I like to check in on Toronto-based Kickstarter projects now and then just to see what types of products and ideas locals are pitching for funds. Generally there aren't too many — mostly on account of the fact that the website uses Amazon Payents, which requires that participants have a U.S. bank account — but every now and then, I'll discover one that I think is genuinely pretty cool.

Case in point: OOQI bike grips. It strikes me that it's little manageable projects like this that Kickstarter's so well-suited to help make happen. As for the grips themselves, well, I consistently get wrist-pain from the ones that I've tried on my commuter bike, so the thought of something designed to reduce hand cramps and carpel tunnel is rather appealing.

Assuming they work, that is. The interesting thing about so many projects that come through the Kickstarter pipe (local and otherwise) is that they're only destined to happen if they meet their funding target. So right now the only way to get one's hands on these is to pledge the project. Depending on the amount that one pledges, the OOQI team has a variety of rewards, from stickers to grips to a fixed gear bike (for a $2000+ donation). This reward-based strategy is a savvy ploy that might just help the product's creators source the $12,000 they need for the injection molding tools they need to mass-produce these things.