When I arrived at the Tribe office this week, I asked Mitch and Wyatt about the production that goes in to the handlebar tape packaging. Specifically, I wanted to know if the factory in China would send them a prototype to make sure the packaging comes out perfect before they go into production. I was a starting to get a little nervous because I had created a mechanical from scratch, and they’re spending tons of money on producing what I had created. I always triple check my work before handing it in, but I couldn’t help thinking about the box coming out smaller than originally intended, and all of that money going to waste. The guys seemed a little non-chalant with my questions. It was as if they were so used to sending files to factories in China and not really worrying about it till it arrives.

Needless to say, I wanted to be sure that the measurements I was given were precise and there wouldn’t be any surprises once the shipment arrives in May. I asked if there was a print studio in the area, given that it is a very industrial/artsy neighborhood, and as expected there was one located just up the block. I asked if we can get a print out of the box just to make sure it was perfect and they agreed that it was a good idea. About an hour later we had the print and Wyatt cut out the box and we set the handlebar tape inside and it looked AWESOME. They absolutely loved my idea to put their shield as the window so that customers can see the bar tape. It came out really great with the exception of a little wiggle room on the sides. The tape moved around a little in the box, so I needed to adjust the measurements. Other than that, the box came out pretty awesome. I can’t wait to see the final product in May.