Bikes are stolen all the time. This impedes people’s ability to get to jobs in a timely way, and also costs them a bit of money and inconvenience. Sometimes with no car, no decent mass transit, and no bicycle, these people are really left out of luck, perhaps losing a job.
Even with expensive locks, we must realize that our bikes can one day be stolen. A new technology to can help a great deal if such a thing happens — smart pedals.
As Liz Core exclaims in Grist, “IF ONLY.” This exclamation comes after her bicycle, Penelope, was stolen. “If only,” Core explains, “If only Penelope had been outfitted with a GPS tracking system.”
There are some partly humorous stories out there about bicycle thefts in which stolen bikes were found again without this technology, but that’s not the norm. And for old timers such as myself, if you forget where you parked your bike after a long stroll or after work, an app on your smartphone will help you find it.
The smart pedal from French startup Connected Cycle also includes technology that will notify a bicycle owner if their bike is moved. A tracking app installed on a smartphone reveals the bicycle’s new location.
Along with this personal sleuthing techno system, other conveniences from the pedals and app aid the bicyclist. They can track the speed of cyclists, track routes as other apps do, track inclines and declines, and for the obsessive, the cyclist’s calories burned. Additionally, the smart pedals generate electricity and include their own internet connection.
Yes, this technology is wicked cool.
Technology and bicycles are a nice match. A kind one when operating and enabling safety. We’ve also recently found out about a cool life-saving bike helmet from Volvo. This new “connected” helmet supports instant 2-way communication between bikes and vehicles. Cyclists and drivers become aware of each other when in proximity to one another — even if they do not see each other.
Technology and bicycles are both going to keep increasing and selling, and sometimes together. Derek Markham suggests in Ecopreneurist: “If you’d like to get a piece of the clean transportation action with your green business, one of the exciting new markets is electric bikes, or ebikes, which are getting lighter and more efficient, with longer ranges, every day.”
Related Stories:
This Portable Generator Is Pedal-Powered
Most Intelligent Bike On The Streets
Van Gogh–Inspired Iridescent Starry Bicycle Path Begins Year Of Van Gogh Events
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