Hasta La Ideas

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear” …or so the saying goes. Bike Snob NYC recently brought my attention to a new-ish cycling accessory that is perhaps more an example of the latter than a measure against the former. The ambitiously-named “Uberhood“—BSNYC notes that some might mistake it for “the new name for Williamsburg, Brooklyn”—is a handlebar-mounted umbrella for the semper paratus cyclist, purportedly equally useful in rain or shine. Either way, Uberhood has you covered:

Rain: When skies are grey, the Uberhood always provides a silver lining. Elongated design and aerodynamic shape means rain is repelled; wind resistance is low; and you STAY DRY.

Sun: Think of it as SPF 20,000. With the Uberhood special silver lining reflecting the sun, you won’t just look cool, you’ll BE COOL anywhere and everywhere you ride.

Well, in terms of staying dry in rainy conditions, fenders—conspicuously absent in the majority of their product photography—should be the first order of business. (A helmet could also be considered a necessity when traversing slick streets with reduced braking power; the fact that it covers one’s head is just a bonus.)

Metacommentary aside, I find that I literally face a substantial amount of, um, frontal drenching when riding in the rain… though perhaps the Uberhood provides sufficient drag to preclude this problem.

For what it’s worth, the quasi-aero form factor loosely resembles another (handheld) umbrella design we’ve seen before, though I’m skeptical as to how it would hold up in the gusty conditions that characterize moderate to heavy storms here on the East Coast. (Curiously enough, none of the product photography shows riders in any sort of downpour…)

One of my colleagues (who shall remain unnamed) pointed out that the assembly video features quite a bit of suggestively-positioned thigh:

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