Spoke beads

A penny-farthing with attached spoke beads
A penny-farthing with attached spoke beads

Spoke beads (sometimes sold as Spokey Dokies) are a bicycle accessory, originating in the 1980s, most popular with children. They are plastic beads that attach onto bicycle wheel spokes.[1]

When the bicycle user pedals at a slow speed, the beads slide up and down the spoke, resulting in noise. When speed is increased the beads move to the outside of the rim due to centrifugal force and cease to make sound. 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

  1. ^ a b Brookman, Rosalind (9 April 2004). "Spokey Dokeys". Do You Remember?. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  2. ^ 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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