Huapango

My two 11 Speed Shimano Alfine Helix bikes are still available for anyone who would like to take over my Kickstarter pledge. I am asking $3,350 USD ($4,295 CAD), which is the amount I paid. Once payment is complete, I e-mail Helix to let them know to complete the transfer. You may contact Helix at hello@helix.ca. Send me an e-mail at derek dot paul dot larson at gmail if you have any questions or concerns.

max351

Do we have to buy both?

AvnerBen

Hi Derek,
Sent you reply in private.
Avner.

Huapango

I am looking into what must be done to transfer the bikes separately. The gentleman who posted after you is interested too. Please shoot me an e-mail to derek dot paul dot larson @gmail and let me know what country you live in. The transfer would also include shipping to your country, I assume, and my Kickstarter pledge includes shipping to the US. It's also possible the transfer would include shipping to the US and you would pay the difference if other arrangements need to be made. In any case, I sent an e-mail to Helix to confirm.

SurfHenk

I have taken over a few pledges before (the idea is to have a Helix bike for every member of the family) and can tell you that splitting a two-bike pledge into two separate pledges is not a straightforward process. In fact it will only be possible if Peter (the founder of Helix) is willing and able to split the original pledge.
I recently took over one bike from someone who had a two-bike pledge, the seller wanted to sell one and keep the other. In the end the easiest solution was for me to swap a one-bike pledge from me with the seller's two-bike pledge (and obviously me paying the additional cost for the extra bike to the seller).

Good luck with the sale!

Huapango

Thank you, that was very helpful.

unclejemima

Gibsonsean

There was a mention in the last update of photos and such for a new option 'next week' but that could just be a slip and they mean next fortnightly update. Nothing out yet but last weekend's update was Sunday

SurfHenk

A short update has been published, not much news.
The next substantial update should come next weekend..

porschetoyz

Hi Derek,

I sent you an email at above listed address.

Huapango

I have sold one of Helix bikes and have one more remaining for anyone interested (11 speed Alfine).

SurfHenk

Were you able to split the two-bike pledge into two separate pledges?

Huapango

Yes, there is currently a potential buyer for the second bike. They're just awaiting confirmation from Helix that this is legit.

SurfHenk

Good to read Helix was able to help you in splitting the pledge.

unclejemima

Revoltingest

The latest update....
- Production proceeds.
- The logo is designed.

RobotGuy

Revoltingest

Alas, you didn't do it.
So I'll stick with Helix.
On the plus side, our overly ambitious entrepreneur will be delivering some extraordinarily
spiffy bikes. It's worth the wait to me, since my Dahon Helios still serves me well.

smallboats

Revoltingest

Those of us who've plunked down money for one have received periodic updates.
We get pix, progress reports, & videos of things like the robot welding frame parts.

RobotGuy

MrFlamey

Elon Musk is not sending cars to space with a team of four people, nor did he start with ~2.5 million dollars; He was an established entrepreneur who had made billions from the sale of PayPal and has attracted teams of unbelievably smart people to work with him, and together they have gradually developed a lot of amazing technology. What Musk has achieved is incredible, but I don't really see the point in comparing Peter Boutakis to him.

Also, I don't know if it has been stated in any of the public blog posts, but Boutakis did originally try working with companies experienced in manufacture of Ti cars as well as Taiwanese bike companies. This didn't go well, for whatever reason, so in the end he decided to Kickstart his invention. He's made lots of mistakes, but seems to have always been focused on his vision of the "world's best folding bike", and has had an uncompromising attitude towards producing a bike that meets all his design goals throughout. I'm sure this perfectionism has played a huge part in the long wait for Helix, and we still don't know if the bike is going to a. get shipped or b. be any good, but things are starting to look up, and I believe they have actually begun manufacture based on all the latest (non-public) blog updates. I'm sure we all wish they would start shipping bikes sooner, but until they do, I'm sure most of us have other things to do and other bikes to ride.

But yes, maybe he should have made the Kickstarter bikes from steel and had them weigh closer to 20kg. With the unique frame design it would have still been quite compelling, and maybe they would have been able to ship bikes by now. Still, I'm really looking forward to the Ti bikes being shipped this year, even if they cost twice the price and took 2-3 times as long to make.

smallboats

RichardLee

I live in Toronto.

Helix backers on this forum can attest to claims made below.

I elucidated the location of the factory, 4chan-esque style, and provided details in the backers' forum. It was information I felt backers were entitled to (since Helix was not volunteering it after collecting so much money) hence rationalized the doxxing.

Having the address, no need to take photos of the exterior. It's on the street view of online maps - if you have the address. I visited the factory during off hours, walked around and, without going into details, came to the satisfactory conclusion that this is indeed the Helix factory. I noted in the post in the backers' forum that, despite not having gone inside, based on what I saw backers can take my word that there is no further doubt it is a legitimate operation.

Based on the doxxing, my understanding is that a backer from England visited the factory during business hours without consent and went inside. This was contrary to my assertion in the backer's forum now that we can be rest assured the project is legit, we can let the man (who I now refer to as Big Bro) to go about his work undisturbed, let alone get a surprise visit.

This was quite some while before Big Brother expelled me as a backer (it was for some other matter last November). I do wonder, however, with all this chat about transferring ownership, what happens now to my assigned bike. They have serial numbers and mine is/was in the 300s based on pledge order back in September 2015.

Despite the animus, I will not disclose the Helix factory location, at least publicly such as on this forum.

Actually, it's not a suburb. It's outside the city core but technically still within boundary of the City. North York is a borough within the consolidated City of Toronto. It was a suburb in the past century of what was called Toronto then before annexation of the various boroughs. It's like New York. The City of Toronto nowadays is itself part of a large region known as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) comprised of Toronto and numerous suburbs (suburbs in the conventional sense).

It's bad news actually. If after years of tests upon tests, Helix NOW needs a hand-welder, it casts doubt in the once boasted robotic inert chamber welding process.

Read above for visiting them during operational hours. Big Bro doesn't want it. One would think he would be welcoming of backers at least - come inside, let's have a coffee. Something to hide?

RobotGuy