Meet The Vanhawks Valour, A Connected Bike With GPS Navigation To Help You Get Around

Cars have gotten really smart over the years: Nowadays they can provide their drivers with directions, answer phone calls, and even occasionally drive themselves. By contrast, bicycle technology is still stuck in the 20th century, with the biggest advancements coming mostly from electric bikes that make it easier to bike up hills and whatnot.

Vanhawks seeks to make bicycles smarter, and is starting with a bike called the Valour that is Bluetooth-enabled to connect with smartphones and other devices. That connectivity also provides the ability to get guided directions while biking and to get notifications when vehicles are in the bike’s blind spot.

The Vanhawks bike was designed to make biking safer for riders. To do that, it connects with iOS and Android phones, and can get navigation directions from them. Those turn-by-turn directions are then relayed to the bike’s handlebars, where a set of LED lights indicate to the rider when she should turn. That reduces the need to check a phone or be distracted while riding.

It also has a set of sensors in the rear of the bike to let riders know when a vehicle is creeping up on her blind spot. To alert the rider, the bike has a set of handlebar grips that provide haptic feedback if someone is getting too close to the bike.

All of those sensors monitor where the bike travels and can provide real-time statistics about a ride. It also has a mesh network, so that it can connect to other nearby Vanhawks bicycles.

That’s cool and all, but check out the actual bike! It’s pretty slick, and with a carbon-fiber frame, it’s also ultra-light.

Vanhawks is seeking backing for the bike through a Kickstarter campaign. Backers can sign up to purchase a single-speed version of the bike, which will sell for $999, with a geared version available for $300 more.