Green building has extended out to the street. Mixed-use development encourages walkability, LEED awards points toward certification for bike rack installation, and more cities are adding bike lanes and bike storage. But getting around by bike comes with one large inconvenience—the typical bicycle offers no refuge from the elements. Until now, that is.
It’s a bicycle umbrella called the Dryve, developed by a Swiss company of the same name, that can attach to almost any bike enabling riders to drive more safely in rain or light snow. Set to appear in stores in the spring of 2015, the flexible fabric and vinyl product attaches to the handle bars and the back of the seat, creating a curved protected area somewhat like a traditional umbrella. The design also features basic clips so Dryve can be easily removed, an array of colors to choose from to match most bikes, and a windshield area.
If Dryve is successful and provides cyclists with good visibility in inclement weather, it could enhance the feasibility of biking to work, particularly in cooler, wetter climates. Summer showers would prove no problem and in places like New York, where numbers of cyclists don’t usually pick up until April, commuters could readily choose to switch back to their bike earlier knowing unpredictable weather wouldn’t be an issue. Dryve is a small idea with big implications for sustainable transit.
Here, watch a video on the installation of Dryve to see the sleek bicycle umbrella in action:
