PRODUCT REPORT

Quick Draw Clip Systems

A trait shared by most motorcyclists is the tendency to always be on the go. Whether off to a weekend biker rally, camping trip or just out touring, we’ll jump at any excuse to ride. Another commonality is our predilection for gadgets. Many motorcyclists are amateur photographers, and, as prices drop, cellular phones are becoming increasingly popular among bikers.

A dilemma I’ve faced is how to keep my camera ready for use at a show or rally without tying up my hands.

The solution I discovered is the Quick Draw Clip System, a stainless-steel or plastic clip that slides onto your belt, allowing a camera equipped with a special bolt (or smaller gadgets equipped with a special button) to fit into the clip for secure, handy stowing.

The design is simple. The clip is an oblong, hollow cylinder open at the sides so a belt up to nearly 3” wide can fit through it. The front of the clip is cut, allowing it to be pushed in to insert the camera bolt, or the knob at the back of the button on smaller gadgets, into a groove at the bottom of the clip that is slightly smaller than the head of the bolt or knob.

How securely are things held in place? Using the metal clip and a plastic adhesive button, I jog with my $150.00 portable CD player. Editor Parks has no qualms about trusting his $800 camera to the metal clip and bolt system, even with his bounding gait. He used an earlier version of the clip for more than a year, and found the redesigned clip less clunky. The plastic clip is fine for light objects, but I wouldn’t necessarily trust it to jarring activities like running.

The stainless-steel clip comes with two camera bolts and an allen wrench. The plastic clip comes with one plastic button. Aluminum buttons are available. A few people on my holiday gift list are going to find Quick Draw Clips in their stockings this year.

__Marry Sorensen