The Bike Umbrella may be used both as an umbrella and also as a parasol or sun shade.  The universal clamp has been designed to fit almost any type of handle bar.  It has a quick and simple fastening mechanism, which allows the bicycle umbrella to be angled and also for the height to be adjusted to suit your riding position. The handle bar clamp has been designed to allow the bike umbrella to be quickly and conveniently released so that you can use it additionally when walking or to enable it to be folded and stored away (or attached to the cross bar). 

The bike umbrella is made in a range of fashionable colours and graphic designs with an optional UV protective inner lining.   The umbrella shaft is made from a high tech FRP material, making it both lightweight and very strong.  The bike umbrella comes with optional straight or curved handles, made of wood, rubber or plastic. The bike umbrella has been specifically designed to be both aerodynamic and wind resilient.  Safety has been uppermost in our thinking during the design and testing of the product.  In trials we have found the streamlined aerodynamics quite amazing - in crosswinds and also front and rear winds - making for a surprisingly stable ride.  The spokes have been designed to "give" in heavy winds rather than place all the load on the bicycle itself. By virtue of the additional visible surface area and the optional ultra bright colours, the bike umbrella improves your visibility to motorists when cycling and you will actually find that motorists tend to pass leaving a wider gap than normally. 

Consumers – Rob McAlister Ltd also welcomes enquiries from the general public.  We shall shortly be setting up our webshop to enable us to receive payments electronically.  In the meantime, however, if you’d like to be one of the first people in the world to own this fantastic new bike parasol or bike umbrella, just email or call us now! 

Investors – Patents and design rights have been filed in many countries around the world.  Investors should contact Rob McAlister Ltd in the first instance for further information on the sales potential of this major new innovation.

Umbrella Heaven
(Consumer)

Witch Umbrella
(Retail)

The Umbrella

History of the umbrella When an umbrella is mentioned in conversation today, it is widely recognised that you refer to a device whose function it is to keep you dry in the rain. Not many people realise that the original function of the umbrella was to provide shade from the Sun. The word umbrella is derived from the Latin word ‘umbra’ meaning ‘shade’ and the word ‘parasol’ appears to be derived from two French words, ‘parare’ meaning to ‘shield’ and ‘sol’ meaning the ‘Sun’. Although both the umbrella and parasol started out as devices to protest you from the Sun, only the parasol has maintained its original functionality. References to the usage of both the umbrella and parasol can be found in art and literature throughout ancient Africa, Asia and Europe. A good example of this would be the Egyptian goddess Nut who is reported to have shielded the Earth like a giant umbrella, protecting humanity from heavenly elements. The history of the umbrella stretches all the way back to the Egyptians and Mesopotamians who constructed the original device from palm fronds and feathers would you believe? Later, they used stretched papyrus for the canopy creating a device that resembles the umbrella that you see today. Wealthy Greek and Roman women carried the ‘Sun umbrella’ as an accessory about 2,000 years ago. It was so identified as a woman’s object, that if a man carried or used one, he would be laughed at. The women soon realised that if they oiled their ‘Sun umbrella’ which was made from paper, that it protected them in the rain. Out of interest, there is a recorded lawsuit dating back to these times over whether a particular woman should be allowed to open her umbrella within the ampitheater because it was claimed that she was blocking the view of those people behind her…needless to say, the woman won! Nowadays it is common for men to carry an umbrella and this is mainly accredited to the efforts of two individuals. Jonas Hanway in 1750 and later John MacDonald in 1778 both braved ridicule and insisted on carrying the umbrella wherever they went, thereafter making it an acceptable and common accessory for men. The umbrella slowly became more popular and widely regarded as a Gentleman’s accessory. By the nineteenth century, wealthy gentlemen in England would carry an umbrella with specially designed handles that would hide a flask, small dagger or other object and by the mid-twentieth century, a gentleman was considered improperly attired if he was not carrying a hat, gloves and umbrella.

Trading partners wanted around the world...
Rob McAlister Ltd is about to launch this revolutionary new product and is looking for suitable distributors and retail outlets.

For further information or details on ordering this fantastic new product please contact:

E-mail
info@bikeumbrella.com

Tel:
+44 (0)1525 219794