14 DAY TRIAL // Cyclists often like to go on bike rides in teams or groups, to keep each other company, but the wind and other noise can make it troublesome to actually communicate through words, so Swedish company Free2Move decided to do something about that.
Wireless electronic devices meant to broadcast voices over short to great distances have been a staple of human society for decades.
Initially unavailable to the causal consumer, they are now found in the pant pockets of even pre-teens.
Granted, cell phones might be the most easily encountered solution of this sort, but there are many others out there.
One of the newest is the HIOD One, a Bluetooth communicator that has cyclists as a target market segment.
The simple goal is to prevent throat strain in bike riders by allowing them to have normal conversations with their companions without shouting themselves hoarse.
“Even though cycling is a constantly evolving high technology sport, the communication between riders has not developed much over the past decades,” Free2move CEO Per-Arne Wiberg said.
“The options available today are com-radio and mobile phones, both with significant drawbacks for the sport user. HIOD One fills this gap by offering a new way of sharing your cycling experience.”
The communicator is made of a control panel, meant to sit on the handlers, as well as a wireless voice unit, which looks like a box of sorts.
This voice unit should be strapped to an armband or the chest and, though it doesn't connect to the controller, does need wired earpieces and microphone.
Nevertheless, it can allow for someone to talk to fellow cyclists from distances of up to 1,300 feet (396 meters, give or take) and can also allow for listening to music from one's phone or placing phone calls.
Unfortunately, since the company is still looking for retail partners, no price was mentioned.
