Smart Tech For Your Road Bike
The future of bicycling in the UK
With ongoing advances in smart tech, manufacturers have created high-tech gadgets that protect your bike and make your cycling journeys even more enjoyable. As a road bike cyclist, here are some of the best smart tech gadgets that can make your time on your bicycle even safer and more enjoyable:
Anti-Theft GPS Trackers
Anti-theft GPS trackers can deter thieves and monitor your road bike’s location permanently, including if it gets stolen. Most devices are simple to install, but a challenge to remove.
Connected Cycle pedals not only track your fitness, but users receive a notification whenever their bike moves, with a map to track its location. The other smart tech feature is that the pedals are self-charging.
BikeHawk has three different GPS trackers hidden on the handlebars, tail light and seat post that all sync to an app that will text you if the bike moves after it has been locked.
Varia Rearview Radar by Garmin
This high-tech radar tail light is a great device for cycling on trails and roads that do not see a lot of other cyclists. Mounted to your seat-post, the radar can boost your awareness about what is around you by detecting vehicles approaching up to 153 yards away. Once it detects a vehicle, it communicates this wirelessly to your compatible bike computer. The Varia Rearview Radar also flashes brighter at times it detects vehicles so that you can become more visible to drivers approaching you. This gadget does this all for you, hands-free, so you can focus more on cycling.
Varia Vision Insight Display by Garmin
This smart tech wearable product from Garmin will track your stats. The stem of the unit attaches to either arm of your sunglasses and the display window sits outside your direct line of vision. Your cycling data is relayed from your compatible bike computer and you slide your finger along the stem to switch between screens. It also syncs with the Rearview Radar. You can organize the data you want to see while you are riding, such as speed, rate of pedal rotation, time, distance, power, and elevation in just a few windows.
Less distracting than looking down at your bike computer, you do have a small blind spot when looking over your shoulder on the same side, but it eventually fades into the background and becomes a convenient tool you can use if you want, or ignore for stretches of time.
The Wheel That Makes A Bike Smart
The Copenhagen Wheel is a high-tech wheel that attaches to an ordinary road bike to give you extra power through a battery. Smart-tech features include self-recharge which gets power for the battery every time you brake. There’s also an attached app that measures calories burned, plans routes and can lock the wheel to stop thieves.
The Bottle That Keeps Water Cold Forever
This high-tech super-insulated bottle called Podium Ice by Camelbak keeps water cold up to four times longer than its closest competitor thanks to its aerogel insulation.
The Bike Light That Doubles As a Phone Charger
FlyKly's Smart Light is a snap-on light that also works as a phone holder and a charger. Its handy handlebar position also helps you to check your route and it’s all charged by your pedal power.