by Janet Bressler-Bilenky
When I saw a company by the name of DaHÄNGER on the Philly Bike Expo New Exhibitor list, I thought, What’s with the umlaut? Is it some kind of Motorhead reference or IKEA spoof? Then I discovered that DaHÄNGER’s founder comes by that umlaut honestly. DaHÄNGER is the brainchild of Juergen Beneke, the legendary German-born former professional racer and winner of multiple German championships and World Cups in the mountain bike and downhill field. Beneke moved to the USA in 1996, and in 2000 retired from racing and launched a second career in home renovation and furniture building.
“I truly believe life is better when you ride a bike, “says Beneke. “The daily stress melts away and you can think clearly. Bikes are everywhere in my day to day life, so I needed to find a better way to organize and store my cycling equipment.”
Beneke designed the DaHÄNGER and DaHÄNGER-Dan to make it easier for everyone to store their bicycles in their home. He subsequently staged two successful Kickstarter campaigns to bring the ideas to fruition. The DaHÄNGER suspends a bike by the nose of its saddle. Any style frame can be hung without damage to finish or kinking of cables. There’s also a place for a helmet and other items. The DaHÄNGER-Dan is a fun pedal hook system for hanging multiple bikes in a staggered configuration.
It’s family lore that the Bilenky children literally cut their teeth on bicycles. Innovations such as the DaHÄNGER and DaHÄNGER-Dan would have spared both insult and injury caused by too many bikes crowding the narrow hallway in our house.
Aficionados know that bicycles can be works of art. DaHÄNGER’s USA-made products are meant to not only solve the problem of storage, but at the same time create a display for prized possessions. The DaHÄNGER and DaHÄNGER-Dan free up prime living space, while bikes remain on view and within reach to inspire that next ride.
