It might be cold outside right now, but cycling season is right around the corner. It’s almost time to pull on your padded shorts, lube your chain and mount up. But, while you're still patiently waiting, there are some tech companies doing interesting things in the cycling world you should check out.
If you want to start the season in peak shape, Peloton is your answer. The company makes high-tech, connected indoor cycling machines. Their bikes spit out the same sort of performance data you relish on Strava and come Wi-Fi-connected to a cycling studio. That means you can take live or on-demand classes with elite instructors from the comfort of your home. You may miss the wind in your hair, but you’ll definitely get into riding shape by spring.
Hammerhead is still operating in a rather unstealthy stealth mode, but we’ve heard that’s going to change very soon. What we do know is that Hammerhead is making a smart tool that will guide cyclists around their routes in the safest and most enjoyable way. From what we can tell, they’re making a device that mounts on your bike and indicates when you should make a turn with a series of lights. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
Brilliant believes cycling has become too focused on spandex and speed, causing prices to rise and fun to plummet. They’re making simple, yet beautiful, hand-made bicycles shipped directly to your door. They only have two models, which is kind of the point — by creating a couple of simple, solidly made models, you can get a great city-cruiser starting around $300. You’re not going to win any races on it, but you'll definitely enjoy riding around town.
LiveMeet isn’t just for cyclists, but it certainly can curb the loneliness of solo rides. The company operates a local, interest-based social network that allows people to connect and share interests. That means next time you’re going to spend your Sunday riding a century, you'll probably be able to find some people crazy enough to join you on your adventure.
Swerve is what happens when tech and CrossFit invade a spinning studio. Every class is broken up into teams that share a 45-minute indoor cycling session. As you go, all your data is tracked and your personal metrics are displayed only to you — you’ll even be able to see how you’re doing compared to last time. But, your team’s collective data will be displayed on a big television in the front of the studio. So in a sense, your team will be racing against everyone else and you'll get a good workout or be the person holding everyone back.
