"No no, I am a smug activist. "

"good eye m8"

"Interesting, but I have to (as a designer myself) disagree that bloggers enjoying a design brand's sense of humor is causally linked to the excremental downfall of meaningful creation and scholarship. Sounds like you might need a vacation from the internet... and a refresher on the Cambriae. "

"Agreed on the spring tension - a larger grippy surface area would only reduce the amount of torque needed to release. Sight unseen it's hard to say whether they'd pop all the way out easily, but I bet you'd start noticing how wiggly your feet are."

"The A530 is a great option that I'd recommend for a lot of commuters, though I do find the traction lacking in wet conditions, or with shoes that have hard and slick soles. A solid daily dual-purpose solution, though I don't think they're ideal for longer road or mountain riding, which is part of this product's appeal."

"Wow, it sure is, and they have a new IndieGoGo campaign yet no info on the suspension. Not confidence inspiring. "

"The fixie-as-model is one of my favorite lazy tropes. It's a very efficient way to see which designers didn't bother learning how derailleurs work or doing much market research. "

"Nailed it. It's almost my favorite season for bike news just for the entertainment! Young designers sure love to eliminate what they don't understand. :)"

"Hey, Thanks for the additional info, Ani! Glad you've updated your campaign copy too. My biggest caution to folks working on bike products is to investigate the end user very very carefully. Riders range so widely in their technical knowledge and mechanical abilities that making a product appeal to both the savant and the newcomer is an uphill battle. (This is particularly true because everyone thinks of bikes as simple machines... apart from grouchy industry vets. *cough*) So if it turns out you're really aiming at a select sub-group (fixie-riding mechanically-inclined city-dwellers?) it can pay off to lean into that specificity in the product and pitch, instead of stretching to reach people who won't be well-equipped users without a lot of education. Hope your work goes well! -Kat"

"Hey Nick! Thanks for the details and video update. I agree that (like *anything* bike related) it won't be for everyone, but I'd love to get my hands on one. The attachment system alone seems more user friendly than any I've seen in the last few years. Have you found they work similarly well on small to extra-small sized frames? -Kat"

"So what would you recommend for bikes that do have a carbon seat post, or seat mast like those used in this example? This product specifically targets bikes where traditional racks like yours don't safely work. (And to say a pound of difference isn't much might put you in the minority of carbon bike riders.)"