GILROY
– Local motorcycle technician and enthusiast Eddie Rock has
developed a simple theory about mountain biking: The less afraid of
wiping out you are, the more fun you have.
GILROY – Local motorcycle technician and enthusiast Eddie Rock has developed a simple theory about mountain biking: The less afraid of wiping out you are, the more fun you have.
“Some of these guys are doing some really crazy stuff,” said Rock, pointing to a picture in Bike Magazine of a mountain biker leaping down a 10-foot, jagged, rock-lined descent. “I can find at least 20 examples of places my invention can be used in each issue.”
That’s the reason he invented the Hydra-moto, a new type of sports gear that will greatly reduce the number of injuries in mountain biking. However, he declined to give details about the Hydra-moto until its patent is finalized.
“Mountain bikers are going faster and faster and taking bigger risks. And with the extreme popularity of everything … I’ve noticed that injuries are up. And I’ve experienced quite a few injuries myself,” Rock said.
A motorcycle technician since 1974 and Gilroy resident since 1987, Rock created the Hydra-moto one day in the shop after looking around at the equipment on-hand.
“It’s so simple. … There are gonna be a lot of guys kicking themselves for not thinking of this,” said Rock.
Until the product is ready for the open market, Rock is staying tight-lipped about the particulars of his new sports gear.
Without revealing specifics, Rock was happy to talk about the Hydra-moto.
“It ended up being way too small for me, so I got my son Stephen to test it. I thought, what am I gonna do now? Cut it all up or – nah, I’ll get my kid to test it!” The test runs at Henry Coe State Park went well, and Rock has also tested a second version that actually fits him. The Hydra-moto was made primarily for mountain bikers and dirtbikers, but can also be used by snowboarders, inline skaters and skateboarders.
Rock is developing the Hydra-moto through Florida-based Invent-Tech, a company that also is producing another invention of Rock’s.
“I was talking to them on the phone, and they said ‘We’ll send you a CD about a new product we’re developing – the ant-proof pet dish.’ I said ‘The ant proof what?’ I missed it by about 30 days,” Rock said. Despite being cut off in his first attempt at invention, Rock is making progress with the Hydra-moto.
“There’s a big player in the industry right now that’s showed a lot of interest in it, and they’ve got the jump on everyone else right now because I like them. They’re a well-situated company, they’ve been around for many years, and they’ve got a good reputation. I really don’t want to say their name in case they decide not to manufacture it … and they have through January to figure out if they want it.”
The Hydra-moto, which will retail for a little over $100, will be released later this year.
