photo from cyclestyle.com.au
Do you remember my previously expressed desire to master the art of reading and walking without looking up from my book?
Well, I found a product that suggests that there is a group of daredevil readers out there that puts my wish to shame.
A bookstand that attaches to one’s bicycle so you can read while biking!
A frightening, potential circus act for when you just have to find out what happens next in your book while running errands or cycling to work…..
(there’s a part of me that just loves this)
These are my two favorite reviews of the product:
“initially, my magazines and books kept blowing off on the downhills, but once I figured out how to attach them with binder clips, all was well.”
“I could imagine getting through War and Peace by the time I crossed the finish line.”
Any takers?
reading interrupted. 
Holy dangerous invention, Batman!
I especially liked the first product review you included. LOL! Milwaukee has a substantial biking community which I am proud to be a part of. The problem is people become reckless and constantly talk and text as they ride. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw one of these in the flesh…I’ll alert you if I see one! : )
I’ve seen people riding and talking on their phones but never texting – that’s something! If you see someone using this reading stand, you definitely have to tell me about it!
I agree, I love the casual ingenuity of the first reviewer 🙂
I will definitely let you know. But, I promise not to take a picture with my iPhone as I’m riding…safety first! : )
hahaha, at least wait for a red light 🙂
Completely crazy…. But so appealing…
Francoise
I agree; I’m torn between loving it and fearing it!
Must be Dutch….
You’re right! They are so used to biking everywhere they go; they must be used to multi-tasking while biking 🙂
Lovely blog and I can’t even ride a bike without holding on after over 60 years… lol! I enjoy your pics and thoughts… I shall return, joyfully…
Thank you for visiting and for your kind words! Glad you enjoyed the post, as absurd as the idea of cycling and reading is 🙂
multi tasking is a curse, and a blessing sometimes… as long as we are willing to pay the consequences, eh? 😉
So true!
although in this case, I wonder if the nearby pedestrians aren’t the ones who would be paying the price! 🙂
LOL… yes indeed! Have a great day my new friend! 🙂
That’s mental, however I’d be up for a crack at that and it would be a crack too, in my head, my arm, etc..
hahaha! That’s horrible and funny 😀
Here in Thailand I see young, mostly girls, driving motorcycles and texting. I think the book rack maybe natures way of keeping the gene pool strong, lol.
Motorcycles and texting: oh boy! Wouldn’t want to be in the way of that 🙂
I admire the people’s creativity to make these products! But I don’t think that I’d take the risk of reading whilst cycling!
me neither! 🙂
Not really a good idea, lol. 🙂
Interesting, but what about potholes, cracks, and cars? What about knuckleheads who ride their bikes while reading?
Great comment 🙂
The website also mentions it can be used for stationary bikes, although it doesn’t put that as the only use which I found fascinating…..
That looks dangerous! I can’t walk a few feet without bumping into people while trying to find a number on my phone, let alone read a book while walking or riding a bike!
It’s ridiculously dangerous, I agree.
I think I saw somewhere on the website that it could also be used to put a trail map if you’re going mountain biking which actually sounds practical (as long as you stop riding when you look at it so you don’t hit a tree!).
But I would be the first one to ride right into a brick building if I started riding and reading a book at the same time as I’m just like you!
I love the velodrome photo. That’s riding with style! If they’d put a drink holder on the reading stand attachment, I think they’d have a winner.
I know, he’s so elegant, I agree!
ingenious invention, particularly for population control 🙂
I know, so true!
Perhaps if you read in a very loud voice, pedestrians will have enough time to jump out of the way 🙂
This is something certainly I would love to try.
But I guess I’ll wait and see how you guys are doing after some trial runs. 🙂
Nice one, 😀
We’ll let you know how it goes (if we can still type after the trial runs!)
Oh, that velodrome photo makes me laugh. All that is needed is some cucumber sandwiches and seed cake.
A bicycle with reading stand? Faugh, amateurs! I see kids on their way to school trying to read their homework whilst riding no hands, as well as the phone thing. (In seriousness, I do not in any way recommend that, it’s scarily dangerous and I do not want to see the day one of them swerves into a car’s path.)
I could just see him with cucumber sandwiches and seed cake! He is so elegant and composed, I wish I could look like that while cycling.
I think you’ve uncovered a whole new market for this product: children using it to finish their homework – not just reading but even using it as a desk to finish writing in their notebooks! Oh dear, let’s make sure they don’t find out about it!!
Ummm. I don’t want to drive by anybody who is using this gadget… Let’s have somebody pedal and navigate for us so that we can concentrate on reading. How about that?
That sounds like a good compromise!
Although I wonder if I even have the balance for that! 🙂
They have stationary bike versions of these if you don’t wanna go headfirst into a bus!
The website says it can be used on stationary bikes too but I was fascinated by the fact that this wasn’t highlighted as the only use. It also says it’s great for use on road and mountain bikes – so you have the choice of heading into a bus or a tree! 🙂
I’d say hitting a tree would be more considerate. If you hit a bus, you not only inconvenience yourself, but a busload of commuters too! Suicide by tree is a far more gracious way to go!
oh dear, I can’t believe we’re having this conversation (although I agree, it would be more gracious!)
I would have thought the book rest would be shrinkable to accommodate those awful Kindles!!!!
Hmmm, I wonder how one would attach a Kindle?? Perhaps with some kind of elastic band!
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Maybe you can strap it to the back of a tandem bike? Then that person can then read aloud to the fellow who’s steering?
I suppose the real question is: Why do readers have a death wish?
I like the idea of the person in the back reading to the one steering!
Haha, I love that photo! Coffee and a newspaper… I’m barely awake enough during that morning ritual to balance on my bed, forget a bike!
I know, he’s so graceful, it’s incredible!
Thank you 🙂 It was a great holyday.
Thank you 🙂 it was a great holyday.
I tried to text while riding my bike, did not work out well 😛
It looks like a music stand for a bike. Maybe it could be used in a parade by a biking band (instead of marching)? I’d recommend the tuba player ride a tricycle. I also like the suggestion for use on a tandem bike. Maybe it could be a one bike band…
I love the idea of a biking band (especially the tuba tricycle!) What a fun image 🙂
God help them 🙂
and us if they ever ride by us! 🙂
Amen.
I think that to bike and to read at same time is irresponsible for other people.
I agree; it’s ridiculous! I think most people just use it for their stationary bikes when they work out 🙂
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Only if I was more coordinated!
It definitely requires amazing powers of coordination and peripheral vision, I agree 🙂
I would like one of these extensions for my bike, but I would need to master how to follow the road and dodge cars while reading. Maybe if I bike slow enough…..
I agree, one would have to ride very, very slowly indeed…. and then just maybe!
This scares me. Yikes!
me too! I think they should really only advertise it for stationary bikes but something about it really intrigues me nonetheless….
In high school I hung out at our small town library, okay so I practically lived there, anyway coming home on my bike I decided to read while I rode, An interesting fall and one huge bruise a few minutes later changed my mind on the subject, it does look cool though!
But at least you tried, Penny, and that is super cool in my eyes (as long as you didn’t get TOO hurt and didn’t hurt anyone else!)
Actually I slide quite awhile (I was also bringing home 5 other books with the other hand so I was riding without “any” hands on the handle bars (lol) the bike hit a bump and I flew onto the pavement. I didn’t want to hurt the books (so precious to me) so I hung onto them and slide on my jeans covered thigh. I had a foot wide bruise for quite a while! Silly me and my love of books. Penny 🙂
Oh dear, that sounds terrible! I can’t believe you saved the books before yourself!
When I mentioned I was a serious book lover, I was in no way kidding! They were my world. After the fact I wasn’t happy with my choice, still the books did emerge unscathed. 🙂
I came back to see this one again and smiled 🙂 I think it involves multitasking and that I might not be able to fully concentrate on the words if I’m peddling as I read! I sometimes have enough trouble not knocking over my mug of tea 😀
It would be tough, right? 😃