Spoke beads

Spoke beads (sometimes sold as Spokey Dokies) are a bicycle accessory, originating in the 1980s, most popular with children. They are plastic beads that attach onto bicycle wheel spokes.^[1]

A penny-farthing with attached spoke beads

When the bicycle user pedals at a slow speed, the beads slide up and down the spoke, resulting in noise. When speed is increased the beads move to the outside of the rim due to centrifugal force and cease to make sound.^{[citation needed]} The beads are known for their varied colors and patterns and were mainly used aesthetically, though there was a belief that the bright beads made cyclists more visible to traffic.^[2]

The idea was created by a California man, Larry Harmen. He was able to develop the prototypes and then license it to a toy company.^[1]