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The world of Kickstarter is full of projects that are seemingly too crazy for traditional funding options, like loans, or begging your parents to tap out their 401ks.
Somehow, it seems the bike enterprises found on Kickstarter have only gotten only kookier by the project. Here are some recent favorites — in no particular order.
5. Crankpump
Is carrying an actual pump so hard? Apparently, yes, and that’s why lots of people switch to a CO2 inflator. It’s smaller, lighter, and they add an invigorating bit of risk to your routine flat change. That’s because as soon as you blow that CO2 cartridge you’re screwed. But apparently, a C02 Inflator simply isn’t annoying enough, because somebody has decided to stuff it into hollow crank spindles, for unknown reasons.
On a scale of one to conspicuous consumption I’d give this all of it.
4. VeloLoop
I’ve been there: you pull up to a light with a sensor that only senses car-size objects, and the damn thing just won’t change. But is it really so hard to just cross the street? Or, I don’t know, push the walk button? If you’re in some kind of unimaginable traffic situation where neither is possible, then the VeloLoop is for you. It makes you look like a car to the traffic lights so they change. This would be better if it was a ambulance style strobe-light that caused lights to go green as you approached. But it’s not.
On a scale of one to full bike-dork, this has all of the pants clips.
3. Amazing Reflective Backpack
Ok, so, a reflective backpack isn't really new. Backpacks routinely get plastered with reflective stripes, but Rickshaw Bagworks is taking it to another level, adding full on old-timey prison uniform reflective stripes to their PERFORMANCE TWEED rucksack that are only visible after dark. You know what? I can’t even be mad at this. If you absolutely can’t suffer the indignity of disgracing your bike with a tail light then you and this backpack deserve each other. But everyone should get a light, too.
On a scale of one to PERFORMANCE TWEED, this is the only game in town. They actually say performance tweed.
2. SEATYLOCK
Okay, the woman in the spaghetti-strap top locks the bike with the SEATYLOCK in a way that you could literally just slip the bike out of the lick without even cutting
anything, but that’s beside the point. The point is: how is this better than anything else that exists already, except that it locks you into a stupid seat, and maybe a stupid seatpost? Why make things more proprietary than necessary for marginal benefit? The world will never know.
I can’t rate this – the product could be more ridiculous, but the video really ruins it for me.
1. 8Rlicht
Despite the Dutch pun, this rear light might be a good idea. It actually lights up as a brake light during the day, which could help you prevent rear-end collisions by making you more visible when you’re slowing down. Some of the most serious car-bike accidents happen because of rear-ending, so this is important. You can also make it say things like Baby On Board, and it has some anti-theft and tracking functionalities that don’t suck.
On a scale of one to pun I give it an ACHT.
I'll stop there. And I won’t even go into the myriad GoPro/Garmin mounts, or the performance western style mountain bike wear. You're welcome.
