The Toronto based bike designers, Vanhawks, recently announced their limited edition bike via Kickstarter. The Valour is truly the next step in urban biking. We’ve seen the connected home and car, now there’s a truly connected bike that has integrated technology linking in what is happening on the bike with almost all aspects of activity around it.
This carbon fiber cruiser features applications such as navigation, performance tracking, interactive feedback and advanced personal safety and security.
For navigation, the Valour’s application connects to a smart phone in order to provide turn-by-turn navigation via LED indicator signals that alert you as you approach the next turn, avoiding those dangerous glances at your phone screen. The connection between the phone and the bike is made via low energy Bluetooth powered by the bike itself.
A leisurely commute on your bike is now turbo charged because the Valour is equipped with sensors that measure the number of calories you burn, the distance traveled from point A to B, and of course your overall speed. There is integrated haptic feedback in the handlebar grips providing vibrational alerts that increase safety. Each vibration warns you to various objects that are present in your blind spot.
The inventors of this well-connected bike designed it to provide an overall comfortable ride. The bike is ergonomically designed to relieve back, spine, and butt pressure. The design shifts some of this pressure to the shoulders, neck and hands. The Valour is also equipped with Ergon for ergonomic saddle, pedals and grips.
The bike’s carbon fiber frame gives is an overall strong profile allowing it to withstand “extreme three dimensional stress.” It weighs in at an ultra-lightweight of only 16lbs. The front wheel has the “dynamo hub” which is the charger for all of the electronics. A one hour ride will fully charge the Valour.
One last cool feature is that the bike’s technology is designed as a “mesh network” so that the bike is connected other Valour bikers. Together real-time information is gathered from all the riders providing feedback on issues like the location of potholes, blocked lanes, or closed roadways. And if a bike is stolen, the network can locate the bike if it happens to be near another Valour biker.
The Valour can be found via the company’s Kickstarter page. The basic bike starts at CAD$999 (about $US 970), although prices may vary depending on whether you want as a single speed, fixie, or gear hub version.
— Kevin Feather
Kevin is the Lifestyle Editor and a contributing writer for LuxuriousPROTOTYPE. He is also a contributing writer for the Examiner.com. He can be found on Twitter @Kfeat and also on Google.
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