Bikes and Opening Bottles

Reader Duann sent along a link to a product called the "Road Popper."  It's a little doodad that attaches to your seat rails and is meant to act as a bottle opener.  The following text and picture are credited to the shapeways web site:

The Road Popper is a bike-mounted bottle opener that we developed for our own use and decided afterward to share. We designed it to fasten discreetly to the rails on the underside of the saddle to help keep your bike looking crisp. So far, it's worked on all the bottle caps we've tried it on. Material options are bronze infused stainless steel. Finish options are plain (on the right in the photograph), matte gold, glossy gold, matte antique bronze, and glossy antique bronze. The Road Popper is not intended for alcoholic beverages. Chromoly does not condone cycling while under the influence of alcohol.

While I also do not condone riding under the influence, I wholeheartedly condone consuming copious amounts of beer when your ride is finished.  After all, science says its a good idea. Since this product is not for opening alcoholic beverages, I am never interested in owning one . . . but that's not the only reason - let me count the ways . . .

While this product is nice and all, it does cost $40.  Think of all of the beer you could buy for $40.  Well, in Manhattan not much, but everywhere else, sure!  Recently I was in Atlanta and something a tad ironic hit me.  I ate a bar with some friends and when I picked up the menu I thought I had entered the Twilight Zone - pitchers of beer were the same price as pints would have been in NYC. 

The irony to me is this - in NYC very few people I know own cars and thus do not have to drive after a night of fun, however alcohol is incredibly expensive.  But in places like Atlanta, where owning a car is part of the territory, alcohol is cheap.  One thinks this might encourage people to drink and drive.  Shouldn't it be the other way around?  Wouldn't expensive alcohol in places where driving is common possibly reduce the risk of alcohol related driving?  I certainly would not win any election campaigns on that premise but it appears logical to me.  Anyway, back to the "Road Popper" . . .

Readers, feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't practically every multi-tool known to man have a bottle opener built into it?  And aren't there hundreds of ways to open a bottle in a creative fashion?  For example, this creative bottle opener hack comes from mtnbikeriders.com: 

Or if you are married or wear a ring, check this out - it will make you want to get married:

Or if you don't really care much about your spokes  . . .

This video shows how you can open a bottle with another bottle, a pot, a water jug, a soccer cleat, a cutting board, money, a toothbrush, a bucket, and with the buttons on your jeans.

Heck, you can even use a bikini to open a bottle as done by this daring pool dweller:

All of this really leads to the question, "What can't you use to open a bottle?"  If you have creative ways to open the beverage of your choice, feel free to share in comments.

Comments

[Eric]

Alcohol is probably taxed at a higher rate in NYC.

[Demario Mitchell]

Here in Atlanta, my family still complain about the drinks costing to much. I am pretty sad that I couldn't throw you coming to Atlanta party.

[Geologyjoe]

ive been opening beers with my ring since the day i got married. I would advise against using a gold ring as the metal is soft and the ring can be damaged. A titanium ring works much better and is less expensive.

[SS MTB]

vicious cycles had a bottle opener brazed on the rear triangle of all the their bikes

[justin bieber shoes]

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