Passed up buying this for our new granddaughter 10 years ago, dammit. Now, with a grandson on the way, I’m searching and can’t find it. It’s a clown (or some brightly colored character) riding a bike. The bike (with grooved tires) balances on a string or rope or line that one stretches across a room. One end of the line is attached to one spot and the other is attached to the edge of a slowly rotating device (flat against the opposite wall), so that in the course of a few minutes, that end of the line goes up and down a few times. This results in the clown on the bike moving across the room, first one way, then the other, as the angle of the line changes with the rotation. Has ANYONE seen such a toy? And, more important, how could I get one?
Lum, it’s simple enough, you could almost make one! I have definitely seen these, and they’re cuter than anything. I have no idea where to find one. You might end up going to a local woodworker or craftsman and asking him to make you one.
(This is the sort of thing my brother-in-law does…but…ah…you can probably find someone cheaper.)
ETA; Here is a link to a picture of one. It shows how very easily you could make one for yourself.
A clown perpetually riding a bike over a child’s head?
No, that’s not the stuff of nightmares, no siree.
There are references to a teddy-bear version. Or you could fix up a knight in armor. Or a princess. Or Mickey Mouse.
Or, y’know, a xenomorph from alien, if you really, really hate your kid…
References? Where? I’m not stuck on it’s being a clown. Any character will do if I can find the gizmo.
I see them at art fairs, maybe try etsy? FAO Shwartz used to sell them, but I don’t really know what search terms to use either. (Do not put “overhead clown” into amazon!!!)
Yeah, that would scare the shit out of me as a kid. I think it would actually be less frightening if it was carrying an ax and a severed head.
Yeah, I had seen that one, but there’s nothing on the site that refers to the mechanism that has the rider moving back and forth on a wire, so I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for.
Hehe. I know what the OP is talking about only because I’ve seen one - in a horror movie.
I Googled “bicycle on string toy” and looked at the image results. Fun!
my first thought too.
i think babies are real nearsighted. things they can move and touch up close are likely to be received well. they like touching, moving; it is part of development.
this might be a better toy for toddler age.
Here’s Ernest the Balancing Bear.
But I don’t think he comes with the oscillating wall fixture.
I have seen one in our mall, stretched in the large space over the escalators. It has a little Santa on the bike in December and a little Easter bunny in Spring.
They are nice to look at, but they’re not really interactive, and just looking at a toy gets old fast for a kid. I think there’s a reason they aren’t sold in the Toys’r Us.
This isn’t particularly artsy, or foodie, so I’m sending it to IMHO.
Despite the dubious help of folks judging my gift choices, I’m still interested in finding this thing. Any help with that aspect of the question would be appreciated.
Ebay also has a Curious George version but not with the automatic string movement. The listing shows a picture of instructions where children have one end tied to a doorknob and manually raise or lower the string.
Grin! We’re busybodies, that’s for sure. With bad enough luck, this could rise to the level of the circumcision debates!
Manually raising and lowering the string would certainly work for a slightly older child. Again, I’d go with a home-made answer. Like, take a clock-works and attach the string to the second-hand. Or some other geared motor and rotating arm.
Re-affirm the traditional of good old American make-do! Whittle the dang toy out of scrap pine wood!
Someone used to make this device. I’ll keep looking, and if unsuccessful, I’ll resort to going to my favorite place for problem solving - American Science and Surplus. For now, does ANYone have any leads or suggestions? xo, C
I’ve been looking for this same toy to get ideas about making my own. I remember seeing one going across an ice cream shop in Rochester, NY, and it was always a joyful thing when you walked in the shop. CC, I wonder how your search ended and if you ever found or made one. I know this thread is old but I’m hoping you might see my message. Thanks.