Turbospoke Rides Worldwide

By Zan Dubin Scott
January 1900

Remember sticking playing cards in your bicycle spokes? Today’s kids may not need to borrow any more clothespins, thanks to Turbospoke, a new bicycle accessory that’s on its way to making a roar.

The new noise maker, which clamps onto a bicycle’s rear stay, positions a plastic “moto-card” against a bike’s moving spokes for a vroom-vroom sound that’s amplified through a chrome muffler look-alike. It fits any bike frame from 12 to 28 millimeters in diameter, says Gavin Maxwell, who runs Tomax, the Ireland-based company that makes Turbospoke. The moto-card can be adjusted to produce variable sounds, from a throaty V8 roar to a Harley rumble.

But why spend $24.99 when playing cards are so cheap and plentiful? Gavin thinks the answer is “noise.”

“It’s simply not possible to create sustainable, authentic engine sounds with just a card,” explained Maxwell, who launched Turbospoke last year and introduced the product in the United States this June. Through distribution in 20 countries, the company sold 150,000 units in its first six months and Maxwell expects to sell 1.2 million pieces in 2005.

While Turbospoke may not be the biggest thing since the bicycle bell, it’s being used mostly on comfort bikes and cruisers, which are a growth sector for the industry, said Chris Denny, spokesman for Interbike, a large trade show for independent bicycle dealers. “It’s pretty neat for what it does. I think kids would probably dig it.”

Tomax promotes safety as one of Turbospoke’s selling points. Because it can alert drivers to a bicycle’s presence, the product has won design awards and been recommended by Bavarian police for its “major contribution to road safety,” Maxwell said.

“Sixty-five percent of child cycle accidents occur when cyclists swerve into traffic or other riders to avoid pedestrians or stationary drivers who don’t hear them approaching,” he said.

What about noise pollution? “We have never seen or heard of a complaint, and the cards can be pulled pack from the spokes to soften the noise without affecting the rider’s fun.”

Turbospoke was invented by Maxwell’s son, “Turbo” Tom Maxwell, when he was 16. Now 21 and completing a degree in industrial design, Tom and his older brother, Andrew, “are what they call car mad,” Gavin Maxwell continued. They built several cars in their teens.

Maxwell recognized that having a great idea is not enough without the marketing and distribution to go with it. “We have gone around the globe about four times in the last year, taking Turbospoke to most of the major bike and toy shows,” Maxwell said.

In addition, Tomax kicked off an aggressive U.S. media campaign with Boys Life Magazine. The publication invited Tomax to launch its nationwide Turbospoke cycle safety campaign at the Boy Scouts of America’s National Jamboree, an event expected to attract some 40,000 scouts and leaders to Virginia in late July. The magazine, circulation 6.9 million, also ran an article about the jamboree. The campaign links retailers and Boy Scout troops; the troops sell Turbospoke products to earn merit badges.

“It’s a win-win,” Maxwell said, “which increases awareness about cycle safety, and, of course, the brand, which is good for Tomax and our retailers.”

Since “Turbo” Tom created Turbospoke, Tomax has evolved into a design and manufacturing company. It will continue to develop new and innovative toys and bike accessories, Maxwell said.

“The goal is to provide the ultimate extras catalog for the ultimate cool bike,” he said.