Last month the Eurobike 2022 conference in Frankfurt, Main, Germany brought a range of new ebikes, cargo bikes and escooters to industry professionals and product enthusiasts. Here are some of the techniques that caught my attention:
The Noordung ebike
At first glance the Slovak Noordung ebike looks like any cool, retro-inspired lightweight carbon fiber ebike. But he has some superpowers.
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It comes with a detachable Bluetooth boombox equipped with four speakers so you can play music while driving.
PM 2.5 and PM 10 particle sensors are built into the speakers. These monitor real-time air quality data so you can track the pollution of different routes.
However, the ebike doesn’t come cheap, with a hefty price tag of €6,990 ($7,105). But bonus points for pioneering new ebike capabilities.
Why it matters: It’s interesting to see a bike with new technology instead of just promoting what’s already available.
I’m not sure how well a bike that blasts music will endear itself to other road users. Perhaps bone conduction speakers would be an easier way to keep calm?
But I regularly see a guy jogging around my local park carrying a boob and a beer, so what do I know?
Additionally, I like the potential crowdsourcing of air pollution monitoring to air pollution levels, especially if it updates cycling routes in real time.
Add a way to monitor pollen levels. it would change the game.
This bike would be great for anyone looking to lead the pack (acoustic and environmental) at Critical mass bike rides.
Comodule
Estonian-German company Comodule he’s someone I’ve been following for a while. The company was a pioneer in providing plug-in-play solutions for connecting light motor vehicles to the internet.
Now, around 30% of the world’s scooter fleet and more than 200,000 shared vehicles run on our hardware and software.
The company showcased several clients at the event. For example, a recent collaboration with Dutch ebike subscription company Swapfiets.
IoT helps recover missing e-bikes, provides information on product performance, and generally helps Swapfiets with their commitment to circular design.
Why it matters: 8 years is a long time in IoT when it comes to keeping a company alive and profitable.
Comodule has been able to help bike manufacturers like Ampler and Gazelle create new connectivity ecosystems in a highly competitive market. They also helped launch micromobility fleets in the US, Europe, Asia and Asia-Pacific. Impressive stuff.
HIPLOK D1000
One D Lock angle grinder sounds too good to be true! But British company Hiplock has created a bike lock capable of withstanding a serious, sustained attack with an angle grinder.
The D100 owes its appearance to Ferosafe, a graphene-reinforced ceramic composite.
Even better, the patented materials are specially designed to break down angle grinders and carbide-tipped drills – a rather pleasant thought as it may stop other planned attacks on the same day.
The company raised over 300,000 euros Kickstarter in 2021 to bring those locks to life. Locks are currently sold out, but it’s worth getting on the waiting list.
Why it matters: Bicycle theft in major cities is endemic – take berlinwhere 12,490 bikes were reported stolen between January and June this year.
At €250, the price of the lock is comparable to the cost of a few years of bike insurance. But insurance can’t replace the sentimental or practical value of a custom bike. And while this won’t stop thieves determined to remove parts from a bike, it will hopefully deter them enough to prevent more theft.
Hillstrike Snow Trikes
I’m originally from Australia where ‘going to the snow’ is prohibitively expensive. So I didn’t know about ski bikes it was one thing.
Hillstrike rents skis in ski resorts across Europe.
The trikes mean that anyone from kids to seniors can have fun on the tracks. You can even take one on an elevator.
Why it matters: Simply put, it looks like a lot of fun, and as someone who has no idea how to ski, it seems pretty approachable. Sign me up!