambini , West Hollywood, CA

As Los Angeles’ premiere store for savvy, sophisticated parents, Bel Bambini is a true one-stop resource. Now our marquee Southern California dealer, we are rocking Robertson with the best in the west. With the coolest staff of expert consultants, a playroom for the kids, and 7,000 square feet of the best gear, it is a mecca for celebrities and discerning modern parenting.  Now with two Kustom Roddlers on display, the only other place you need to go is their website!

464 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, CA.

(310) 855-9272      |      info@bel-bambini.com

Super-cali-fragalistic Edition

Coming for Christmas…California Car Cover & Kid Kustoms are offering a special edition Roddler. With a unique color scheme, graphic package and limited availability, this is sure to be a timeless classic. As if being the coolest dad on the block isn’t ample incentive, how about this deal and some early holiday spirit from the coolest wife?  CCC is offering a protective cover and we are throwing in a matching customized license plate [$250 value]. This is the ultimate accessory for the car aficionado and cheaper then re-upholstering the back seat from family day out in the other hot rod! We will post the link as soon as it available for sale, but in the interim, check out the rest of the great products they have available here >> California Car Cover

New Tasty Color Palate!

Since we have decided to do away with the Classic series in favor of a more limited range of chassis colors, we are trying to make amends by offering more fun fender options! Check out the vinyl kits below which are a perfect way to refresh your set, go with a custom look or cover any evidence that you missed the median. Mmm, like our new color card? Style you can sink your teeth into…

A Little Push from the Queen

Sabina Kelley is the premiere pin-up model of our time and she embodies everything that was our inspiration for the Roddler.  Sexy, free-spirited and style for days. Conveniently, Grace-Lynn needed something bad-ass to ride and we had the perfect idea in store.  Here is the fruits of our labor, well, Sabina’s too.  All we know that having her behind it smiling means everything and more…score another for the little guys! The only thing that would make it sweeter is if she had my kids to push.

Finally, a bank that shares our vision

Now, if only we were based in the UK.  Some one had us pegged in the newest in a series of animated commercials spots by Marc Craste from Studio AKA for Lloyds TSB.  We got an email from Lynda, the editor of our favorite UK mag, Pinstriping & Kustoms that she saw us on TV?! And it wasn’t CNN or ABC…it was another genius depiction of the Roddler in all its glory. Granted, they could have asked for a rendering and we would have been delighted to oblige but there is no denying the inspiration for it all. We were, floored, flattered and freakin straight on the phone to their people so they can put one in every window  as a prize for their customers. Well, I mean, seeing as we were momentarily the poster child it was totally worth a shot.

Watch it HERE