December 29, 2008

On surly packaging

I received a nice pack from Surly the other day which means that I really have no excuses anymore for not getting my Bianchi back on the road. The Surly Components look great and the bearings in the rear hub feel super smooth. I also really like the packaging they came in. The hub came bubble wrapped, but the lock ring and the cog were twist-tied onto a piece of recycled paper with the Surly logo printed on it. The three parts were then delivered in a brown paper bag, and it looked more like a sandwich was in there rather than bike components. I think this is a cool choice of packaging and one that illustrates the company's commitment to the environment. Or does it? My co-worker pointed out that the homey packaging might be to make the company seem like a Mom and Pop operation, and then went ahead insinuating that it's not anymore. This might, or might not be true but I think that the idea that Surly is all about simplicity comes across pretty clear with the packaging. As an added bonus a paper bag breaks down in a landfill and it does somehow suit the company. Perhaps it makes me a sucker for marketing, but I loved it. I got Steve our Zen master mechanic build the wheel for me for a six pack the other day, and now i just have to put the whole thing together. I'll post some pics of the resault once it's running.