Like a bicycle, the umbrella is a design of such simplicity that it no longer needs to evolve, but that does not stop people trying to make improvements.
Nubrella is a shoulder-mounted, folding canopy designed to shield people, including cyclists, from rain, wind and snow.
The device has already found customers in 70 countries and a new-and improved version has recently launched successfully on a crowd-funding website.
As a specialist piece of equipment for photographers and others who need hands-free weather protection, the Nubrella is an interesting proposition, but for many cyclists it would represent a sartorial fate worse than Lycra.
When it rains, it pours
Cycle insurance from the ETA covers against theft, accidental damage and vandalism (including at race events) includes third party insurance, a breakdown recovery service for cyclists and worldwide cover.
Do we need more wet weather gear?
Feast your eyes on our rain gear hall of fame; imaginative, if not always effective, ways of keeping dry on two wheels.
| Eccentric rain gear hall of fame | |
|---|---|
The Uberhood is an elongated umbrella that mounts to bicycle handlebars and is intended to protect the rider from sun and rain. Its makers claim that an aerodynamic shape means wind resistance is low, but the obvious drawback with such designs is the way they catch the wind from underneath and allow rain to reach the rider from the front. |
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| The Nubrella uses a patented shoulder strap to allow it to be used hands-free. It bears a passing resemblance to the helmet worn by the character Buzz Lightyear in the animated film, Toy Story. |  |
| This wearable poncho/tent hybrid may look eccentric, but is aimed at the many walkers and cycle campers who need waterproof clothing and a tent, but have to keep to a minimum the weight and volume of equipment they carry. |  |
| Italian designer Moshen Saleh has come up with a canopy for bicycles that inflates when it rains. The idea is that for day-to-day riding the roof is stowed in a handlebar-mounted binnacle. When it rains, the canopy is inflated; a framework of air-filled ribs ensuring it keeps its shape |  |
| Umbrella coat by Athanasia Leivaditou |  |
SilverSmith
Brilliant idea… wearing a Nubrella while riding a bike with no mud guards in the rain. Just genius!
By the way, I’m no designer but wouldn’t it be so much more sensible to attach it to a front-pack instead of a back-pack? What with the air flow and all.
Alex
Less eccentric, and probably more practical, there’s SPAD:
http://www.spaddeville.com/ukcollection.html
Did anyone try it?
Mary Fisher
Alex, I’ve never heard of it but it’s great – and I enjoyed the videos.
The only problem with cycling in Iceland is that outside the towns the roads are very rough, loose gravel-like surface.