Urban Cycling Gear – Part 4 – Getting Tech’d Out

Hello my fellow Cyclist

So far in the “Urban Cycling Gear” series we have gone over what you need for saftey, comfort, and storage, today I am going to be going over some electronics that will not only help you make your commute safer and more enjoyable, but also allow you to track your fitness and riding stats.

Safety

The LINKA Smart Bike Lock is a locking device that is always attached to your bike, that was shown on Shark Tank.  It has an auto-lock feature that recognizes you when you approach and unlocks it. Bike thieves are a huge problem where i live, and this exciting products let you secure your bike in unique way. It may even prevent your bike from being stolen. This lock is compatible with most bikes and has a built-in bike parking locator. It will also send alerts to your phone if someone tampers with your bike and give a clear message to the thieve with a loud siren to back off. “Finally a Smart Bike Lock with tamper alert and siren that opens when you approach!”

 

Velocate GPS Light looks just like an ordinary bike light. The difference lies inside, it has advanced technology that not visible from the outside. The light is easy to mount and connect. The GPS system is connected to your phone via Bluetooth, and it also has integrated Bluetooth Close Range Tracking for locating the unit in a basement or garage. If the bike is stolen and the alarm mode is active, you can follow the thief on your smartphone. It can charge automatically with the dynamo or through the use of battery, and will lasts for about two weeks in standby mode.

Helios Bars were a kickstarter project and are amazing they are handlebars with integrated headlight and blinkers. They offer visibility and safety all while adding some amazing Velo points to your ride. Other features include on these bars are; bluetooth smartphone connectivity, visual speedometer, GPS tracking, and turn-by-turn navigation. They are even available in multiple colors and three different styles to accommodate your riding type; Straight, Bullhorn and Drop,  and fit most bikes out on the market.

Enjoyment

 

Venstar Bluetooth Speaker, is a rugged Bluetooth speaker that you can mount to your bike, and has a variety of benefits; It is waterproof, shock resistant, and dustproof, it has a built-in FM radio, can act as a bell, and can stream music from a mobile phone or you can even insert an SD card, In addition to playing music, it also works as a complete hands-free for calling a buddy or your loved ones at home. This powerful little speaker is equipped with 2 3W speakers and a mic.it is also an Amazon best seller product, with around 400 positive customer reviews!

Supernova Plug III, also called Tout Terrain Plug III. This USB hub charger is mounted on your bike at the neck. With this tiny device you can easily charge up your devices. It lets you convert the momentum of your bicycle ride during your commute into power. then by simply connecting your electronics such as; iPhone, Android Phones, GoPro action cameras, lights, GPS, bike computers, Bluetooth speakers and more with a USB cable.

GoPro Hero 5 will allow you to create Great videos of long trips or adrenaline filled races. They are always fun to show to friends and on YouTube to help make you some extra money too.

While there are many action cameras available, few of them can compete with the GoPro HERO Series.  They are lightweight, small in size, can be attached almost anywhere, decent price, weather resistant, time-lapse feature, and easy to control. These are just a few of the things people like about this camera. It is designed to perform in the toughest of environments and is able to capture stunning videos up to 1080p at 60 frames per second (fps).

Fitness & Riding Statistics Tracking

Garmin
Garmin Cyclometer

PowerTap P1 Meter Pedal are an amazing smart pedal because it gives you the exact metrics of your ride, sent directly to your mobile phone providing accurate and reliable data. These pedals may be a bit expensive, however they are rated best in class.

The pedals will measure your left power, right power and more. They only weigh 398 grams, are driven by AAA batteries that last for 60 hours,  sync to your smart phone with ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart. They will fit most any bike and are easy to mount to the crank arm, included are the cleats and allen wrench screws.

A less expensive option…

bePRO S Pedal are Rechargeable single sensor pedal, that is a great entry-level power meter! It is installed on your bike in a matter of minutes. The pedals when fully charged up offer up to 30 hours of data. Keep in mind that this is the single-sensor version of the bePRO power meter, and therefore a bit cheaper. It works by measuring power within the left pedal and converts the value to compute total power output.

Recon Jet Smart glasses just incase you have ever wanted to feel like the Terminator, and want an eyewear that displays all you training metrics, maps and other data directly on your eyes. Then the Recon Jet Smart glasses are the perfect solution.

These glasses have an integrated dual-core processor and connect to smartphones and other fitness sensors offering real time data. They are also able to display GPS maps, smartphone notifications, and connection to social media everywhere you go as additional features, along with a camera that is capable of capturing 720p videos and pictures for documenting your races.

Garmin 500 is the best hands dowwn cyclometer. The main reason for the Garmin? Consistent and automated log keeping and data sharing. In terms of features, it’s a whole different ballpark comparing a simple bike computer like the Sigma BC1609 to a GPS device, but since I know your going to ask, the Garmin 500:

  • gives accurate speed + distance regardless of wheel size, tire width or other bike factors
  • allows you to easily transfer from bike to bike (or even for hiking or running)
  • has no wires, and is an easy install
  • has rich, comprehensive data
  • records downloadable, shareable files
  • has near-universal compatibility support for peripherals (cadence, heart rate, power metre, using ANT+ protocol)
  • keeps and displays all data (for example, from all peripherals) in one place

Why should you use it over an iPhone/Smartphone? Look at studies many blog posts that compare GPS accuracy between a Garmin and an iPhone/Smartphone. With up to 60% variations in accuracy on the iPhone/Smartphone. Need i bring up the battery power issues, You can get 18 hrs of riding on the Garmin. That, and many more features plus hardware compatibility on the Garmin. Why the 500 over other GPS devices?

  • It is super compact
  • light weight
  • Durable
  • long battery life
  • dedicated to cycling.

Disadvantages to the Garmin over say, a simple Sigma?

  • Battery: you gotta charge it every couple of rides, which is especially difficult for cycle touring.
  • Accuracy of real-time speed: If you are riding at speeds below 15 mph, the live readout of your current speed fluctuates as to be un-usable for pace-setting. With that said, the overall distance and speed remains accurate.
  • Price: especially if you crash and damage or lose the device.

The true benefits and joys of a Garmin 500 is keeping a log for yourself, and sharing the files with friends, using a service like Garmin Connect or Strava.

Garmin Vívoactive HR

Garmin has created GPS navigation and wireless devices to benefit people with active lifestyles for many decades. The Vívoactive HR is a GPS smartwatch with Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology. There is no need for an uncomfortable strap! Its built-in GPS-enabled apps are great for walking, running, cycling, golfing, snowboarding and so many other sports. The Vivoactive monitors your activity throughout the day. It will keep track of your;

  • Measure time
  • Distance
  • Speed
  • Calories burned
  • Steps
  • Floors climbed
  • Intensity minutes
  • and your sleep patterns.

This awesome watch uses Round the clock wrist-based heart rate data to calculate calories burned and the intensity of fitness activities, providing essential and accurate information that you can use to monitor your regimen and goals. The Connect IQ store allows users to easily personalize their watch using free

  • Apps
  • Widgets
  • Watch faces
  • and Data fields

The vívoactive HR also includes Garmin Move IQ, continuously monitoring for periods of sustained activity. Move IQ allows it to recognize

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Biking
  • Swimming
  • and Elliptical training

Users can easily track their exercise throughout the day without needing to start a timed activity. Once synced with Garmin Connect, users can review their full day of activity in a convenient Timeline view.

I hope that you found this artical on electronic cycling accessories useful. Let me know of some electronics that you use. If you have any questions recomendations or just want to share your experience, please leave them in the comments section below. As always Thank you for your support. I’m looking forward to hearing from you all, and will see you in the next article, where i will be continuing the Urban Cycling Gear series with iPhone/Smartphone applications to go with this new tech.

 

 

Samuel “Bicycle Bob” Cunningham

Founder: Bicycle Bob’s CyclEssentials

 

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