If I had to pick a handful of things that appear to be trendy in 2019 among millennial-types (like me) by scrolling through my (perfectly curated) Instagram feed, I’d almost certainly pick ceramics, succulents and bikes.
The LOM — from German design house, Anhängsel — is an adorable on-bike plant pot that brings all three of these things together in a trifecta of delightful and pointless, yet utterly compelling, greatness.
The LOM is a diamond-shaped vase, which is inspired by the most unlikely of things — a story I will leave Anhängsel itself to tell.
The vase has a small cutout on its back, designed to hug any horizontal tube, with handlebars, pannier racks and baskets all suggested mounting locations. It is secured using a rubber band that is built into the vase.
The vase is available in blue, pink or yellow.
Also available is the BØK, a smaller and more dumpy-shaped version of the vase, which attaches to any flat surface using a suction cup.
It’s possible to put, well, anything small enough to fit in the vase to the LOM, but airplants and other low-maintenance succulents are the main suggestions.
The irony of strapping a piece of nature to a machine that is used by many to escape to nature is not lost on me. However, maybe an airplant on your bars could serve as a pleasant little reminder that life exists beyond the grey, lifeless and barren urban post-capitalist hellscape that most of us occupy in 2019?
Jesting aside, it's a cute little vase that costs €9.99 and is a gift that is guaranteed to put a smile on even the most serious of cyclists' faces.
If you've totally misread the situation and your giftee happens to hate their LOM, so much that you fear they may dispose of it, remind them that the polyamide that it's made of is fully recyclable.
The vases are available directly from Anhängsel with international shipping available.
Has the LOM made you profoundly happy, sad or feel nothing at all? Are you inspired to convert your gutted hub shells into cute planters for succulents? Do you only ride in indoor velodromes or on Zwift and had no idea riding a bike outside was possible? Whatever your story, leave it in the comments below.
