This Crowdfunded Bike Umbrella Might Actually Work

After various shockers, here's a design we'd take for a spin.
Shannon Connellan
February 19, 2015

Waking up and hearing the rain cascade over your roof, drizzle down your windows and water your plants sounds like heaven to most of us. To the cyclists among us, on the other hand, maybe not so much. Riding in the rain isn't the most desirable (or safe) way of getting to work, but for some it's the only way. So various bike umbrellas have been developed over the years (including this shocker), but here's one that might actually work.

LEAFXPRO is a brand new leaf-style umbrella for your bike, looking for funding on Kickstarter. Designed with aerodynamics and ergonomics in mind, the windscreen-shaped umbrella hopes to keep you nice and dry on your way to work.You can even pick the colour from 'storm colours' to 'advanced colours'. Yep, deep breaths. The LEAFXPRO aerodynamics work to pull the water away from your body as you ride, and can be installed on any bike.

leafxpro-image

We're a little worried about the visibility factor with that frontal shield, but we'd have to take it for a test run to make the call. And from the looks of the promo video, you'll need to unclip from the umbrella when you're locking up your bike — so you might get pretty wet anyway. Available for pre-order on Kickstarter, the umbrellas are going for about £99 — about $195AUD, pretty steep stuff when you add shipping. But with the amount you're likely to drop on Uber every time in rains, it might pay for itself. Maybe.

Via Cycling Weekly.

Published on February 19, 2015 by Shannon Connellan
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