At VIA Empresa we have prepared for you an overview of the most interesting smart bicycles on the market in case you decide to swap the car for pedalling.
VanMoof
This bike manufactured in the Netherlandsis designed for lovers of city cycling.
It is made with 3 or 18 gears and its minimalist aesthetic includes a front and back light, an antitheft system, GPS and a mobile phone connection that allows, among other things, for blocking and unblocking the chain without the need for a key.
Moreover, if a thief were to get past the security system and manage to steal the bike, its creators promise to try and locate it in a week, and if they fail to find it, provide the owner with a replacement.
And all of this is reflected in the price. The normal version of the bicycle costs 1,498 euros for the 3-gear version and 1,698 euros for the 8-gear one. The electric model, whose battery is barely noticeable inside the frame, rises in price to 2,798 euros.
Smart eBike
You guessed it. This bicycle is made by Smart, the small car manufacturer in the Mercedes group.
It is a city bike that includes a battery with a range of 100 kilometres that recharges when braking, a carbon fibre frame designed to protect the cyclist's trousers and the capacity to connect with a mobile phone.
Its price? 3,066 euros with tax included.
Vanhawks
Vanhawks can be considered a pioneer of Smart Bikes. Its smart bike project, which was funded through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, led to a city bicycle with an absolutely spectacular design.
What's more, the app it comes with provides GPS navigation integrated into the handlebars that uses LED to tell the cyclist when to turn. If that was not enough, the app records all sorts of metrics on trips that allow for calculating the best routes depending on the experience it has acquired.
Unfortunately, it is not cheap. The lowest price comes in at 1,299 dollars, while the most advanced model is around 2,449 dollars.
COBI
The conclusion to be drawn from the bikes we have seen so far is that the future looks rosy indeed, but only if you are wealthy enough. Yet, not all is lost.
If you want to convert your current bicycle into a Smart Bike, you can opt for SmartHalo, a device that attaches to the bike's handlebars and that includes GPS with turning indicators, a bicycle locator, a front light, an antitheft alarm, a fitness tracker that syncs with your smartphone, and a messaging and phone call assistant.
And the best thing about it? It costs 169 euros minus delivery costs.