After smartphones and smartwatches, a smart, connected bike has been launched that can help cyclists avoid traffic and potholes.

Oil! Let’s talk about it! Specifically how expensive it is because fuel for our cars and other fuel-burning vehicles is increasing like the temperature of the Earth as a result of that aforementioned fuel burning. But there are alternatives to private transport, if owning a car is too expensive and the public bus routes just aren’t your jam. The most popular one as of late is cycling (because God knows walking isn’t for everyone) but even if you have the legs for it, navigating busy city streets during rush hour or staying safe on the roads in general can be a hassle so with these exact dilemmas in mind, the Vanhawks Valour connected bike has made its way onto Kickstarter, offering a safer commute.

Made with matte carbon fibre, the Vanhawks Valour is both a trendy and attractive way of getting around, but the lightweight chassis of the commuter’s new favourite mode of transport isn’t its headline feature. No, instead, the key USP (unique selling point) of the bike is that it can actively keep you safe. Using sensors and “haptic detection”, cars and other vehicles are merely just an inconvenience rather than an actual threat to your safety as the Vanhawk Valour will notify you of dangers in blind spots such as to the left of your back wheel where your helmet might slightly obscure your view by vibrating the handlebars. In addition to driven dangers, various other things such as potholes are also warned against with information gathered from other Valour riders compiled, ready for your perusal.

It would probably be pretty difficult to distinguish a danger vibrate from a pothole kind of vibrate and there’s obviously a serious need for rider to be able to tell between the two which is why the Vanhawk Valour also comes with smartphone support. Using Bluetooth, potholes and even information about the best cycle routes (these will apparently be compiled from first hand experience of the roads in the location and from other riders rather than reskinned Google Maps data) will be put onto your smartphone allowing you to check it as you cycle and get to your destination safely and on time. The Vanhawk Valour is available for a pricey $1000 on its Kickstarter, but as it blasted through its goal by raising 5 times the hoped-for amount, crowdfunding won’t be the only way to pick one up in future.

Source: Kickstarter

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