The number of emerging smart exercise equipment gadgets and the sheer volume of fitness apps appearing on a daily basis all suggest one thing – people want the symbiosis between technology and physical activities. Aside from gamifying their exercising experience to boost its effect, this trend also provides one with more insight into what they’re doing, or it’s merely making their everyday commute (cycling or walking) more enjoyable. Each of these improvements, on their own, would be a reason enough to turn to gadgets. With this in mind and without further ado, here are five interesting gadgets that can revolutionize your cycling experience.
1. Turn signal gloves
For a lot of people, extending your hand to show that you’re turning on your bike is not a rule or a courtesy, but a reflex. One of the ways in which this can be made more efficient is by getting yourself some practical LED turn signal gloves. Unlike your bike lights, your extended hand will not have the same visibility during the night, especially if the street light is not up to certain standards. Why would you risk getting injured due to the fact that your signalization wasn’t transparent enough when you can just get this incredible pair of gloves and solve the issue in the simplest way possible? The way these are activated is via a metal contact on your thumb and the one on the side of your palm.
2. Smartphone holder
While it may seem as a bad idea to take your eyes off the road for whatever the reason, the truth is that, nowadays, there are so many amazing cycling apps out there which can turn your smartphone into an ultimate cycling tool. For instance, fitness-oriented people may be interested in the metrics of their exercises, which is something that your smartphone can provide you with. This goes from something as simple as the number of rounds per minute, the distance and the speed, but can also be connected to something health-related, like your heart beats per minute.
3. Adequate lights
This particular issue can affect your experience, yet, at the end of the day, it isn’t nearly as much experience as it is safety-related. The overall illumination of the streets that you take at night is often random and out of your control, which means it’s not something you can come to rely on. Because of this, picking adequate bike lights should become your first priority. Here, you get to choose the intensity of the output, the beam pattern, as well as the average amount of lumens that this particular fixture provides. In 2018, going with LED is the obvious choice, however, it might also be a good idea to go that extra mile and check whether the fixture you’ve chosen is rechargeable.
4. Solar powered cycling lock
Smart locks are more and more popular, due to the fact that they’re keyless, which automatically makes them more pragmatic. After all, most homes are currently turning towards smart locks, so why would you carry around a key for your bicycle lock if you don’t carry one for your home? The greatest issue with smart locks is the need to recharge them, which can be solved quite efficiently by making the lock solar powered. Sure, one might argue that they could end in a real trouble should they lose their phone. Admittedly, losing your phone will definitely cause huge problems for you, regardless of how you lock your bike.
5. Smart glasses
In the section where we’ve mentioned the disadvantages of smartphone use in cycling, we listed the safety hazard that they create by taking your attention away from the road. With smart glasses, there’s no risk of such a thing occurring. Another reason why this trend might get additionally popularized in the following several years is due to the fact that AR (augmented reality) is getting bigger and bigger as a tendency. In other words, apart from being a direction indicator and a sophisticated guidance system, these glasses will also warn you of any dangerous on-road activities by you or other traffic participants. Furthermore, smart glasses also alarm you about the changing weather or road conditions, which can be both insightful and life-saving.
At the end of the day, you don’t have to be exclusive to gadgets when it comes to improving your cycling experience. Cycling apparel is equally as important, and some of them even work on the electrode system in order to keep you more stimulated during those long cycling sessions. Aside from this, ultra-lightweight backpacks and the invisible bike helmets (which work similarly to the airbag principle), can make your overall riding experience more enjoyable. On the other hand, bear in mind that the above-listed five should definitely be your first stop.
