Cycling Tech

andraosdesign

Hey everyone, we all love a bit of tech in our lives but is there a place for it in urban cycling?
I'd love to know what everyone's favorite piece of bike tech is and what they make of it or if you stay clear of tech all together for a purer ride.
I'm especially interested in safety tech.
I believe that while every other mode of transport focuses now on tech that means they avoid us (bikes), We're doing the same (lights, reflectors), when really there's room for us to be helping ourselves by improving bike safety from the front end. I think information about the roads, large vehicle blind spots, correct procedure being given to the cyclist would benefit bike safety enormously. What do you think?
What sort of information would you like to have in your ear or in your line of sight?
I look forward to hearing from you all.

de_sisti

Cyclists have the information in front and around them. Pair of Mk1 eyeballs to see, and ears to hear
everything around them. There's no need for cyclists to pay for unnecessary safety tech gimmicks.

Bobbinogs

Is this just another thinly veiled fishing exercise? Think "Shimano" but without the cycling bits?

nbalcombe

Let me get this straight; you're talking safety but want to put extra things in our line of sight and in our ears? Am I the only one that finds this a little odd or is this an attempt at trolling?

Lookyhere

nbalcombe wrote:

Let me get this straight; you're talking safety but want to put extra things in our line of sight and in our ears? Am I the only one that finds this a little odd or is this an attempt at trolling?

what about the Garmin Varia light/radar? line of sight doesnt need to be a set of smart glasses - its expensive but i think its a good idea, older cyclists or when riding into a headwind cant always hear an approaching car on a narrow road.
what a about some sort of device that can detect pot holes? sounds stupid? not so long ago, a returning soldier from Afgan, was killed after hitting a pot hole at speed.

cant see why you think the OP is trolling.

john1967

De Sisti wrote:

Cyclists have the information in front and around them. Pair of Mk1 eyeballs to see, and ears to hear
everything around them. There's no need for cyclists to pay for unnecessary safety tech gimmicks.

Every cyclist who has been killed or injured iin a traffic accident has had a set of mk1 eyeballs but sometimes thus isn't enough.Any tech that can improve our safety has to be a good thing after all we as cyclists are responsible for our own safety.
The car industry is allways improving driver safety and its time for more safety tech in the cycling world.

tomisitt

You need one of these:
https://www.dainesemanchester.co.uk/dai ... -suit.html

lakesluddite

"I believe that while every other mode of transport focuses now on tech that means they avoid us (bikes)," - really? I thought that the more tech that goes inside a car, the more distractions a driver has from watching the road as they are supposed to. There maybe new innovations that could be commercially available soon, but it seems to me that the vast majority of in-car tech is aimed at either navigation or entertainment/Telecommunication, or the safety tech is designed to protect the driver, rather than outside parties (I might be wrong). And I know there is a push to have lorries fit windows in doors to be able to see down the side of the vehicle better, but this is hardly 'tech'.

OP - if it bothers you that much, then get a rear view mirror. Low-tech, but tech non-the-less!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1774192 ... iew-mirror

http://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=458329031

shimanobottombracket

nbalcombe wrote:

Let me get this straight; you're talking safety but want to put extra things in our line of sight and in our ears? Am I the only one that finds this a little odd or is this an attempt at trolling?

Its an odd attempt at trolling, so both.

Alex99

Lookyhere wrote:

nbalcombe wrote:

Let me get this straight; you're talking safety but want to put extra things in our line of sight and in our ears? Am I the only one that finds this a little odd or is this an attempt at trolling?

what about the Garmin Varia light/radar? line of sight doesnt need to be a set of smart glasses - its expensive but i think its a good idea, older cyclists or when riding into a headwind cant always hear an approaching car on a narrow road.
what a about some sort of device that can detect pot holes? sounds stupid? not so long ago, a returning soldier from Afgan, was killed after hitting a pot hole at speed.

cant see why you think the OP is trolling.

Unless turning across the traffic, how does it help you to see behind you or know that a car is approaching? There is no decision to be made, is there? I don't get what practical use the Garmin radar thing has.

If turning right (in the UK), I'll be fully turning around to see what's behind me.

Alex99

andraosdesign wrote:

Hey everyone, we all love a bit of tech in our lives but is there a place for it in urban cycling?
I'd love to know what everyone's favorite piece of bike tech is and what they make of it or if you stay clear of tech all together for a purer ride.
I'm especially interested in safety tech.
I believe that while every other mode of transport focuses now on tech that means they avoid us (bikes), We're doing the same (lights, reflectors), when really there's room for us to be helping ourselves by improving bike safety from the front end. I think information about the roads, large vehicle blind spots, correct procedure being given to the cyclist would benefit bike safety enormously. What do you think?
What sort of information would you like to have in your ear or in your line of sight?
I look forward to hearing from you all.

If there was a device that told me that there was a person in any of the cars in a line of parked cars, that might be useful.

Education certainly has a role. Unfortunately, usually the procedure is to HOPE that the driver behind you has: a) seen you and, b) isn't a complete dickhead or incompetent. You can do something about being seen.

I'd like my bike to be fitted with a device that can scan the registration plate of any car passing too close and links to the DVLA and police. Actually, you could make it simpler by just saying any BMW M3 or Audi driver.

Alex99

LakesLuddite wrote:

"I believe that while every other mode of transport focuses now on tech that means they avoid us (bikes)," - really? I thought that the more tech that goes inside a car, the more distractions a driver has from watching the road as they are supposed to. There maybe new innovations that could be commercially available soon, but it seems to me that the vast majority of in-car tech is aimed at either navigation or entertainment/Telecommunication, or the safety tech is designed to protect the driver, rather than outside parties (I might be wrong). And I know there is a push to have lorries fit windows in doors to be able to see down the side of the vehicle better, but this is hardly 'tech'.

OP - if it bothers you that much, then get a rear view mirror. Low-tech, but tech non-the-less!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1774192 ... iew-mirror

http://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=458329031

I see the amount of sensor tech that goes into preventing the paintwork of the precious car and wonder if that could be put to better use. The safety of other road users, I guess isn't a big selling point.

Alex99

andraosdesign wrote:

Hey everyone, we all love a bit of tech in our lives but is there a place for it in urban cycling?
I'd love to know what everyone's favorite piece of bike tech is and what they make of it or if you stay clear of tech all together for a purer ride.
I'm especially interested in safety tech.
I believe that while every other mode of transport focuses now on tech that means they avoid us (bikes), We're doing the same (lights, reflectors), when really there's room for us to be helping ourselves by improving bike safety from the front end. I think information about the roads, large vehicle blind spots, correct procedure being given to the cyclist would benefit bike safety enormously. What do you think?
What sort of information would you like to have in your ear or in your line of sight?
I look forward to hearing from you all.

Would be good if all cars had this:
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/volvo- ... ces/017262

Twentytoo

The new rear facing radar would scare me every time it started bleeping something was coming

Magem

andraosdesign wrote:

...What sort of information would you like to have in your ear or in your line of sight?
I look forward to hearing from you all.

Drum&Bass and porn , mostly.

debeli

andraosdesign wrote:

Hey everyone, we all love a bit of tech in our lives but is there a place for it in urban cycling?
I'd love to know what everyone's favorite piece of bike tech is and what they make of it or if you stay clear of tech all together for a purer ride.
I'm especially interested in safety tech.
I believe that while every other mode of transport focuses now on tech that means they avoid us (bikes), We're doing the same (lights, reflectors), when really there's room for us to be helping ourselves by improving bike safety from the front end. I think information about the roads, large vehicle blind spots, correct procedure being given to the cyclist would benefit bike safety enormously. What do you think?
What sort of information would you like to have in your ear or in your line of sight?
I look forward to hearing from you all.

I think there is no place for it in my cycling; others might disagree.

For 'urban' cycling, as a former commuter between Paddington and Whitehall I found that the less I had, the better it went.

Clothing: Woolly hat or cotton cap; sunglasses; SPD shoes and 'cycling clothes'. Shiny shoes, business clothes and soap and towel in a daypack. Ooooh... and nice gloves. Nice gloves are a must.

Bike: Hardtail MTB with slicks, locked-out front end, narrowed bars and a high-ratio cassette. Traditional bell on handlebar.

Tech: Nothing.

The joy of cycling for many people is the spontaneity of it. Hop on a bike and then hop off on arrival at destination.

I second the above vote for the Mark I eyeball, although I have the Mark VII fitted because I am more evolved.

Lots of looking-around, lots of anticipation, get to know the sequencing of lights so you don't hop a red against a right-turn filter and bosh someone's headlamp. Only nip through slow or stationary traffic at a speed from which you can stop safely if doored or swerved at.

Tech? Why?

term1te

I know its ment to be about the bike, but if airbags were replaced with sharp pointy things in the middle of the steering wheel, I think drivers would pay much more attention to everything around them.

weezyswiss

About to pick up the commute option with a change of address having occurred. Tech for me is simple.

Lights, I'll be lit up like a beacon (Tech) Fluorescent backpack with dry liner in rucksack (Tech?) Bike That is all

I go with the approach of eyes and ears but be seen (Ninja riding in dark clothes in dusk or dark is a no-no) and I may be in the right but it's still gonna damn well hurt me so give way !!