One of the true joys of living in Brooklyn is taking my bike for a few laps around Prospect Park. Sadly, hoisting my 25 lb. Priority Bike on my shoulder and up four floors makes a chore out of what should be a relaxing activity.
Luckily, I found this nifty little bike lifter on Amazon for $15, and it took a load off my shoulders—literally.
Over a month ago, I began looking for an alternative way to exercise. I hurt my hand climbing at the gym (a flexor tendon strain) which meant that I’d be unable to go to the gym for a few weeks.
I had two options: yoga or biking. I liked yoga fine, but the last time I went to a class, someone farted and ruined the entire experience for me. (I haven’t been since.)
Riding my bike was always fun until, of course, the end. I couldn’t leave it locked up outside, because, well, New York City. So for the past few years, I’ve shouldered my bike to get it up the stairs. But it never became comfortable and required me to twist my hand in a way which caused pain after my injury. So, I began looking for other options.
The Tourbon Brown Leather Bicycle Frame Handle attaches to the frame of the bike (the seat and down tube) just above the chain and pedals. Using the handle made carrying my bike feel a lot easier. The site says the handle achieves this by “lowering the center of gravity” and lets you use the same muscles as when you’re “lifting a grocery bag or carrying a briefcase.”
Frankly, this product is nothing more than a few scraps of leather and rivets. And anyone who has rudimentary leather working abilities can probably make it themselves. In fact, there’s a tutorial online to make a similar tool with paracord and a piece of metal.
But for someone without the talent or time (like myself) this is certainly worth $15. That’s honestly a small price to pay to enable me to ride outside more.