On my morning ride today I was thinking about my gadget situation and it came to me that there’s some gaps in the gadgets market. For example:
1. A clever fastener to stop helmet straps slackening over time.
2. Titanium D lock – strong, weighs next-to-nothing.
3. Integral pine-scented air-freshener built into base layers.
4. A sensor to detect other bikes approaching from behind - for commuter not-racing.
5. Small on-bike wind turbine to power lights, sat nav etc.
6. Glasses demister / windscreen wiper - powered by in-helmet battery (or maybe on-bike wind turbine).
7. Automatic gear changer - with bluetooth links to cadence sensor, heart rate monitor and power meter
8. Satnav with built-in hands-free phone. .
Do any of these things exist already?
Can you think of any other missing gadgets?
Or maybe I’m just spending too much time riding my bike?
....if I'm spending too much time riding my bike
At least one of those already exists:
http://www.smartplanet.com/reviews/tech/10001284/review/hymini.htm
About £40, plus a tenner for the handlebar fitting. I was tempted to get one, but there's enough rubbish on my handlebars as it is.
How much time do you spend riding your bike? I spend my time re-playing conversations, looking at scenery, thinking what I'll eat for my tea and so on.
http://www.smartplanet.com/reviews/tech/10001284/review/hymini.htm
About £40, plus a tenner for the handlebar fitting. I was tempted to get one, but there's enough rubbish on my handlebars as it is.
How much time do you spend riding your bike? I spend my time re-playing conversations, looking at scenery, thinking what I'll eat for my tea and so on.
Re: ....if I'm spending too much time riding my bike
minkie wrote:On my morning ride today I was thinking about my gadget situation and it came to me that there’s some gaps in the gadgets market. For example:
1. A clever fastener to stop helmet straps slackening over time.
2. Not hard enough to stop a junior hacksaw. Titanium D lock – strong, weighs next-to-nothing.
3. Wash more. Integral pine-scented air-freshener built into base layers.
4. It's called a 'mirror' A sensor to detect other bikes approaching from behind - for commuter not-racing.
5. Cycling can be a drag, don't add to it. Small on-bike wind turbine to power lights, sat nav etc.
6. Rain-Ex, works on car windscreens, no batteries required. Glasses demister / windscreen wiper - powered by in-helmet battery (or maybe on-bike wind turbine).
7. Automatic gear changer - with bluetooth links to cadence sensor, heart rate monitor and power meter
8. It's called a mobile phone, M700 has Satnav. Satnav with built-in hands-free phone. .
Do any of these things exist already?
Can you think of any other missing gadgets?
Or maybe I’m just spending too much time riding my bike?
My inserts in bold
Re: ....if I'm spending too much time riding my bike
5. Small on-bike wind turbine to power lights, sat nav etc.
- I guess it'd be more efficient to use a front dyno hub.
7. Automatic gear changer - with bluetooth links to cadence sensor, heart rate monitor and power meter
- I've spend many a empty minute thinking about this one and the general state of affairs with gears. With the various electronic shifting units coming in it is really close. If the triggers for these units are nothing more complicated than a push to make or break switch with the brains elsewhere then it is well within the range of the amateur electronics wizz with a couple of programmable chips. Keep it simple to begin with, ie get it working wired before going wireless, and I think you could just about get away with a cadence sensor only. Gears set to change if the cadence drops bellow a certain value, or increases above a certain value. Move these shift points a further apart if the greater the rate of increase in rpm, as if your accelerating quickly you may wish to allow the rpm to get up to between 120-150, where as if your touring this will really fatigue you, and you may prefer the shift up to occur around 100-105.
Yup I think about these little things too much too. In my case it's the trait of working in engineering and coding.
- I guess it'd be more efficient to use a front dyno hub.
7. Automatic gear changer - with bluetooth links to cadence sensor, heart rate monitor and power meter
- I've spend many a empty minute thinking about this one and the general state of affairs with gears. With the various electronic shifting units coming in it is really close. If the triggers for these units are nothing more complicated than a push to make or break switch with the brains elsewhere then it is well within the range of the amateur electronics wizz with a couple of programmable chips. Keep it simple to begin with, ie get it working wired before going wireless, and I think you could just about get away with a cadence sensor only. Gears set to change if the cadence drops bellow a certain value, or increases above a certain value. Move these shift points a further apart if the greater the rate of increase in rpm, as if your accelerating quickly you may wish to allow the rpm to get up to between 120-150, where as if your touring this will really fatigue you, and you may prefer the shift up to occur around 100-105.
Yup I think about these little things too much too. In my case it's the trait of working in engineering and coding.
Re: ....if I'm spending too much time riding my bike
cranky wrote:Not hard enough to stop a junior hacksaw. Titanium D lock – strong, weighs next-to-nothing.
On the contrary. Cutting through a piece of titanium was often the joke job given to apprentices as although it is soft, the right grades can blunt hacksaws. Not to sure what it's impact properties are like when chilled. That's one of the beauties of steel, it performs very well in impact.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Thinking about gadgets is a normal fact of cycling life. Over the years I've invented and reinvented clipless pedals (though not a working design 
) and gadgets to show the steepness of climbs were a recurring theme.
In my RtoR days I was involved quite closely with a non-cycling member of the Leeds City Council's Highways Dept. He lold me he had ridden from Leeds to Morley for our meeting - only about 4 miles - but then he told me that riding up Gelderd Road (the A 62 and quite a steep hill for a non-cyclist) he had been mentally designing a ski-lift type contraption to tow cyclists up the hill. We got on very well.
) and gadgets to show the steepness of climbs were a recurring theme.
In my RtoR days I was involved quite closely with a non-cycling member of the Leeds City Council's Highways Dept. He lold me he had ridden from Leeds to Morley for our meeting - only about 4 miles - but then he told me that riding up Gelderd Road (the A 62 and quite a steep hill for a non-cyclist) he had been mentally designing a ski-lift type contraption to tow cyclists up the hill. We got on very well.
thirdcrank wrote:Thinking about gadgets is a normal fact of cycling life. Over the years I've invented and reinvented clipless pedals (though not a working design
In my RtoR days I was involved quite closely with a non-cycling member of the Leeds City Council's Highways Dept. He lold me he had ridden from Leeds to Morley for our meeting - only about 4 miles - but then he told me that riding up Gelderd Road (the A 62 and quite a steep hill for a non-cyclist) he had been mentally designing a ski-lift type contraption to tow cyclists up the hill. We got on very well.
A man after my own heart. I frequently think about an electric motor on the bike with a Honda suitcase genny on a trailer.
Aha, sourced from the B556 no doubt ?
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/projects/DOB/crom1b.html
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/projects/DOB/crom1b.html
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
I mentioned above day-dreaming about gadgets to measure gradients etc. I know this sort of thing has been around but they are now dirt cheap at Lidl.
Lidl computer with altimeter atc.
Lidl computer with altimeter atc.
Cycling home tonight, wondered about retractable blades set into hubs, for that situation when a car offends whilst overtaking and you catch up with him at the next lights - smile sweetly, press button and shred his tyres......
Or clothing with built-in air bags..........
Or a force field generator to throw a rain-proof bubble around you.... sorry that last one's a bit improbable
Or clothing with built-in air bags..........
Or a force field generator to throw a rain-proof bubble around you.... sorry that last one's a bit improbable
