Kane’s Kickstarter Roundup – June 2015

Here are some fresh Kickstarter ideas that new lad Kane has found on the internets just so you don’t have to:

First out is the TiltShift Rail coming straight from the steel city of Sheffield-

This new product is a bike rack – and I know those first words haven’t made you leap from your chair in excitement, but give me a chance to explain what makes the TiltShift a little different to the other carriers that have served us well in our travels. We featured the company’s previous idea of a tiltable roof rack a while ago here. 

First off it’s a product fully built and designed here in the UK, developed by engineers who have worked with companies such as Boeing and Rolls Royce. It’s also a very flexible piece of kit that uses a simple two point mounting system that accommodates QR axles, 15mm or 20mm axles.

You can make your own mind up by looking at it in more detail here, but we think the emphasis on both stability and style helps this product stand out in a pretty big market.

ShockWiz by Dusty Dynamics- 

This innovative bit of tech has already caused a stir on the scene. It’s reached over 65% of funding needed to get it out onto the virtual shelves by January 2016, but what exactly is it?

Well according to the manufacturer, ShockWiz is like your own personal race-engineer that provides analysis on your riding performance when out on an air-sprung mountain bike. It works by sending various calculations of your spring rate and shock damping to an Apple or Android phone by measuring the changing pressures in the air can.

It connects via Bluetooth 4.0 within a distance of around 200 feet – meaning you won’t always have to take your expensive yet fragile phone out onto the trails. (As long as you have a trusted person nearby to keep it safe, of course).

You can view all the specs and complicated stuff here and even pledge some money towards the idea if it’s something that interests you.

The Sentinel by Dämperferlinik- 

You may have just been hit with a sudden wave of déjà vu because yes, we did do a piece on this product earlier this year and, as we said in our first post, we do still believe they could be onto something.

This Kickstarter looks unlikely to reach the €85,000 needed for manufacture, but I wouldn’t worry just yet as this kind of forward innovation will more than likely open a path for other engineers who perhaps once thought that the mountain bike fork was a finished article.

That’s not to say we’ve completely written off Dämperferlinik’s chances of getting this product to market. You can still pledge money towards their idea here and who knows? Your bit of money might speed up the process.

The Fat Stevens Fat Bike Pump by Portland Design Works- 

Fat bikes are in. Even if they are your thing or not, those big fat tyres are here to stay.

The Fat Stevens is a useful tool for all riders thanks to its portability and the minimum effort that’s needed to get your flat tyres back out onto the trails.

Unfortunately this Kickstarter has just hours till it’s pulled and it’s only totalled $14,000- which is about 50% short of what the manufacturer needs. You can look at The Fat Stevens in more detail here.

A quick update on the Neo Jacket by Upper Downs- 

Last week we told you about Upper Downs, a new outdoor clothing brand that is introducing the Neo Jacket. I’ll try not to bore you by repeating what we what we’ve already said so if you haven’t yet seen the story then here you go.

So the Neo Jacket now has 15 days to reach their goal of £25,000. They’re currently up to around £11,000, so there is a still a way to go. We think this brand has great potential and the story behind Matt and Henry, the developers of this product, is a pretty good one. If you think so too, then why not try to help them reach their target.

Click here for the Kickstarter link