these trailers in Portland, and he’s asking
the community to help him make it
happen.
(Photo: Tamara Rubin)
Remember Len Rubin? He’s the Sellwood resident whose one-of-a-kind, custom folding bike was stolen and then recovered a few weeks later.
Now Rubin is asking the community to help him take one of his other big projects to the next level. Rubin has launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign for his “M.O.M.™- the magically morphing multi-use bicycle trailer”. It’s a very nifty concept. Watch the fun video below to learn more…
“The concept and prototypes are legit. The thing goes together super quick, easy, and intuitively, it can do all the stuff in the video.”
— Eric Herboth, TiCycles
Rubin has an ambitious goal of raising $35,053 by June 21st. He plans to use the money to ramp up production of the M.O.M. trailer, buy tooling and supplies, and ultimately, get his Portland Bicycle Trailer Company up and running.
Rubin already has a 1,200 square foot shop, he’s built several prototypes, and he’s committed to making the trailers in Portland using as many locally-sourced suppliers and materials as possible.
So far, a bevy of local bike luminaries including Dave Guettler (owner, River City Bicycles), Erik Tonkin (owner, Sellwood Cycle Repair), and Dave Levy (owner, TiCycles) have stepped up to become “backers” of the project. Those are some very smart people, which is an indication of how mature and viable Rubin’s trailer design is.
Eric Herboth, a bike builder who works with Dave Levy at TiCycles, tells us, “The concept and prototypes are legit. The thing goes together super quick, easy, and intuitively, it can do all the stuff in the video.”
Raising $35,000 will be no small feat, but then again Len Rubin and his wife Tamara have been known to tackle big things and come out on top. Whether it’s launching a national campaign to raise awareness of lead poisoning (a cause Mrs. Tamara thrust herself into after finding lead in her Sellwood home), or finding a beloved stolen bike many people would have simply given up on — don’t count the Rubins out.