As South African mountain bikers we spend a lot of time securing plastic boards to our handlebars. Almost every race requires this and now many mountain bike trails parks require members – or even day visitors – to ride with the board on the bars. Number Board Mounts is a product designed and made in South Africa with the aim of reducing handlebar board stress. Here’s how…
In January 2021 we published an article about Number Board Mounts, a nifty South African product that was developed during the big lockdown in 2020 with the aim of eliminating the use of cable-ties.
It’s a relatively simple product that comprises two injection-moulded plastic mounts that you secure around your handlebar with a rubber O-ring and then attach your number board to the mounts with a plastic plug. Since we first tested them, they have been refined.
The original NB Mounts came with a rubber O-ring, similar to the ones you get with your GPS unit. They worked fine, but were a bit of a schlep to fit. Kevin Taljaard, the creator of NB Mounts, has now updated the clasps to a silicone elastic. It’s a very industrial strength band with a little tab that allows you sufficient grip to position the NB Mounts where you want them – and move or remove them easily. It has two clasp options, one for narrow diameter bars and one for wide diameter bars.
“This new clasp is also injection moulded and with materials all from South Africa. It’s an entirely South African product with a patent pending,” said Taljaard, who also confirmed that entrants to the 2022 Transbaviaans have been given the opportunity to order theirs and that other large events have indicated a similar interest.
The TREAD crew have used the new NB Mounts with a few different boards and they work well. A bit more challenging if you use an out-front-mount for your GPS device, but it still fits. There are some boards we have that are quite slim and which have replaced round holes with narrow slits – ideal for cable-ties, but not for the NB Mounts. We had to make a slightly larger hole in the board to secure these.
The price is R250 per set, which excluded delivery cost. If you’re all cable-tied out and are looking for a new way to secure your board to your bars, the NB Mounts are a good solution.
Find out more or order your own here.
