3 On Your Side: Hi-Tech Bike Safety Devices Designed For Cyclists
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Does the summer weather have you thinking of hitting the road on your bicycle? If so, there's a host of new gadgets, to help keep you safe on the street. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan has the details.
Cyclist Celia Conti likes gadgets that help increase her awareness of the cars around her. One of her favorites? Glasses with a rearview mirror. She says, "It's really nice when it comes to seeing traffic behind you."
As more and more people are pushing the pedals, a host of tools are designed to keep bikers safe. Gary Boulanger, editor of Bicycle Times Magazine says, "Some very smart technology that we're seeing is related to crashing."
Among them, the ICEdot, a sensor that pairs with your smartphone and can detect impact and motion. If it senses a crash, it sends a signal to contact 911. According to Boulanger, "You can set the amount of time it takes for the message to be sent to 911. All the information is stored in the sensor and all the information is stored in the cloud."
GPS products are getting more sophisticated. BikeSpike is designed to let you keep track of friends and family on the road, and alert you if someone goes off course, or has an accident. Boulanger says, "We're starting to see Bluetooth activated tracking devices for bicycles, whether it's some sort of a beacon that's on the water bottle cage, or actually built into a lock, or built into an apparatus on the handlebars."
New products meant to prevent accidents are hitting the market too like Loud Bicycle, a horn that sounds like a car horn. Boulanger says, "We're starting to see a combination of led lights with horns."
Some bikes are incorporating new technology too, like electronic shifting that can help make steering and slowing your bike easier, or electric assist for extra push on those tough hills.
For links to products seen in this report visit the links below:
BikeSpike: http://bikespike.com
The ICEdot Crash Sensor: https://icedot.org/site/crash-sensor/?lang=en
Loud Bicycle: http://www.loudbicycle.com
Helios Bars: http://www.ridehelios.com
Bitlock: http://bitlock.co
