WTF – Pelephant Props up an Indiegogo Crowd-Fund

Propping up your bike for that perfect Instagram picture is about the most first world problem you could get in the 21st century cycling world.

But that ‘problem’ may well have been solved by Zoo Gear, a company based in Asia that designs animal themed bike accessories. Yes, you heard that right. They’re on to a winner right there if you ask us.

This is no mere animal-themed accessory, though. This is the “Pelephant”, a, elephant-inspired bike pedal with an integrated prop for all your integrated bike propping elephant needs. So kind of animal themed, we guess. There’s the name, and the fact that the pedal sort of looks a bit like an elephant’s head. From the right angle. Kinda.

“Pelephant’s main function is to keep the bike balance, giving temporary support when you take photo for the bike [sic]” said Zoo Gear product designer Elvin Kong.

“We had this idea because people who love cycling, like us, love to take photo for their bike, we want to show the beauty of our bike with stunning landscape background… Helmet, bricks, stone, even a coke can will be use as a prop to keep the bike straight balance; some of them lean the bike on the wall… Our question is, if we need to use the prop for balance anyway, why don’t we integrate the prop with pedal? Why don’t we design a good looking pedal/prop rather than searching for one in the dump?”

There’s always the question of weight, we suppose – although this doesn’t look like it’ll add too many pounds to your bike – and it’s clearly more commuter-based than the gnarly gear we usually feature.

But before you go around railing at the fact that it’s very easy to grab some junk from somewhere else to take a pic of your bike, and that this idea leaves the cranks in pretty much the least perfect position there is (they should be level, people – or at least filling the negative space below the downtube), consider that this might be much more of a ‘thing’ in Asia than is is here in good old blighty. Who knows?

And in marketing the Pelephant, they’re using the tagline ‘Harummpphh!’ – which is clearly a MASSIVE winner in anyone’s book.

The campaign is not yet live and will start on Indiegogo in August 2016. You can keep up-to-date with the “Pelephant” here.