- 5 / 5 Bee's Knees -
Cleverly named and coming from a brand of charming pedigree, the Knog Oi breaks new ground in a territory that hasn’t seen much if any change since inception.
About a week ago I received an email from an unfamiliar company out of California (though their products are made in China) regarding a revolutionary bike rack system. Lately this has been a trend. “We big fan Subjective Cyclist. You kindly review product, good review….” You get the idea. The sad thing is, every time I get one of these emails, the products are so utterly common or worse yet sub-standard. In this case, this “revolutionary” rack was a complete copy of a generic hitch rack with no distinguishing features of any nature. By contrast, I’ve received some exciting emails from new startups that are looking to make their break and spark that fire with Kickstarter. It is so much more enjoyable to read of exciting young minds improving upon things that no-one really thought warranted improvement. It may be an exaggerated comparison but enter the Knog Oi, the most thoughtfully design bike bell I’ve come across as of late.
One glance at this product and you basically know all there is to know. Oi embraces the familiar Knog concept of minimalism with brilliant functionality. Foremost, the footprint of this bell is likely the smallest of any on the market. Sizing is universal for all common bar sizes through a large and small option. While the two different sized models produce slightly different pitches, each sounds similar to one another and entirely original against what we have come to expect a bike bell to sound like. I’d say the tone that this bell produces mirrors the default text tone on the current iPhone models. A spring mounted bar carries the confident ring with the flick of the integrated plastic hammer. Compared to some bells, it seems to resonate a great deal longer. As with all Knog products, color options ensure that your style and flare are satisfied.
If you’ve ever strapped something uncommon to your race bike and though to yourself, “Self…that looks ridiculous,” you’ll understand the concept and value of Knogs Oi. Few if any bells will take up as little space as this product, look this sleek without compromising tone, output or esthetics. In a world of “ground-breaking bike racks,” the Knog Oi will be a breath of fresh air in a sea of mediocrity and peasantry.
