BikeSpike: LoJack for the Bicycling Set

More than a million bicycles are stolen each year, according to various law enforcement agencies, and few ever find their way back to their owners. After a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, one new startup hopes to change that.

The BikeSpike uses a tiny GPS chip that will monitor your bicycling speed and distance during rides, but will also track your bike if it's stolen or, if you crash, alert specified contacts from your smartphone.

After having multiple bikes stolen over the years, company founders Clay Neigher and Bill Fienup decided to fight back with technology. "We were just sick of people stealing something we were endlessly tweaking and modifying," Fienup says. "It'd be frustrating even if it were just a steel-frame beater bike; it's still ours."

The unassuming three-ounce BikeSpike attaches to your bicycle's bottle-cage mount; anyone attempting to steal your bicycle would probably miss it. If a thief takes off with your ride, you can track it yourself or temporarily share the location data with law enforcement officials to get it back. The company also sells a specially designed carbon cage that better integrates with the unit.

If the BikeSpike's built-in accelerometer detects a crash, it will send a message via Bluetooth to your phone. If you don't respond within a specified time frame, it sends a text message to predetermined contacts on your phone, alerting them you've been in an accident. The team added this crash-detection feature after a conversation with U.S. Olympic cyclist Evelyn Stevens, who rides for the professional Specialized-lululemon team.

"She told us she often rides at 4 a.m. alone," Fienup says. "If she gets nicked on the road, she could be unconscious and unable to call for help."

Recharging takes about 4 hours via a standard AC cord. Depending on how much bicycling time you're putting in, you might need to do this only about once a month. More frequent riders would need to recharge a bit more often, depending on signal strength, update frequency and other variables.

The device has earned comparisons with General Motors' OnStar, Apple's Find My Mac, and LoJack (which actually makes its own bicycle-identification product called ReuniteIt, which is not a GPS tracker but merely an identification label that points the finder to the National Bike Registry.) Fienup says motorcycle riders have also been enthusiastic about the BikeSpike, opening up an unanticipated and potentially lucrative market.

By using an open software platform, BikeSpike's creators are encouraging third-party developers to create downloadable gaming and fitness apps or better integrate with existing programs and sites, such as Strava.

More than 630 Kickstarter users helped the fledgling company exceed its $150,000 goal in early April, with those funds earmarked for certification and tool costs. The BikeSpike should retail for about $150. Shipping starts in October. A monthly monitoring fee, starting at $4 for Kickstarter benefactors, will be needed as well. Options include the Daily Commuter plan that provides basic theft-recovery services, and the Pro Plan that adds live updates and training options. Fienup expects up to 3500 units could be sold in the first year.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/technology/bikespike-loJack-for-the-bicycling-set-15408933?src=rss

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