Cycling
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BeeLine brings easy GPS navigation to your bike
It's easy to get navigation on your bike through dedicated GPS or a smartphone cradle, but that doesn't mean that navigation is easy. How are you supposed to pay attention to turn-by-turn directions when you're busy dodging potholes? BeeLine thinks it can help. It's crowdfunding a navigation device that purposefully simplifies your directions down to an arrow and the distance left to go -- it's like a compass that points only to your destination. You don't have to squint at the display to figure out where you're going, and there's no pressure to follow a specific path when you're content to take a leisurely route. The puck-like design is small enough to clip on to your keys (and thus less likely to be stolen), and its e-paper screen helps the battery last for a month's worth of riding.
These Bluetooth lights turn your bike wheels into turn signals
Safety lights are one of the most important pieces of bicycle equipment, especially if you ride at night or in low-visibility weather conditions. Most look the same -- a large, forward-facing beam under your handlebars and a slim row of red LEDs under the saddle. But Revolights are a little different. For years now, the company has been experimenting with lights that attach directly to your wheels and, by constantly analysing your speed, illuminate at just the right moment to create two arcs of light. The new Eclipse, which it's pitching on Indiegogo, is its most ambitious set to date. For starters, there's now a rechargeable "snap-in" battery which removes the awkward, dangling cables from before. The Eclipse+ version is also Bluetooth-enabled, meaning you can track your rides and monitor battery life from your smartphone, as well as trigger turn signals -- a full, flashing ring of lights on one side -- through a control pad on the handlebars, an app, or by gesturing with a smartwatch.
Canyon's Smart Bike Computer puts Android Wear on your handlebars
When you're cycling up a steep incline, hunched over the handlebars and desperately willing your legs to keep going, you don't want to be messing around with your phone or a second-rate cycling computer. Bike manufacturer Canyon has teamed up with Sony to find a solution -- and the fruits of their labor is the Smart Bike Computer. It runs on Android Wear, so the 1.6-inch touchscreen can display a bunch of popular cycling apps including Strava and Google Maps. The small, waterproof unit slides directly into the stem, ensuring the sleek stylings of your ride aren't ruined, and can connect to your phone over Bluetooth. In addition, it boasts up to 8 hours of battery life, built-in GPS and 4GB of internal storage, so you can leave your handset at home and still use some of its essential features.
Google's self-driving cars can't handle bicycle track stands
Ever performed a track stand, where you keep your bike upright at a stop without taking your feet off the pedals? If you have, you'll want to avoid trying that around Google's self-driving cars, at least for a while. One Austin-based cyclist reports an encounter where one of the autonomous cars was comically unsure of what to do when it spotted him doing a track stand at an intersection. Every time his bike moved even slightly, the car would lurch forward and promptly hit the brakes. Nothing happened beyond some good laughs, but it was clear that Google's self-driving code didn't know how to handle a not-quite-stationary bike.
Recon Jet review: expensive fitness glasses with potential to be better
Recon Jet is a sports computer for long-distance runners and cyclists that's embedded into a pair of sunglasses. Take it on a long, lung-bursting trip and you'll get your speed, cadence and calories, as well as a variety of other stats -- all presented to you on a tiny display placed just below your right eye. At $699, it's priced for the hardcore athletes (and it's certainly catering to that corner of the market). Normally we might not bother with such a niche device but as it happens, the company was recently acquired by Intel for $175 million. As such, we thought it was worth a closer look to see if it heralds a fresh start for face-worn computing -- or if will suffer the same fate as Google Glass.
Lumos helmet keeps cyclists safe with automatic brake lights
For cyclists, the road can be a nasty place to be at night, so we're all for technologies that can help draw drivers' attention in order to reduce the number of accidents. The latest of such attempt is the Lumos helmet, which not only comes with turn signal indicators that can be controlled wirelessly, but also packs a brake light that comes on automatically as you slow down. This seemingly simple idea came from Eu-wen Ding (who looks like an Asian clone of Miles Teller) and Jeff Chen. The two first bonded at the HackMIT 2013 weekend hackathon and have since been working on this project with a helmet manufacturer for 10 months.
London tests traffic lights that stay green for cyclists
Cycling is one of the quickest ways to get across London, and soon adaptive traffic lights could make pedal-power even faster. Transport for London (TfL) is testing a system that detects groups of cyclists and, where possible, keeps the lights green for a little longer than usual. The problem being that during peak times -- for instance, the morning commute -- tons of cyclists take to the streets, causing congestion at major junctions.
The first solar bike path is producing more energy than expected
Back in November, SolaRoad launched a test bike path that generates energy through solar cells embedded in the concrete. It sounds like an outlandish idea, but it's apparently paying off very quickly. The company has revealed that its road has generated much more energy than expected -- it produced 3,000kWh of electricity in the space of just six months, or enough to power a single person's home for a year. That doesn't sound like much, but SolaRoad notes that its path only covers a 230-foot stretch in a Dutch village. You'd get a lot more energy from longer, wider roads.
Smart pedals will track your stolen bike for $149
Back when we saw Connected Cycle's smart bike pedals at CES in January we were pretty impressed by its plan to track activity and location; now you have a chance to get in on the action. The outfit's smart pedals recently hit crowdfunding site IndieGoGo where the campaign has already hit 171 percent of its funding goal. Since we last saw them, the duration limit on included data plans has been lifted for backers and CC is working on design modifications so the pedals accommodate "standardized" foot straps.
Volvo's reflective bike paint helps cars spot you at night
Want to feel nervous? Try riding a bike at night alongside a busy road. Even if you're festooned in lights and reflectors, there's a real chance that a less-than-attentive driver will smack into you. Volvo may have a better way to keep cars at a distance, however. Its new LifePaint spray is invisible during the day, but reflects car headlights in the evening. You can coat your bike, your clothing or most anything else and provide a heads-up to motorists, who'll see bright white as they get close. It only lasts for 10 days at a time, but you can wash it off -- just don't ride during a heavy rainstorm and you'll be fine. The biggest challenge is simply getting some cans for yourself. Volvo is only offering LifePaint in six London- and Kent-area bike shops right now, and availability will depend on how it fares in these test areas.
Fitbit's Surge fitness watch will soon track your bike rides
The Fitbit Surge is now useful for tracking more than just your running when you're outside. An April update to the GPS fitness watch will let it track outdoor bike runs, so you'll know if you beat your previous best time or got your heart thumping on that uphill route. On the mobile app, you'll also have a history that shows whether or not that last ride was as intense as you thought it was. And Surge cycling isn't the only big Fitbit update in the works -- you can finally link multiple trackers to a Fitbit account as of this week, so you don't have to wear your exercise gear to the office just to maintain an accurate step count.
This BMX bike sensor is ready to track your off-road adventures
There's no shortage of bike sensors that will track your performance. However, they usually assume that you're on a garden variety road bike. What if your definition of biking involves BMX races or trick jumps? Never fear -- you now have an activity tracker to call your own. Iddo has launched a crowdfunding drive for what it says is the world's first BMX bike sensor. The angry-looking add-on (seriously, it's a little metal skull) will capture 'boring' details like speed and GPS position, but it also includes a 9-axis motion sensor and an altimeter to detect your air time and tricks. The companion smartphone app will even score stunts, so you have an added incentive to master that bunny hop or tailwhip. If you're racing, Iddo will let you map tracks and measure your lap times.
Microsoft Band update lets you type replies and track your cycling
Thanks to a big update, Microsoft's Band just got considerably more useful -- whether or not you're a fan of the company's push into health. For a start, there's a swipe-capable predictive keyboard that lets you type out replies at those times when you'd rather not use voice or reach for the phone in your pocket. There's also a new cycling mode that optimizes the fitness tracking for your two-wheeled adventures. Studying your performance after the fact is easier, too. The Microsoft Health web front end provides both more data and better summaries of what you're looking at, and Band will sync to both Microsoft's own HealthVault and MapMyFitness if you prefer either of them.
Rock your workout with RockMyRun
Almost everyone uses a favorite playlist when they workout. The music helps the time pass more quickly and should help produce more energy. Now with RockMyRun you can listen to music lists prepared scientifically to improve your workouts by up to 30%. The free universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later. Users need to set up an account before you can use all the features in the app. This requires your name, email, and a password. Users can also use their Facebook ID to login. Once you have registered and logged in, you can set up your own list of music playlists and sort the list by length, genre, and beats per minute. Users can select a variety of playlists from more than a dozen different types of music including pop, rock, country, hip hop, R&B, reggae, and more. Each of these list were compiled with the goal of keeping a consistent level of energy and tempo throughout your exercise session. That is just what they do according to Dr. Jeanne NIchols, the lead exercise physiologist for EPARC, a top exercise research laboratory. In her findings, Dr. Nichols concludes that, "music that has been mixed together to maintain and optimize beat encourages the listener to experience and internalize more positive feelings about the experience and the outcomes. Once you have selected the type of music you want to listen to for your workout, you add it to your list of music. Then you can choose from a huge number of individual lists of music that vary in the beats per minutes and length. In the Rock listing you will find around two hundred different lists from which to choose, so no problem locating a good mix. The music varies in beats per minute from under 120 to more than 160. The more beats the higher the energy level and the faster the tempo so you can choose slower music to warm up or cool down and a really fast list for listening during the most strenuous part of your exercise program. Lengths in RockMyRun can be as short as ten or eleven minutes for warm ups and cool down sessions or to a maximum length of forty-five minutes. If you want your playlists to run longer than that you will need to upgrade to a premium membership either on a monthly basis for US$4.99 a month or an annual subscription of US$35.99. These subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes account and will automatically renew at the end unless you go into your account and turn that feature off at least 24 hours before the original subscription ends. RockMyRun operates seamlessly with most other running programs that count your steps, plot your path on a run or cycling trip, or tracks your calories burned. So you can use both at the same time. Overall RockMyRun provides users with a huge number of mixes to choose from when working out. No one should have any issues with finding just what you want. Based on the scientific data, the concept of using music consistent in tempo and energy should make the workouts end with users receiving better results. The only drawback is the maximum length of forty-five minutes. If you do long runs or cycling trips that won't be enough. However users do have the option of subscribing and deciding if they want to pay for scientifically prepared music or just listen to their own mixes.
Give your bike a sense of direction with these smart handlebars
There haven't been a lot of elegant ways to add navigation to your bike -- unless you have access to prototype bikes, you're probably stuck mounting a GPS unit or smartphone that might take your eyes off the road. That's where Boreal Bikes' crowdfunded smrtGRiPS project might just come in handy. These install-it-yourself handlebar ends pair with your smartphone to give you directions, whether or not you're on the bike. While you're riding, the grips will shake for imminent turns or traffic problems. They'll also help you find your wheels, and you'll even get separation alerts if you're traveling with another smrtGRiPS-touting cyclist.
Solar power will give you non-stop water during bike rides
If you're a cyclist, you know the anxiety that comes with running out of water in the middle of a bike ride -- the last thing you want is dehydration when you're miles away from home. Design student Kristof Retezàr may just set your mind at ease, though. He recently developed Fontus, a bike-mounted device that uses solar power to convert air moisture into water for your drinking bottle. The key is its use of thermoelectric cooling. Solar panels generate electricity that cools the top of the device, where air comes in as you ride; as the moisture condenses, it drips water into a bottle below. The bottom stays warm, but that only accelerates the condensation process above.
MTBProject offers big assist for mountain biking enthusiasts
If you do a lot of mountain biking, you need this app. You should download MTBProject even if you only hit the trails occasionally. The free universal app runs on iOS 6.1 or later and offers an in depth database of thousands of trails across the United States and users don't need to have cell or wi-fi service to use the app. The MTBProject app allows users to access detailed information on all of these trails beforehand and download the information to your phone. Users automatically can see trails near their current location but can also choose data on trails from all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and some European and Asian countries. Just download the ones you need and you can delete the info later if you want. Once you select the state, the map indicates where included trails can be found and as you zoom in on the map the individual trails become visible. Each trail is color-coded from green to green/yellow to yellow to yellow/blue to black as they increase in the number of challenges and overall difficulty. The map has satellite imagery so users can get a good look at just what the terrain will be along the path. Tap the trail you want to ride and the app brings up an overview with the length of the trail, how much change of elevation both going up and coming back down, the highest and lowest points of the trail, a detailed map, an elevation profile, and any photos other users have uploaded to the app from along the trail. At the bottom of the page is a detail written description of just what riders will encounter during the trip including climbs, descents, obstacles, changes in surface, and other details to let you know what lies ahead. The profile section for each trail provides riders with a side view of what the elevation changes are along the entire route, The graph shows actual elevations along the trail and by tapping anywhere along the route you will see the distance from the beginning of the ride, the elevation, and the angle of the slope at that point. Other markings on the trail maps include parking locations, hazards, and scenic overlooks. Additionally once you check in and begin your ride, the GPS in your phone will mark your exact location on the trail map. About the only other thing users might want is some type of social media connection that you could use to share your ride or pictures right from the app. Overall I found MTBProject to be quite detailed and thorough with loads of graphics, photos, and information that should give mountain biking enthusiasts just about everything they need to be prepared for their next cycling adventure.
Get motivated to get moving with Movn
Movn: Simple Pedometer & Movement Goal Coach wants to help you become more active. All of us have decided at some point to increase our daily activity by taking a long walk, or jogging, or riding a bicycle, or yoga, or any number of activities. But how many of us have failed to follow through and actually do more? Probably most of us. That is where Movn comes in. The free app works on all iPhones and 2nd generation iPads and later and requires iOS 7.1 or later. Movn works as a simple pedometer to count your steps by using the accelerometer and GPS in your iPhone. It also tracks how long you have been active so if you did a stationary warmup before starting your walk it measures that time too. Users indicate what activity they are participating in such as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, or working out at the gym with weight or in an organized yoga or pilates class. Once you do that decide what your goal is for how long you want to be active during the day. The time ranges from thirty minutes to three hours. That's all you have to do. As long as you have your phone somewhere on your person Movn will track your activity time and count the number of steps you take. The app also gives you a map showing the path of your latest activity. I did some mall walking to test the app and even though I was inside the map showed a close up view of the mall and my path from one end of the mall to the other and back. So you are all set now. You have your goal and you know what you are going to do but you still need to follow through and get moving. The app offers a place where you can set up a notification in case you sit too long. Set a time and Movn notifies you that you have not been active for that long. It tells you politely that you have been sitting for more than whatever time you selected and you need to get going. The app keeps you engaged while you try to reach your goal with additional messages like park your car far away and walk or take the stairs. Once you reach your goal for the day, the app recognizes your achievement. Movn also records your daily activity and allows you to see how you have been doing over the last week or month. If you are really serious about getting into shape and workout regularly then Movn is probably not for you. You will find other apps that can provide more information besides just the number of steps and the time you were active. If you are just looking for a little push to get you going and keep your activity level at a higher level, then Movn might be just what you need.
Stationary bike MMO lets you race the world without leaving home
Indoor cycling normally isn't as fun as the outdoor variety, and it certainly isn't as social. Where's the thrill of blowing past a rival? That's what Zwift's upcoming massively multiplayer cycling game promises to solve. So long as you have a training bike with at least speed and cadence sensors, you can race people around the world in virtual environments -- think of it as an online role-playing game that builds up your real abilities. You can chat up other riders if you have a mic, and virtual reality support (through Oculus Rift headsets) might help you forget that you're still at home.
Track your bicycle trips with BikeTool
If you ride in bicycle races, as a form of exercise of just enjoy a leisurely ride on your bicycle, BikeTool would be worth your investigation. The free and ad-free universal app runs on iOS 6.0 or later and is a trip computer and logger that provides cyclists with all kinds of information to help them as they exercise or compete. Even if you are just riding for fun you can track your trip and find out how far you ride, how fast you went both with average speed and the maximum, if you went uphill and how much of an elevation increase you experienced and see a map showing the path or your journey. BikeTool utilizes the GPS in your iOS device to compute the trip's statistics. In addition to the ones I mentioned earlier you will find details on lap times if you are riding a circuit, your latitude and longitude, and a live reading on your compass heading. The app has three taps, GPS, map, and options. On the GPS tab you will find all of the measurements previously mentioned along with some others. You may set a destination if you wish and the app provides you with an estimated time to reach that location based on your current travel speed and plots a course to that destination. One button starts and stops the timer. A single tap gets you started and a second tap pauses the timer if you stop anywhere along the way. Tap again and everything picks up where you paused. A second, reset, button clears your trip and starts everything at zero. The second tab is for Maps. You can choose a map or satellite image. If you have an Internet connection, the map places a pin for your destination and a red line to mark the progress you are making on your journey. Altitude reports can come either from your device or Google Maps. This is set under the third tab. That third tab is for Options and is where you configure all the settings you prefer. You can turn the GPS on or off, set the GPS sensitivity, choose between miles and kilometers, and reset the trip and/or the odometer. Remember your battery usage will be impacted by your GPS Sensitivity setting. The higher the sensitivity, the more times the app will check your location and that can fun down your battery. BikeTool tracks just about everything active cyclists need to measure their progress. But it can also be a fun tool for you and your family if you take evening for weekend rides together.
