BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The Beeline handlebar nav device has reached its £60,000 crowdfunding goal and – with another three weeks of its campaign remaining – is now aiming for £100,000. The Bluetooth navigator – created by a British team – reached its Kickstarter target of £60,000 at the weekend, and has now raised £78,954. A similar device called Haize – also British – is half way to its goal of £50,000 in funding.
BeeLine – like Haize – is a compass-like device that links to a smartphone and informs riders of the direct distance and direction to a chosen destination. Cyclists then pick their own route, heading in the general direction indicated by the handlebar-mounted device.
BeeLine has an e-paper screen that will give crisp information in all light conditions, and there’s a backlight for night riding. The device will be waterproof and will last for up to four weeks of normal use before needing a recharge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKS1xWky4UY
Riders will use the BeeLine app, for iPhone and Android, to set a destination with a drag and drop. Once the destination has been selected, riders can put their phones away and BeeLine will guide them from start to finish.
Mark Jenner, co-founder of BeeLine, said: “Many of us can relate to journeys when we start cycling, only to stop a few minutes later to check the map on our phone. We felt this stop-start style of journey, following strict directions, was taking the fun out of cycling and one of the main reasons we started getting around the city on our bikes – the freedom.
"We wanted to create a device, that guided us, but still put us in control of our journey and encouraged us to find new and interesting routes.”
