Nokia's €15 bike charger will abide
By Thomas Ricker 
posted June 3rd 2010 8:19AM
posted June 3rd 2010 8:19AM
** Nokia N8 can be charged over 2mm or micro USB connectors, fancy.
Cycle power; Nokia launches new Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit to power Ovi Maps
03 June 2010: Today Nokia launches a Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit which captures free and eco-friendly energy from bicycling to power your Nokia mobile on the move. Great for use with Ovi Maps, the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit will ensure that you will never be caught out when navigating through unfamiliar locations. The kit consists of Nokia Bicycle Charger DC-14, Nokia Phone Holder for Bicycle CR-124, and a Bottle Dynamo.
Users will get free and efficient charging from cycling as the dynamo starts charging when a bicycle speed of 6 km/h is reached and stops at 50 km/h, matching the efficiency of a normal charger when the bike is traveling at 12kmh. The charger can be fitted onto any Nokia handset with a 2mm charger jack, such as the Nokia E72 or Nokia X6.
Want to listen to music when cycling but worry that headphones block out road noise? With the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit you can play music aloud to keep the motivation up on long or repetitive journeys.
John Nichols, Head of Marketing, Nokia UK commented: "The innovative Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit gives people even more freedom to use their Nokia handset without worrying about battery life.
"A growing number of people in the UK cycle for leisure, exercise or as a daily means of transport so this simple innovation is about convenience and getting the most out of your Nokia while you're on your bike. It's also the perfect piece of kit for those that care about the environment."
The kit will be available before the end of the year in selected retailers and Nokia online and branded retail.
03 June 2010: Today Nokia launches a Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit which captures free and eco-friendly energy from bicycling to power your Nokia mobile on the move. Great for use with Ovi Maps, the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit will ensure that you will never be caught out when navigating through unfamiliar locations. The kit consists of Nokia Bicycle Charger DC-14, Nokia Phone Holder for Bicycle CR-124, and a Bottle Dynamo.
Users will get free and efficient charging from cycling as the dynamo starts charging when a bicycle speed of 6 km/h is reached and stops at 50 km/h, matching the efficiency of a normal charger when the bike is traveling at 12kmh. The charger can be fitted onto any Nokia handset with a 2mm charger jack, such as the Nokia E72 or Nokia X6.
Want to listen to music when cycling but worry that headphones block out road noise? With the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit you can play music aloud to keep the motivation up on long or repetitive journeys.
John Nichols, Head of Marketing, Nokia UK commented: "The innovative Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit gives people even more freedom to use their Nokia handset without worrying about battery life.
"A growing number of people in the UK cycle for leisure, exercise or as a daily means of transport so this simple innovation is about convenience and getting the most out of your Nokia while you're on your bike. It's also the perfect piece of kit for those that care about the environment."
The kit will be available before the end of the year in selected retailers and Nokia online and branded retail.
With a few of these things I could power my microwave on the go.
@Don Corleone I hope you have insanely powerful legs
@Don Corleone
I've been waiting for a decent phone holder for my bike, this looks great!
@HotDog
awesome!! love the microUSB connectivity.
is there a battery that is in the middle so you can charge the battery and then plug in your mobile?
if so, finally, i can make my own energy ;)
Combining it with Sports Tracker seems like the way to go. Super cycle computer.
Wow, I remember as a kid having that same generator for lights on my bikes,. Great idea!
Lou
www.Anonymous-VPN.de.tc
@TigBong so did i. ye good olde days...
i distinctly remember, the harder i pedaled the brighter the light was... pedal to the metal.
@TigBong
this is actually a great product, especially for people living in the county sides of developing nations where biking is the cheapest mode of transport. Well done Nokia.
Thomas,
The Nokia N8 has a standard Nokia 2mm port. You don't need to buy an adapter to use the N8 with this charger.
Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.
@iLoveApple Whoa, I didn't realize it had both! Updated post.
@Thomas Ricker
What would happen if this thing got wet though? That would be my only concern. And can you take it off the bike easily? I always take off the light and stuff on my bike when I'm locking it outside.
@Thomas Ricker
It looks just like an old dynamo power system for bike lights, doesn't matter if it gets wet, the electrical cables are all wrapped in plastic.
Hmm, who here is going to get this and then Jerry rig it to fit another phone?
@Tito Thinking about it... Would be great to use with Google Maps bicycle directions and/or MyTracks to log my bike rides.
@mr88 Ever heard of multitasking?
It doesn't look like a very secure way to hold your phone in place. Last thing I'd want is for it to go flying while cycling on the road.
@ZSX
Great idea!
You ride, your phone charges and it navigates you.
Would be sweet to also add a long-range LED torch for night riding.
But Nokia make sure you design it so your phone won't fall from hard bumps and that the unit has security (no thefts).
Yea right, like I'm gonna put my smartphone out for everybody in Amsterdam to see. *steal me, steal me!*
@henkvandervelden naah... they will be too stoned to figure it out how to remove this.
@benderfender meh touché
@henkvandervelden
You're not supposed to leave it on your bike while your not riding it, I guess :-D
@henkvandervelden
Yes, this would be like a big fat flashing sign saying, steal me. They would rip it right from your bike while riding through Amsterdam. Worse than having apple earbuds on in the NY Subway late at night a couple of years back.
@JFH Jodie Foster can attest to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMXm_CyCy-M
This looks like the beginning of something big. Next will be more phones, better secured phones, and more efficient chargers. Wish I had thought of it.
I have a phone bike handlebar mount and it is very useful. Not only is it safer as you can see the screen and you're not fiddling around when a call comes in, (I use a headset of course or bluetooth, depending), but if you have an iPhone or other smart phone, it is ideal for satnav / mapping apps whilst out on the trials. A great idea, and to date, my phones have never fallen off.
Seems like Nokia's playing catchup to the 2 Kenyans who had been reported to have built a similar charger almost a year ago! You might want to cycle faster Nokia!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8166196.stm
Can you imagine what the price would be if Apple made something like this?
Price of accessories for tying up the wire would be same price as Nokia's unit
@Finalcutnerd There'd be at least 5 more "BREAKING" articles about it on the front page.
@Finalcutnerd Not to mention that it would not be connected to a dynamo (thats so 19th century technology..) but the akku pack sold seperately which you have to charge at a wall plug with a cable - you guessed it - sold seperately.
But hey, it would be white.
MicroUSB also means that this is not just for Nokia phones. This will do nice with anything that can recieve power over USB.
USB headlights, anyone? I hear those LEDs are super-effective!
@thoughtmonster you'll also need USB hand warmer from our friends at brando
Will this leave enough room for a basket to carry a small dog as I bicycle to social gatherings in the Venice of the north?
This would be perfect if they added lights into it too.
Maybe as a addon...
That's great, until it rains. I used a Garmin GPS for years on the bike, but it was 100% waterproof (I used to rinse it off under the tap). When I got an N95 with Sportstracker I mounted it on the handlebars with a small Pelican case, but it was terribly geeky looking and very hard to use the phone.
If Casio would introduce a Gz smartphone this would be the perfect accessory.
@(Unverified)
ive got the Herbert Richter bike mount for my n95, which im still using, a lot. im gonna have to rig up my own custom mount when i finally get whatever android phone i end up getting this year. the HR n95 mount is awesome and ill miss it.
Uhm, as someone who lives in Amsterdam and rides a bicycle around town every day, I'd STRONGLY advice against using this for navigation...
If you'd spend your time looking at your handlebars in Amsterdam, you'd be dead by the time you (don't) reach the next intersection :p
@JCCamp
Umm... as somebody who has taken several road trips around the Netherlands using a dutch style bike map (paper style) on the exact same location, I can guarantee you it works well for the purpose it is intended to.
Also, I don't look at the navigator when driving a car either. I listen to the instructions.
@JCCamp I also live in Amsterdam. This is totally practical with a bluetooth earpiece.
I agree, with a headset and a turn-by-turn audio navigation app, this would work like a charm. On the other hand, riding a bike while squinting at, let's say Google Maps, it's a sure way to hurtbyourself. Same thing with an old fashioned roadmap by the way, we're talking city riding here...
Cute but stupid. Most of the bycycle riders in those developing countries have monthly income below 15 euros, actually average revenue per user for mobile services in those countries run well under 3 dollars! hope chinese read this post and come up with a reasonably priced alternative
@asheryaqub
I don't quite get tthat comment. I believe it's sold globally?
@asheryaqub And you also wondered how they buy a cell phone to begin with?
@Bahumbug Nokia's lowest end (and most popular phones here) are around US $ 18. Also, tonnes of refurbished sets and a lot of unbranded chinese sets are what fulfill these markets. i would say 90% of the handsets sold here are under US $ 50. I know it sounds impossible in europe and USA but yup, a world like that exists too. :)
@Pdexter Its launched in nigeria and targets countries where electricity is not available to general public. Too expensive for those markets...
I'd love something like this for my phone. My only concern: if I bite it, the phone is as good as dead.
@kevout
Not necessarily. I remember back in the days I would strap my clunky plastic walkman to my bike handlebar. I took several "tumbles" (being generous here) where I stopped my fall with my face, injured mboth hands and twisted both ankles (bike wheel was trashed) but my walkman never got damaged.
I rode into a small parked car before as well (by accident) where I literally flew over from the back to the front hood. Ouch.
The bar itself acts as a pretty good rollcage bar to protect it.
@ounkeo I think you need to consider that you're simply not designed for bike riding... or that fooling or listening to your walkman is causing you to crash...
@ounkeo Case and point why some people should not use a bike. :P
This is a great little gadget accessory. Especially for 3rd/2nd world countries where the phone service is many leagues more reliable than the power service.
It's also great for the weekend getaway for those people who like to bicycle. or university students on campus.
15 euros is a pretty darn good price for this.
If you move the generator to the rear wheel and elevate it off the ground then the 3rd world would be able to charge all types of USB devices. I wonder for the 1st world if we will be seeing usb charging ports appearing at the gym on treadmills, elipticals and exercise bikes?