The Copenhagen Wheel by the MIT spin-off allows you to turn any bike into a hybrid. How does it do this? The wheel acts like a Toyota Prius by saving all the juice wasted during braking and turning and giving it back to you for a little boost while on steep hills. “What is lets you do is not waste energy,” said Asaaf Biderman founder of Superpedestrian.
The slick design is a 12-pound red disk that goes within your bike’s back-tire spokes. The wheel was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s SENSEable City Lab. It made its first appearance in the entire season on the TV show “Weeds,” but it is now on the market.
Biderman says, “You ride it just like any other bike.” The wheel works with single-speed and multi-gear bikes. The wheel can reach speeds up to 20 miles per hour, quite fast for a bicycle. The wheel learns the rider’s routes and hills and additionally learns when it should help the rider out.
How does it do this? About a dozen sensors inside the device learns how the rider pedals as well as the topography they are riding on, Biderman discussed. When the wheel kicks in to help, the rider can hardly notice but giving them that little boost they need to get up the hill. The rider doesn’t need to use any buttons or wires for the device to work.
The wheel can also be synchronized with the rider’s smartphone. The Superpedestrian mobile app allows the rider to track riding statistics and create a personal profils that holds records of distance traveled, calories burned, and elevation gain. Your cycling profile can be shared with friends.
The wheel is priced at $699. Watch the release video by clicking on this link Copenhagen Wheel Product Release.
Exciting new technologies for cyclists are always being invented and we love it! Christensen & Hymas is excited for the new wheel and can’t wait to hear about the product’s reviews.
If you have been injured in a cycling accident caused by someone’s recklessness, call us today for a free confidential consultation at (801) 506-0800
Original article by FoxNews
Image courtesy of Flickr