Connected Cycle, the Paris, France-based company behind this smart pedal, is no stranger to instant success, as its crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo has met (and surpassed) the funding goal in 24 hours.
Bike GPS trackers and anti-theft locks aren’t exactly something new, but until now, these came in the form of computers and devices that not only felt out of place, but sometimes they also were ridiculously difficult to install. Connected Cycles has figured out that integrating GPS tracking and anti-theft features into something that’s already part of the bike might make everything a bit more natural.
“We have been encouraged by the outpouring of interest around the smart pedals from around the
world and understand that bike theft is all too often common in numerous countries,” explained Christian Kravanja, co-founder of Connected Cycle, in the press release. “We are excited to bring our smart pedals to the public and are seeking support through our Indiegogo campaign to launch the first series into production. New features and special rewards will be revealed along the way!”
A companion app was created for both iOS and Android so that users can see the route they have taken, along with such details as speed (average and maximum), distance, duration, and number of burned calories.
As far as the anti-theft functionality of the smart pedal is concerned, this is achieved through GPRS connectivity and a movement detection system. If the bike’s location changes without the owner knowing so, an alert is generated and transmitted to the owner’s smartphone via GPRS. In the US, EU, Israel, Switzerland, Russia and China, the included SIM comes with an unlimited duration data plan, so users won’t have to worry about recharging or paying extra fees. In case the bike gets stolen, the GPS sensor is also put to use, and the owner will get to retrieve it.
The smart pedal developed by Connected Cycle comes in four different colors, as depicted in the above image. This way, there won’t be any color-matching problems, and even more, adding a touch of color is great, especially considering the dullness of conventional pedals.
The only possible concern potential buyers may have is the thief’s ability of removing the pedal before stealing the bike. That’s very unlikely, as each kit includes a coded wrench that makes the removal of the pedal without it impossible.
As for the price, early birds could get it for as little as $99, but those spots have been long gone, and now backers have to pledge $169 or more to secure a smart pedal for themselves. Deliveries will start in December 2015, but until then, it’ll be interesting to see how much Connected Cycle will raise.
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