THE Cub Report – Heroic Dose

Hey there party people, thanks for making the click over to BigSquidRC. This is my Cub Report, a weekly column of jest and nonsense really…

Did ya take a look at the new Traxxas Traxx? If not, they are pretty sano. Designed for the TRX-4 by Traxxas, they are an easy bolt-on that makes a massive change to any truck. Installing a set of tracks on a truck gives it a tough new look and they can actually help with traction in certain conditions. The TRX crew first teased the Traxx at the Nuremburg show, then put on a well timed (and quite aggressive) marketing blitz when they were ready to ship to consumers. IMO, a set of tracks isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things (read- probably would not be a big seller), but Traxxas went big with the marketing and they are selling like hot cakes. Good for Traxxas, the Traxx are a solid upgrade/accessory and the roll out was as slick as it gets.

In an era of rc when budgets have been greatly slashed, there just aren’t as many new products hitting the market. And while there simply aren’t as many “hobbyists” around anymore, all the ones that are left are begging for more new products. Long time hobbyists have grown accustomed to a bunch of new trucks and upgrades every month, but some companies are gone completely, and many that remain have drastically cut back on the new stuff.

There are exceptions of course. There are companies like Pro-Line and RC4WD (just to name a couple) that still put out loads of new stuff every month. Heck, they may be putting out record numbers of new products, or at least it feels that way to me. Those companies know that while there aren’t as many fish in the pond as days past, they know their longtime hardcore fans will buy pretty much anything/everything new that they put out. Those two companies (and there are several others) are cranking out more new gear, in lower quantities, to rise above the downturn in the hobby.

We are nearly done with our review of one of the new 4S ARRMA trucks. As we sat around talking about the truck, we could not help but start talking about how freak’n fervent ARRMA owners are. They are truly one of the most fanatical tifosis I’ve ever seen. At this point, ARRMA could probably put out a paperweight with the ARRMA logo on it and it would sell out in minutes. The crew at ARRMA has not only put out some epic product, but also bonded with their consumers in a unique way. I would love to see how many pre-orders they would get for even something simple like some limited edition “twice-as-thick-to-send-it” wheels. Or better still, how many Brinks trucks would they need if they knocked out some fully belted bashing tires? Consumers are hungry for new product right now and the companies know it, I can’t wait to see what’s next from a bunch of different companies.

OK, so I’ve resorted to rambling once again. For all you bashers out there, I salute you, you are the ones keeping this industry afloat! And…… please remember, support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can.

YOUR Cub Reporter