Despite the never-ending pursuit of technological advances at the top of the sport, cycling tech companies are shifting their focus towards the everyday cyclist. More people are cycling in their day-to-day lives, whether it be to work, school or the shops. At the very forefront of this movement is Volata, a bicycle technology company which has now developed a bike that is deeply engrained with technology.
The bike contains a 2.4in computer embedded into the handlebars, which, essentially, is the brains of the whole operation. As with an array of technology, GPS is used to track location, plan routes and indicate direction. However, the GPS system also has a rather more unexpected job, too. In order to provide users with extra peace of mind whilst they’re away from the bike, the GPS ‘doubles-up’ as an anti-theft tool, monitoring the bike’s status and sending real-time location information to the user’s cell phone if the bike is stolen.
The integrated computer can also track heart-rate, monitor performance and enable access to weather forecasts, all of which are features designed to appeal to the full spectrum of regular cyclists.
Above all, and despite the array of features, Volata hopes to remove the complexity many associate with cycling technology. In their very own words, the goal is to “create a new bicycle category: an all-in-one, complete and versatile solution, optimized for the performance and utility usage and suitable for any terrain”.
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Co-founder and CEO of the company, Marco Salvioli, goes one step further. “The bicycle is the most efficient means of human transport ever invented, and in a time when the transition to sustainable transport is a priority, its everyday usage is increasing all over the world. The problem is, the bicycle industry didn’t evolve on the tech side, and did not improve the bicycle with native digital features whose goal is improving riding experience and safety.”
Ultimately, what could really diversify the Volata bike from others is how it never needs to be recharged. A front-hub dynamo constantly replenishes the internal battery, meaning that recharging simply isn’t an issue. And while this does indeed make the Volata technology different to a lot of other technologically-enhanced bikes, it also provides a stark contrast to the expensive and gas-guzzling nature of cars on the road.
Whether Volata will indeed create a whole new genre of bikes remains to be seen. Until July 2017, however, we just won’t know. The bikes will become available then for $3499.