Attention outdoor enthusiasts: Have you ever driven into your garage with a bike or kayak still on your roof rack? Well, a new product developed by Stasko Agency client HeadsUp Systems should help you avoid making that mistake ever again. The product - launched just last week - is a wireless alert system that sends a signal to drivers as they approach their garages, reminding them if they have bikes, kayaks, canoes and other sports equipment mounted on top of their cars.

The HeadsUp System costs $169.99 and includes an LED alert sign that mounts inside the garage, tiny wireless tags that attach to bikes, kayaks, etc. and a wireless “alerter” that stays in the vehicle. When a driver returns home with gear on the roof, the sign in the garage flashes and the alerter inside the car sounds a warning tone to prevent the driver from entering the garage.


The alert system is the brainchild of competitive cyclist Tom Rieber, who drove his roof-mounted bike into the garage 15 years ago, after a long night of riding. Rieber joined forced with Karl Sowa, a former marketing executive for GeoCities (among other start-ups), to make HeadsUp Systems a reality.

We're excited to help Tom and Karl spread the news about HeadsUp, which was highlighted by Denver Business Journal Columnist Bruce Goldberg in June. The product is now being reviewed by editors at several cycling and outdoor recreation publications, so expect to hear more about HeadsUp in the coming months.
And if you have a horror story about "racking" your equipment in the garage, feel free to share it with the folks at HeadsUp. Post your story (and any accompanying photos) on the HeadsUp website and you could win a free alert system. Subscribers to the site will vote on the stories next month.