HideMyBell goes behind the bar & off-road, plus new CoverMyBack light & fender

We know HideMyBell for their hidden bells. But even as they develop new bell/GPS mount solutions like the new mountain bike HideMyBell Insider, they’re also branching out under a new name – CloseTheGap. Their first non-bell product is a multi-purpose removable rear fender and tail light mount called CoverMyBack, to well… cover your back.

HideMyBell is now CloseTheGap

Product names from the designers at the recently renamed CloseTheGap come easy. Think up a new product. Name it for what it does.

And as success of their hidden bells has allowed them to branch out into other product ideas, the name needed a change too. There will still be plenty of hidden bells in their future (we hear a new one should surface in early 2019), but under the CloseTheGap name there will also be other cycling safety & comfort products, with a focus on clever, integrated design, and on products designed & manufactured in the Netherlands.

CloseTheGap’s new mountain bike HideMyBell Insider GPS mount

First up is another bell & GPS mount combo. But this time the setup is intended for off-road use. So it tucks your cycling computer back behind the bar, over the stem. Then, it mounts the stealthy bell just to the left, with everything more protected from the occasional mountain bike impact. It also makes the setup both race and bikepacking friendly – the bell & GPS are tucked out-of-the-way of race numbers and handlebar bags.

The 37€ ($50) HideMyBell Insider has a 35mm diameter clamp and includes a 31.8mm spacer so it will fit on any modern off-road bar. The Insider also uses a replaceable GPS adapter plate and includes mounts for Garmin, Wahoo, Polar, Bryton, Lezyne & Mio computers. Adding the bell is said to be just a 2g penalty over a similar mount, with the molded POM plastic Insider clocking in at 50g in total.

CloseTheGap’s new CoverMyBack integrated rear light mount & fender

As more cyclists ride even in daytime with flashing tail lights for additional visibility, CloseTheGap had the idea to create a universal bracket to mount a rear blinkie light higher, just under the saddle for a better line-of-sight to car drivers. Tucked up on the back of standard saddle rails, the CoverMyBack also does double duty as the mounting bracket for a small removable fender. There’s even the option to swap in an extra GoPro mount instead of the standard tail light bracket, which of course can be used for an action cam, or in fact a light or any other small accessory with that standard direct mount interface.

The simple 23€ CoverMyBack bracket works with essentially every rear light on the market. While it won’t work with every saddle, most standard round or 7x9mm oval rails will work. It just needs about 1cm of exposed rail, spaced up to 66mm wide. It certainly does provides a clean solution, especially for cyclists with aero shaped seatposts.

In addition to the light, the snap-on mini fender is an added plus, providing another type of coverage for your backside. The mounting clip for use with the fender is the main part, with the light mount removable. Then the GoPro mount can alternatively be installed in its place. The entire setup weighs about 65g, with the 29cm long, 7-9cm wide removable mudguard.

The CoverMyBack is in a pre-order phase right now, direct from the CloseTheGap online shop. (These are pre-production 3D printed parts. Final production parts will be molded plastic like the GPS mounts.) The made in the Netherlands production mount is expected to ship out to pore-order buyers in the first week of 2019. For US customers, a new distributer ESM bike has the current HideMyBells in stock and will have the fender/light mount in early 2019.

CloseTheGap.cc