Bicycle Bungee
 

Bike Snob had some good stuff on this one.
"Anyone who actually tries to use the Bicyclebungee repurposed retractable dog leash on a cliffside mountain bike trail is almost certainly going to slingshot his or her riding partner to his or her death."

Looks like a solution to a non-existing problem . . .
or . . .
an accident waiting to happen . . .

Like the old joke: You know you're really from [insert favourite backward U.S. state or Canadian province here] if at least two of your male relatives have died immediately after yelling, "Hey y'all....watch THIS!"

Being pulled from your handle bar like that is a sure disaster waiting to happen.

I'm more disturbed by the narrator's improper and over use of the the long "e".

Several years ago, my buddies and I were out in Moab, Ut for some mountain biking in Canyonlands NP. We were staying out of town at an adventure lodge for a couple of days before our trip. The lodge was hosting an organised "adventure" race. This was a team thing involving long multi-day hikes, mountain bike trips, and kayak journies. Since we were rooming next door to one of the teams, they were good enough to explain the deal to us. I think that I remember teams of at least 4 mountain bikers that would all bungee together, at least for the cross country parts of their rides. I don't think that these bungees came into play during the technical phases of the rides, which would be suicidal!
On another note, during the same trip, we checked out the Slickrock (talk about scarey) trail in Moab, and were entertained by some really outragious dual suspension tandems that were made to do some amazing things by their riders!

He does, including a skewering of the actors in the video. That is a funny blog.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wb8bAl1P-N...esentation.jpg
(Implussed and nonpatient.)



I did a search to see if Bike Snob has turned his critical eye to tandems. There are a few pieces, like this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wb8bAl1P-N...sighting+a.JPG

Ah, what could say "Bike Month" more articulately than a tandem sighting on the Brooklyn Bridge? Tandems definitely fall into the category of "freak bikes." However, unlike other freak bikes like recumbents and tri bikes tandems make you happy when you see them instead of angry. They're kind of like seeing antique cars in that you can't help pointing and waving--until you get stuck behind one, of course, at which point they do become pretty annoying.

As the video started I was thinking, "What they need is a tandem..." And then she went and dissed the whole tandem idea by 51 seconds into it!

But he's too much of a dick to make a good tandem captain anyway.

The most unbelievable thing about the "repurposed retractable dog leash" is that they sell them for $298. Plus shipping.

"Bicycle Bungee: It's the way two people of different abilities get to ride together and where you both get a really good bike ride; no one gets left behind; no one gets frustrated having to slow down and wait up; it means mates get to stay mates."

Worst tagline eeever.

Of course, my wife lives the idea. We have a tandem, and we love riding it, but she yearns to ride her 1/2 bike now and again, mostly on the 20 mi urban rides. Usually the field is big enough that she can hang with some "C" riders during the occasional sprint zones. But when the field is small, I kinda look like the dorky guy for most of the rides. But at $299, there is not fear of us ever getting one.

The thing that scares me most it the retraction! I can just see that thing getting caught in the rear spokes at speed. There goes a rear wheel. Replay that video and look at the retraction sequence. I can't believe they didn't do a retake on that so that she didn't have to pull it a few time to get it to retract! Or maybe they did, and just took the best of all the retakes.

But does your retractable dog leash have a carbon-fibre housing********** :p

I wonder if they have a cheaper alu version??? :rolleyes:

I went to their web site and noticed the following disclaimer: ""Bicycle Bungee" is sold as an accessory item for the recreational activity of cycling and is not sold for business purposes."

Darn, I was so looking forward to starting a new career.

Oh, I get it. You were thinking of going out to RAGBRAI, stationing yourself at the bottom of a long grade like a helper locomotive, and charging a fee to lift the halt and the lame to the summit?

Ha ha! That was me on single road bikes at times. I think I could handle the bicyclebungie okay, since it'd be mounted on the seat post of my bike. But I'd be worried to death of her getting pulled into traffic or into a curb or something with that hooked on a handlebar of her's.

I love the tandem! :-)

bingo!