You've got a cycling computer, a headlight, and a handlebar stem on your bike. Why bother with all three, when they could be combined into one device? That's the thinking behind SpeedX's new SpeedForce. It's a sleek aluminum stem with a computer – and a headlight – built right into it.
The shockproof and IPX6 water-resistant device is powered by a removable lithium-ion battery, which should be good for up to 40 hours of use per charge. That figure will be less if the 150-lumen headlight is used.
Using the ANT+ wireless protocol, the GPS-equipped SpeedForce computer communicates with included wheel and pedal sensors to ascertain speed and cadence. It also uses Bluetooth to link up with a dedicated app on the user's iOS or Android smartphone, for added functionality. Data is displayed on a non-reflective 1.6-inch color screen. Users toggle between its eight displays using a side-mounting control button.
Along with speed and cadence, the SpeedForce can also show distance traveled, route taken, calories burned, power output, ambient temperature and altitude. If a compatible third-party heart rate monitor is being used, that can likewise be monitored. Data is stored on the SpeedForce's onboard memory, for subsequent download to the app.
Additionally, working with or without a phone, it can provide users with navigational cues. These include turn arrows that appear on its screen, along with LED strips that illuminate on one side of the device or the other. It also alerts users to incoming calls or other messages on their phone.
Plans call for the manufacturing of both road and mountain bike versions of the SpeedForce, which will weigh 350 and 340 grams, respectively. If you're interested in either, the device is currently the subject of an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. A pledge of US$149 will get you one, when and if they reach production. The planned retail price is $179.
We saw a similar device on the prototype Cotlo Corvus smart bike at Interbike in September, but SpeedX has yet to respond to our inquiry regarding it.
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