Whirlpool’s Gladiator GarageWorks division announced yesterday that they will become the first major U.S. manufacturer to commercially produce a product from the ABC Television network reality show, American Inventor. From the press release:
The bicycle storage device prototype designed by Craig Forrest and David Moeller will be displayed at IBS then restyled, rebranded, renamed and relaunched by the brand in the coming months. To store a bicycle up to 50 pounds the device grasps a bicycle’s tire by opposing hooks when the central plunger is depressed. By re-pressing or “bumping the plunger” the device opens and unlocks for easy bicycle wheel removal without having to lift the bicycle over the top of a standard bike hook.
According to the Claw website, the Claw will be available this summer in Lowe’s, Sears and other Gladiator retailers. Looks cool, but my cheap hardware store, plastic covered hooks have been working fine in my cluttered garage for over 20 years. Work is a different matter. Do you think your employer might be willing to make a concession to allow something like this to be installed?