Haize
Small and perfectly formed, HAIZE is the minimalist bike navigation system for the urban cyclist that aims to make journeys easier and safer all in one go. The project was launched on Kickstarter in 2015 and within 24 hours had 30% of its required funding. By 9th December it had reached its target of £63,000 and has kicked off 2016 by going into production. Watch this space cyclists!
Blaze Laserlight
It seems that safety is the name of the game amongst the cycling industry’s innovators, because next on our list is Emily Brooke’s laser light, designed to tackle one of the major causes of fatalities on bicycles; not being seen by vehicles. Funding started way back in 2012 when Emily sought £25,000. She exceeded expectations by 200%, raising a whopping £55,000, and by the start of last year the Blaze Laserlight was raring to go. So we can all feel a little bit safer on the roads now!
The world’s brightest cycling jacket
From the sublime to the ridiculous, currently at 1% of their fundraising target with $1,330 pledged, NOOR America are seeking to make a cycling jacket with over 250 LEDs, turn signals, detachable sleeves, 360 degree reflective, phone charging and six pockets… oh and it comes in three styles as well… not entirely sure what to say about that other than ‘wow’.
The Siva Cycle Atom
This is an idea we can totally get behind. The Siva Atom is a lightweight USB generator that you can use to charge any electronics as you cycle (there’s incentive to push a little harder!). It purports to be easy and intuitive to install, so that’s a bonus for any of us technophobes, and it also has a removable battery pack if you want to use it when you have stopped for a breather. Support for the idea came when the project reached its $126,000 target in 2013 thanks to more than 1300 backers, and these days it’s making clean, renewable electricity all over the world!
SmartHalo
Navigation appears to be the word du jour today as SmartHalo is another navigation system looking to make the cycling journey more enjoyable and safe at the same time, this time by connecting to your iPhone. Launched in August 2015, the project reached 100% of its target within a mere 15 hours of being on Kickstarter. In the end they smashed their target by well over 200% reaching $538,723 (CAD) with 3354 backers eagerly awaiting the product. It’s now available for pre-order at $119 and we’re looking forward to seeing how it works!
