Spoke beads
Spoke beads (sometimes sold as Spokey Dokeys) are a bicycle accessory, originating in the 1980s, most popular with children. They are plastic beads that attach onto bicycle wheel spokes.[1]
At low speeds, the beads slide up and down the spokes and produce a clicking sound. At higher speeds, centrifugal force moves them outward toward the rim, where they remain relatively stationary and become silent.[1] The beads are known for their varied colors and patterns and were mainly used aesthetically, though there was a belief that the bright beads made cyclists more visible to traffic.[2]
The idea was created by a California man, Larry Harmen. He was able to develop the prototypes and then license it to a toy company.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Brookman, Rosalind (9 April 2004). "Spokey Dokeys". Do You Remember?. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ↑ Crump, Ian (18 September 2024). "Five things we remember about growing up in Southampton in the 1990s". Daily Echo. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
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