I really feel for the poor backers who bought the hype from Park & Diamond’s founders as well as from media outlets like TC Disrupt and Digital Trends way back in 2019. They paid for the promised helmet and all they have received is one lame excuse after another from a company that doesn’t even have a helmet yet. You can read the latest update here.
The update says, “We have successfully changed our manufacturing vendor and other key vendors. We have re-ordered tooling and are currently fine-tuning the tooling process during the remainder of this month.” Allow me to break that down for you.
“We have successfully changed our manufacturing vendor.” This means their previous vendor quit (or was fired) and a new, unknown, untested vendor is taking over. Weird. When I worked for Bell Helmets, we made the helmets in our factory. The only vendors were for helmet components like rubber trim, the box and stickers!
“We have re-ordered tooling.” That means that the tooling made so far was owned by the old vendor, not Park & Diamond. I would assume this old vendor is coming to market with a helmet before Park & Diamond.
“Currently fine-tuning the tooling process during the remainder of this month.” They are not fine-tuning the tooling because they just reordered it. They are fine-tuning the “process” and that means somebody is looking at a computer screen playing solitaire.
Adding insult to injury, the update reminds the company’s backers that the company is taking off for vacation.
If a backer is riding around without a helmet, I urge you to visit a bike shop, find a helmet that fits your head and budget, and buy it. Backers are calling Park & Diamond a scam but I don’t believe they are criminals. My guess is they are a totally inept helmet company. If this was a scam, they wouldn’t be sending out updates. They would just take the money and run.
It is my opinion that backers are not going to see a helmet. Park & Diamond has got to be running through the three million dollars raised and when they do, it’s lights out. If they do ever deliver a helmet, I don’t believe it will be anything like what backers were expecting.
OTHER COVERAGE OF THE PARK & DIAMOND SAGA
Concept Bicycle Helmet That Tucks Into A Water Bottle
When Updates Become Excuses: Park & Diamond Helmets Still Not Shipping
Park & Diamond Invents A Helmet Standard And Hopes Backers Fall For It