Nobody likes getting rained on while cycling, yet most of us probably aren’t quite ready to shell out for an enclosed velomobile, either. That’s why Swiss company Allnew recently introduced Dryve – it’s a flexible, detachable rain cover for bikes.
Dryve attaches to the handlebars and the back of the saddle within about 30 seconds, arching over the rider sort of like the fairing on the never-reached-production Sinclair X-1 e-bike. This means that while the rider’s face and back are for the most part shielded from the rain, they’re completely exposed on either side. A semi-rigid circular polycarbonate "windshield" on the front offers better outward visibility than the crinkly plastic that surrounds it, although judging by the video on the product website (linked below), it still collects its fair share of water droplets.
When not in use, the 850-gram (1.9-lb) rain cover can be collapsed down into a photographic reflector-like hoop configuration, then stored in an included stuff sack that can be carried on the bike’s rear rack.
Dryve was recently showcased at Eurobike 2014 in Germany, and should be available in a variety of colors for €126 (about US$163) as of next spring (Northern Hemisphere). If you just can’t wait, you might want to check out the somewhat similar Veltop.
Source: Dryve
