GoKawiilis a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
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Richard Allen didn’t invent the automobile bike rack — his 1967 patent application makes it clear that others came before. But after nearly sixty years selling popular and simple mechanical bike carriers, his company Allen Bikes now offers a line of — yes — Bluetooth-monitored suction cups to stick bikes to your car.
If you feel stressed just looking at these pictures of the new $299 Smart Suction Go, you’re not alone! It’s the first thing my colleague Andrew Liszewski said, and I wholeheartedly agree. But apparently some people already swear by the ease and portability of suction-cup bike mounts — SeaSucker is the big name in that space.
Now, Allen is trying to reduce the anxiety with smart pressure sensors, so you’ll (hopefully) know if the suction’s failing long before your precious bike hits the asphalt. It pairs over Bluetooth with a smartphone app. And, the company’s using the same tech in a mount to stick your DSLR or mirrorless camera to vehicles, too.
We had many questions. Here are some of the answers:
Has anyone independently tested this?
Technically, Allen Bike introduced a pricier $599 version last year, but I’m not seeing many reviews. Here’s BikeRumor. Here’s Canadian Cycling Magazine. Sounds like neither really stress-tested it, so we don’t know how well it works during a suction failure.
How long do you have to pull over once suction starts failing?
“Because of the redundant design, users have several minutes to pull over and address any issues. Suction is actively checked every 5 seconds,” Alex Allen, the founder’s son and new owner, tells The Verge by email.
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