by Last month saw the Eurobike 2022 conference in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, which brought a host of new e-bikes, cargo bikes and escooters to industry professionals and product enthusiasts. Here is some of the technology that caught my eye:
Noordung ebike
At first glance Slovak Nordung ebike looks like any cool, retro-inspired lightweight carbon fiber ebike. But it does possess a couple of superpowers.
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It comes with a detachable Bluetooth boombox equipped with four speakers, so you can play music while riding.
PM 2.5 and PM 10 particle sensors are built into the speakers. These track real-time air quality data so you can keep an eye on the pollution of different routes.
The e-bike doesn’t come cheap though, with a hefty price tag of €6,990 ($7,105). But bonus points for being ahead of the curve with new ebike features.
Why it’s important: It is interesting to see a bike with new technology rather than just promoting what is already available.
I’m not sure how much a music blasting bike will win favors with other road users. Perhaps bone conduction speakers would be an easier way to keep the peace?
But I regularly see a guy jogging around my local park with a boombox and a beer, so what do I know?
Furthermore, I like the potential crowdsourcing of air pollution tracking to crowdsource air pollution levels, especially if it informs real-time cycling routes.
Add a way to track pollen levels; it would be a game changer.
This bike would be great for anyone looking to lead the pack (acoustic and environmental) at Critical mass bicycle tours.
Commodule
Estonian-German company Commodule is one I have followed for a while. The company was a pioneer in providing plug-in-play solutions to connect light motor vehicles to the Internet.
Now around 30% of the global scooter fleet and more than 200,000 shared vehicles run on our hardware and software.
The company showcased several customers at the event. For example, a recent collaboration with Dutch ebike subscription company Swapfiets.
IoT helps recover missing e-bikes, provides insight into product performance and generally helps Swapfiets with their commitment to circular design.
Why it’s important: 8 years is a long time in IoT, when it comes to keeping a company alive and profitable.
Comodule has been able to help bicycle manufacturers such as Ampler and Gazelle create new connectivity ecosystems in a highly competitive market. They have also helped launch micromobility fleets across the US, Europe, Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Impressive stuff.
HIPLOK D1000
An angle grinder D Lock sounds too good to be true! But British company Hiplock has created a bike lock capable of withstanding a serious, sustained angle grinder attack.
The D100 owes its vibe to Ferosafe, a graphene-reinforced ceramic composite.
Even better, the patented materials are specifically designed to disintegrate cutting wheels for angle grinders and carbide-tipped drills – a rather cheery thought as it could stop other planned attacks on the same day.
The company raised over €300,000 on Kickstarter in 2021 to bring these locks to life. The locks are currently sold out, but worth getting on the waiting list.
Why it’s important: Bicycle theft in big cities is endemic – take Berlinwhere 12,490 bicycles 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 bicycle insurance. But insurance cannot replace a custom bike’s sentimental or practical value. And while this won’t stop thieves determined to remove parts from a bike, it will hopefully frustrate them enough to deter most thefts.
Hillstrike Snow Trikes
I come from Australia, where “going to the snow” is prohibitively expensive. Thus I did not know bikes on skis our one thing.
Hillstrike rents out trikes to ski resorts all over Europe.
Trikes mean that everyone from children to the elderly can have fun on the ground. You can even take one on a chairlift.
Why it’s important: 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 in!
