Vanhawks Valour: The Smart Bike

There is a new bike on the horizon;  Vanhawks Valour and it is smart. Very smart.  The Vanhawks Valour uses Bluetooth to relay information from the on-board gyroscope; the accelerometer, a magnetometer, a speed sensor, a GPS receiver, and blind spot detectors form the bike to a smart phone.  The relationship between cell-phone and bicycle has created some groundbreaking tech in the industry, including a built in turn by turn direction system.

The bicycle has been constructed with city commuters in mind and it is capable of suggesting a preferred route.  The bike learns from the individual’s riding experience.   The information provided transforms each bike into an important resource for regional planners as it tangibly translates into improved information for anybody that uses the Vanhawks system.   The handlebars have built in LED indicators for navigation.  In addition to this they also have an integrated haptic feedback system that can warn the user of oncoming objects in your blind spot.

The bike has been crammed with so much electronic sensors that you would think it would make the bike too heavy, but as the bike is made from carbon, it is still light as a feather.  With all of this tech and a carbon frame the team has still managed to price the bike in the thousand-dollar bracket. Prices do vary depending upon the model-whether you order a fixie (15.8 pounds in weight), single speed (16.3 pounds in weight), or internally geared bike (19.6 pounds in weight).

It is not a bad pricing structure, when you consider each model has a dynamo front hub for charging, uses larger 28mm tires, an ergonomic saddle, pedals, and grips, from Ergon.  At the bike’s launch there will be three sizes available; 50, 53, and 56cm frames.

The original kickstarter goal of $100,000 was met with no issues and the campaign is now heading towards the $235,000 mark with a few weeks to go.  If the kickstarter pre orders continue to arrive, the firm may be able to meet their stretch goals of new rim colours, Avid Disc Brakes, or a Gates Carbon Belt Drive model!  Lets hope the company reaches it’s goals.

As always, if you would like to leave a sensible comment, then please do so in the comments section below.

[Images via kickstarter]

SOURCE: http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/05/07/kickstarter-vanhawks-valour-the-worlds-first-smart-bike/