While home to two of the most famous cyclists, Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche, Ireland isn't necessarily everyone's first thought for cycling gear companies. But Bopworx is out to change that with their innovative and simple to use devices that protect your bikes from damage when boxing them for shipping or travel, transporting them by car or storing them at home.
The Fork Guard protects fork tips when boxing a bike or transporting one by car without its front wheel while the Bop Bumpers can be used to secure loose items and protect the frame. Photo courtesy: Bopworx
Bopworx was born from a family trip along the west coast of the US, with multiple kids and bikes in tow. If you've ever traveled by car with your bike, even (or especially) if on a rear rack where the bike hangs from the top tube, you know the bikes can move about and damage each other or the car. The same goes when boxing a bike for a flight, or even keeping bikes at home when leaning them against each other, a sometimes necessary storage solution.
All of those scenarios have had us all, at one time or another, like Bopworx's founder Paul McGriskin, using rags, bungee cords, old race t-shirts and other items to protect our bikes' finishes and drivetrain components when transporting our rigs.
Bopworx set out to solve this with their system of bumpers that attach to your bike via soft, rubber straps and provide a barrier against impact while being stored for any purpose. Bopworx offers five specialized products for use on various areas of your bike. The Bop Bumber, Double Bumper, Fork Guard, Rear Derailleur Guard and Bopwrap each fit differently in order to protect specific components such as fork tips, rear mechanisms or in the case of the Bop Bumper, Double Bumper and Bopwrap nearly anywhere on any frame tube.
Each product is designed to be easy to use and they require no tools for installation. Out of the box, using the Bopworx products is intuitive.
How well do they protect your bike? We've got some travel coming up and will be putting the Bopworx system to the test. Stay tuned for a full review.
Bopworx Specifications
Price: $20 USD - $50 USD depending on model
More info: bopworx.com
The Double Bumper can be used to keep bikes mounted on a rear car rack from knocking into each other or as seen here to prevent the frame from being compressed when boxed. Photo courtesy: Bopworx
