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Gadgets You Wish Existed?

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Gadgets You Wish Existed?

Old 10-28-14, 01:00 PM
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also of note for the light people, the ridehelios bars are bluetooth controlled, so you might be able to work something out using them in terms of central control.
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Old 10-28-14, 01:15 PM
  #52  
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fwiw, I've been down a lot of the gadget paths over the years. These days, my bikes are all kitted pretty similar.

* water bottle cages x2 ( locations vary by bike type )
* under seat kit for roadside repairs
- two tubes
- patch kit
- tire spoon x 1
- CO2 cartridge x2 and pump cap
- multi-tool ( variations based upon bike )
- bandaids
- neosporin
- emergency money
- emergency contact info
* lights
- one white forward facing (150-750 lumen depending upon bike usage)
- two red rear facing (300 lumen)
* bluetooth speed and cadence sensor

Commuter only

* fenders to reduce splashing
* rear rack
* water proof pannier bags
* additional rear facing 750 lumen red lamp on rack
* flashlight
* traditional travel pump
* crescent wrench
* bike lube
* spoke wrench

Items that are not one the bike, but are always on my person

* road id
* wallet
* sunglasses
* cellphone (in waterproof pouch either armsnrap or jersey pocket)
* tomtom multisports watch (paired to the bluetooth devices) - may switch to Apple Watch

Notice, no dedicated bike computers, no dynamo/generators, and I don't want the phone or watch in a place where I look at them. Why? fewer distractions while riding. Several items carry on my commuter are not for me, but are for use in assisting other cyclists that I encounter with mechanical issues and no tools or ability to deal with them.

While there remain lots of interesting gadgets out there, none of them are effective at enhancing the ride experience, so for the most part I quit bothering.
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Old 10-29-14, 11:25 AM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
I'd tie it into the Motor Vehicle ignition circuit, so to phone you have to pull over and turn off the engine.

or just a motion detector in the Phone Itself so you have to stop whether you are walking driving , biking or on your skateboard .
As much as I agree with this idea. The problem that is always brought up is emergencies. What if you are in the middle of nowhere and have someone giving you directions to the nearest hospital for your friend/significant other in the passenger seat? The ONLY thing I can think of would be to have a steering wheel know when you're touching it and disable the SCREEN of the phone then, so you can't change music/text/type in a phone number while driving unless you had handsfree.

But this would be way too expensive/complicated to incorporate today and no car company would ever do it.
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Old 10-29-14, 11:32 AM
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What if you are in the middle of nowhere and have someone giving you directions to the nearest hospital for your friend/significant other in the passenger seat?
write it down on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil ? read the sign on the post that says Hospital >>>>

They are wanting to sell cars to the younger Phone addicted customers so are going the other way .

All touch screen controls someone said were the Volt dashboard. so you take your eyes off the road to adjust the heat

Last edited by fietsbob; 10-29-14 at 11:36 AM.
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Old 10-29-14, 11:35 AM
  #55  
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I just want skullyhelmet for bicycles

Last edited by Lieto; 10-29-14 at 11:38 AM.
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Old 10-29-14, 02:30 PM
  #56  
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I would like a helmet cam that would split between what my eyes see forward, and the rear view mirror sees backwards.
As to electronic footpads, something that would broadcast "It's behind you. It's behind you."
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Old 11-01-14, 07:24 PM
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Originally Posted by alan s
Handlebar mounted espresso machine
+1
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Old 11-12-14, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
I'd like a computer with servo motors that shift my two derailleurs the right way. My input would be a button-press (or knob turn or whatever) for higher or lower. It handles double shifts for me.
You mean you want an automatic transmission on your bike?

I want a device that would keep my brake pads centred about my rims no matter how warped my wheels are.

Last edited by Daniel4; 11-12-14 at 08:47 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 11-12-14, 09:09 PM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
You mean you want an automatic transmission on your bike?
No. I still want to shift. I want one shift lever to operate both derailleurs. I pull it back for a lower gear and push it forward for a higher gear. It knows which derailleur(s) to shift and which way.

I want a device that would keep my brake pads centred about my rims no matter how warped my wheels are.
So it would wobble left and right to avoid the rim? Clevah!
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Old 11-12-14, 10:42 PM
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[QUOTE=RoadTire;17182586]+... a static field generator inducing screaming loud static in earbuds [/QUOTE]

I want that but frontal, and with a range of 100ft. Nothing worse than someone wandering along totally oblivious to the world.
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Old 11-12-14, 10:51 PM
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If we're talking about things we WISH existed.. (que the sci fi music).. I wish I coudl mount some kind of electromagnetic (or more like electromagicalnetic) inertial siphon. So when I'm tired, I could "hook" to a car and get half a percent or so of their linear momentum, corrected to match my wheel direction.

I also wish there was some kind of magical 0 friction no lost energy drivetrain with infinite gain ratios, and frictionless hubs as well.
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Old 11-13-14, 12:27 AM
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Some kind of millimeter radar system that would sound an alarm if a car behind you was on a collision course with you within a user definable distance. A second or two of warning might be enough to bail if a car is drifting into your lane.
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Old 11-13-14, 07:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Tailor
Some kind of millimeter radar system that would sound an alarm if a car behind you was on a collision course with you within a user definable distance. A second or two of warning might be enough to bail if a car is drifting into your lane.
I wonder if collision warning systems in new cars nowadays detect bicycles.
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Old 11-13-14, 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Tailor
I also wish there was some kind of magical 0 friction no lost energy drivetrain with infinite gain ratios, and frictionless hubs as well.
Man, you're hard to please! The human on the bicycle is already the most efficient thing ever, compared with any machine or beast.
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Old 11-14-14, 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
I wonder if collision warning systems in new cars nowadays detect bicycles.
Unfortunately, from the admittedly unscientific and limited selection of cars we had to test, the best I can offer is "some do, some don't." Some of them seemed to detect a person walking better than a bike. which surprised me, but then I suspect they spent some real time on detecting humans, and less on detecting humans suspended on a wire frame composed of varying materials.

Originally Posted by noglider
Man, you're hard to please! The human on the bicycle is already the most efficient thing ever, compared with any machine or beast.

What can I say, when someone breaks out the "W" word, my expectations reach for the stars.
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Old 11-14-14, 10:13 AM
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Earplugs that would eliminate wind noise and allow me to hear everything that's going on around me.
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Old 11-15-14, 01:03 PM
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Your wish is granted.

WindTamer™ Motorcyclist Ear Plugs (NRR 19) - Consumer Packaged Reusable Ear Plugs


These are one of the cheaper ones out there for this purpose. I have used these ones specifically for my motorcycle riding and can vouch for them keeping wind noise under control while letting me hear other things. If those arent you're style, a google search for motorcycle wind noise earplugs will find many others that do that job as well.

Warning, the ones that are mainly marketed toward shooters with electronic pass through and high cut offs, are not good for cycling, or at least all the ones I've tried didn't do a good job for that.
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Old 11-16-14, 10:07 PM
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A good mirror with image stabilization technology.
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Old 11-17-14, 05:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Tailor
Some kind of millimeter radar system that would sound an alarm if a car behind you was on a collision course with you within a user definable distance. A second or two of warning might be enough to bail if a car is drifting into your lane.
DONE!

Backtracker
Hands-On with Backtracker: Radar for your bike | DC Rainmaker
Backtracker radar system warns cyclists of approaching cars
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Old 11-17-14, 10:06 PM
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Originally Posted by maggiesmoot
Hi, everyone! I'm Mags, and I'm a Bay Area biker. From a new biking group I joined, I just discovered a ton of amazing little solutions to the tiny nuisances that come about when you become a serious biker. I was wondering if anyone else on here is annoyed by something trivial that happens while biking, and seeing if anything I've recently come about can solve your problem.

Let's share solutions!
Are you a product manager? Scouting for new product ideas?

I'll give you one annoying problem. Bike thieves. Give me a device that if another POS grinds my locks and grabs off with my bike, they get a shock so hot and severe, spontaneous light up and then vaporize!

Humor? No seriously, I'd like a few amps in a capacitor, charged and ready. Two metal grips isolated from the rest of the bike but connected to such device. When parked, I would remote activate it. I'll sign all the release waivers protecting the company. Screw the liability laws and courts. If ever these thieves do get caught, the spineless courts ALWAYS let them off. Its time to take on thieves with shock therapy.

Last edited by crank_addict; 11-17-14 at 10:19 PM.
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Old 11-17-14, 10:25 PM
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Here is my list, can you get them all integrated into a single device that costs about $10?

(1) a device that turns traffic lights green as I approach them
(2) automatic dog freezer that immobilizes them for 30 seconds when I pass them
(3) Something that takes the lactic acid out of my legs wen I hit the bonk point
(4) A large screen GPS that lasts for 1200 miles on a single charge
(5) A BMW-like headlight that is the size of a quarter but has same light output and lasts all night on a single charge
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Old 11-25-14, 09:37 PM
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So if a car is following too closely I am alerted. Am I supposed to get out of the way?

I'd be more practical if the display instead of at the handlebar, have it mounted at the rear of the bike facing behind with large LEDs that spell out "TOO CLOSE"
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Old 11-25-14, 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
@PaulRivers, sometimes, I just ring my bell very gently, but I see your point. What you (and I) want is a passive sound, one that others will know we didn't initiate. I used to ride with a SunTour Perfect freewheel which had a loud ratchet. To warn pedestrians I was close to them, I just coasted. It worked.
I used to click my brake levers. Now I damp my bell with a finger.
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Old 11-26-14, 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Gresp15C
I used to click my brake levers. Now I damp my bell with a finger.
Sometimes I continuously ring my bell. When people don't respond it makes me nervous because I'm also wondering if they could be hard of hearing. Other times, when I squeeze my brakes, they squeal. I used to try to solve that squealing problem but now I make use of squealing brakes. It makes pedestrians nervous and get out of the way.
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Old 11-26-14, 03:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Sometimes I continuously ring my bell. When people don't respond it makes me nervous because I'm also wondering if they could be hard of hearing. Other times, when I squeeze my brakes, they squeal. I used to try to solve that squealing problem but now I make use of squealing brakes. It makes pedestrians nervous and get out of the way.
I find, most of the time they're wearing earbuds, and can't hear a thing.
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