“The BikeSpike is a beacon that uses GPS and cellular technology to broadcast your position.” That’s a selling point Clay Neigher touts in a Kickstarter video about his yet-to-be-funded bicycle tracking system.
If it comes to market Neigher says the system will empower victims of bike theft to locate their stolen rides.
And while that’s a win in our books, there’s even more. Masquerading as a water bottle cage, the BikeSpike broadcasts a signal that opens a world of online applications, including race tracking, training stats, route mapping, and anything else a real-time location track can provide.
Applications have been developed to alert the bike owner through their mobile device if the bike ever leaves a predetermined area. An onboard accelerometer can detect a crash and alert your friends and family.
Open API access means programmers have a whole new toy in the box to experiment with.
The device will need to be charged by a wall outlet on a monthly basis, and consumers will have to pay for a monthly plan as part of the product.
The BikeSpike is attempting to raise $150,000 to fund the product by April 9. There’s no word yet on the estimated retail price of the BikeSpike, however a $149 Kickstarter donation now will get you a device, a 12-month plan, and the carbon-fiber water bottle cage to mount with the BikeSpike.
—Sean McCoy
