Learning to ride a bike is often a childhood rite of passage. And once kids get it, they’re usually good to go. But sometimes little ones lack the best judgement — or the tallest height — to avoid accidents.
Inspired by an accident that left the inventor temporarily paralyzed, Bikiros (“bye-KEY-ros) is a two-part bicycle add-on that can help young cyclists in a number of ways similar to how various smart car products can report on driver safety.
First, the product tracks generally dangerous cycling behavior such as sharp turns and traveling fast down hills and reports it back to an app so parents can review the data with their kids. Second, it reports imminent dangers such as imminent crashes and collisions. Third, it allows kids to send a SOS signal via the cell phone should they fall or be injured. Bikiros costs $169, which includes two years of access to its app and a free hoodie. Its estimated delivery date is March 2016. The company seeks $40,000 in its Flexible Funding campaign that is set to close on October 1st.
While there have been a number of add-ons for bikes to help with navigation, Bikiros is one of the first to be focused on child safety and seems to cover a wide range of scenarios. The focus on education is particularly thoughtful even for kids who are careful riders, but the subscription to keep it up is something of a drawback. Still, Bikiros seems like a smart addition for kids’ bikes, particularly for those in the early days of riding or those expanding out for greater independence.