BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
A direction giving, bluetooth connected grip has today been revealed by Boréal Bikes.
Using haptic feedback (vibration) the grip will indicate to the cyclist up-coming turns on a pre set route. The big plus with the design is that it’s "eyes free", says Boréal CEO Louis Huard, meaning that the rider isn’t distracted by maps on the cockpit, improving safety in the saddle.
Huard told Wired: "We can be on any bike and make any bike connected. The Boréal app sends the notifications to the smrtGRiPS, which turns those notifications on as haptic feedback."
The product also has benefits for those who have either clumsily forgotten where they’ve locked their bike, or more likely, had it stolen. Via the Android and iPhone compatible app, the cyclists will be able to hit a ‘ring your ride’ button that will locate the bike and guide the cyclist to it via their phone.
Another quirk is a group ride function. The grips will be able to locate another member of your group who has lost his or her way.
Weighing in at 3.5 ounces, the $68 smrtGRiPS begin to emit a small vibration as the turn approaches, with the strength of the feedback growing as the turn gets closer.
Huard also indicates that the product will be able to track rides and data and has expressed an interest in creating maps for cyclists based on the most commonly ridden routes in the future.
A crowdfunding microsite has now gone live where you can pledge to support the firm’s production of smrtGRiPS and bag yourself a pair.
