If there are a lot of good ol' boys where you live, then you're likely familiar with Truck Nuts – rubber testicles that are hung from a pickup truck's trailer hitch. Well, a couple of Toronto-based designers have come up with something similar for bicycles. Known as Bike Balls, they actually serve as a tail light that catches motorists' attention by swinging merrily back and forth.
Bike Balls consist of a waterproof silicone, um ... sack, inside of which is a red LED module. Users turn it on and then switch between flashing and steady modes by squeezing a button at the top. When the LED is on, the translucent nature of the silicone causes the whole thing to light up.
The device is hung from one of the bike's saddle rails via an integrated strap, and secured against theft using a supplied zip-tie. As the cyclist pedals, the Bike Balls sway from side to side, supposedly drawing more attention than a regular hard-mounted tail light – the fact that they look like a certain something no doubt also helps them to get noticed.
Power is provided by two replaceable coin cell batteries that should reportedly be good for about 190 hours in flashing mode, or 100 in steady.
If you'd like to get a set of the balls for yourself, they're currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign that has already surpassed its funding goal. A pledge of CAD$13 (about US$11) will get you a Bike Balls tail light, when and if they're ready to hang.
You can see them in action – rather disconcertingly below a female cyclist – in the following video.
Source: Kickstarter
