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BONCHO: The Bike Poncho That Actually Keeps You Dry

VANMOOF

BONCHO covers riders' bodies from head to toe when riding in the rain and neatly folds up for easy and compact storage.

Every day, bad weather deters countless people around the world from riding their bikes. Now, an innovative bike company that's committed to removing all barriers to biking has created a unique solution to eliminate this barrier: BONCHO, a full-body poncho that keeps bikers completely dry. Finally released from the drenched and soggy feeling while riding in the rain.

Design Team

VANMOOF

Shane Liu & Vicky Lin, designers

Design development

VANMOOF's research and development team created BONCHO based on designs by Shane Liu and Vicky Lin, two design graduates who had previously designed an innovative new type of umbrella that features a metal folding structure, allowing large umbrellas to fold into compact packages. Liu and Lin met with VANMOOF team members in Taipei, a city known for frequent rainfall, and they collaborated to design a fresh solution for keeping bicyclists dry.

The Amsterdam-based bike maker VANMOOF (known for its innovative, award-winning city bikes) just launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring BONCHO to bike lovers worldwide. The brand new product features a hood for keeping riders’ heads dry and an extended structure that fits snugly over handlebars to form a cover for riders’ legs and feet. BONCHO uses a patented folding structure, similar to pop-up tents, allowing it to easily and efficiently fold up into a compact package that fits into virtually any bag.

"The VANMOOF team is constantly seeking new ways to remove the barriers that deter people from commuting by bike, and bad weather is one of the biggest barriers of all,” said Ties Carlier, co-founder of VANMOOF. “BONCHO changes the game, empowering riders around the world to bike confidently and stay dry in the rain.”

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Comments

Aaron Jacobsen

8 years ago

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Not the sort to rain (no pun intended) on someones hard work, the colour is grand, but with the best intention in the world, the third rider in the illustration on the road bike, will still get the familiar wet mark of greatness up his arse and back without mud guards. And no one like's rocking up with a vertical skid mark that says, "I rode to work in the rain" on them.

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Hoh_design Ho

8 years ago

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This type of rain coat has existed in China for ages, albeit without the fancy quick folding mechanism and the resulting rigidity on the front.

Judging from the experience of trying to fold my daughter's tent using a similar mechanism, not sure how well that would work.

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Dee An

8 years ago

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Hello again!
Another question, I'm afraid!
How does this poncho work with handlebar-mounted headlights?
On the subject of rider safety, your poncho does provide a great opportunity: it massively increases the area of the rider when they are viewed from the side. The poncho could be made from reflective and other highly visible fabrics, or could even be actively illuminated through the use of optically transmissive materials.

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Dee An

8 years ago

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Hi guys!
I can't help think of the safety implications of this poncho. In the event of a crash or a collision, is there a risk the poncho will get caught on the handlebars of the bicycle whilst the rest is attacked to the user's neck?
Perhaps the addition of a break-away component could be considered?Though this might interfere with the unbroken elegance of your design that allows rain no point of ingress, I'm sure you guys can find a way to implement it.

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