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Tech Beam me up Scotty! Radar gives cyclists a 6th sense...

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znarF

Warming-Up
Jul 9, 2014
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We all know that as a cyclist your biggest fear is being hit from behind! Statistics back this up, stating that 40% of all cycling fatalities are due to cars hitting cyclists from behind.

The solution?

Meet Backtracker, the world's first bicycle radar! This military grade micro radar gives cyclists a 6th sense by tracking cars from up to 150m!

Currently crowdfunding for only $199, and shipping to Japan! Read more here: http://crowd.backtracker.io

Would you use it? And why or why not?
 
We all know that as a cyclist your biggest fear is being hit from behind! Statistics back this up, stating that 40% of all cycling fatalities are due to cars hitting cyclists from behind.

Well actually no, this is well down my list of fears. If my relative fearlessness is misplaced, where are these statistics from? (They come as quite a surprise after what's written in the book Effective Cycling.)

Would you use it? And why or why not?

Nope, wouldn't use it. What would it give me? A flashing light on the back, and some sort of indicator on the front. The two interconnected (either by wires, which might become unstuck, or wirelessly, which might conflict with something else). The indicator on the front is more junk to clutter (or be stolen from) the handlebar; I doubt that I'd notice it flashing until it was too late to do anything. The back? I could remember where I put my charger, use rechargeable batteries, and then have my (much less than $199) rear light flash all the time.

I could also make some perhaps wittier comments, but I trust bikesnobnyc to do them much better than I ever could.
 
Well actually no, this is well down my list of fears. If my relative fearlessness is misplaced, where are these statistics from? (They come as quite a surprise after what's written in the book Effective Cycling.)
The league of American Cyclists ran quite an extensive study on this:

Nope, wouldn't use it. What would it give me? A flashing light on the back, and some sort of indicator on the front. The two interconnected (either by wires, which might become unstuck, or wirelessly, which might conflict with something else). The indicator on the front is more junk to clutter (or be stolen from) the handlebar; I doubt that I'd notice it flashing until it was too late to do anything. The back? I could remember where I put my charger, use rechargeable batteries, and then have my (much less than $199) rear light flash all the time.

I could also make some perhaps wittier comments, but I trust bikesnobnyc to do them much better than I ever could.
Sounds like you're a hard sell ;-) - but witty nonetheless. But that's fair comment. I guess it depends on how much you value your safety on the road.

Bluetooth LE is a pretty good standard, so interference really shouldn't be an issue. Charging via USB. And your light only flashes when it needs to. I like to know what's behind me!

I look forward to some more wit from bikesnobnyc!
 
As a corollary, will it detect the car in the next lane without the rider moving up the lane first. Consider this scenario. 3 lane motorway, up ahead a parked car is occupying the cyclists lane. Your gizmo tells the cyclist no cars behind (his/her current lane). The cyclist moves to the 2nd lane (so trusting with your gizmo, that he/she does not do a simple head check), at which point your gizmo detects the car on the 2nd lane. So the cyclist is in no man's land (hope the driver behind isn't distracted and can slow down before rear-ending the cyclist).


BTW, I must have your super floor pump, it can be used with the presta valve closed and can be pumped one handed :tup

one of those old types, who still do a head check and tries to have an uncluttered handlebar
 
First post is a product link? Hmmmm...... No, I wouldn't use it, but I do ride in traffic, in off light situations, and find my strobe setting on both my front and rear lights (tiny Cateye modules) are equal to any task and then some--at a fraction of the cost of a "backtracker".
 
First of all it is quite surprising to read that being hit from behind is nearly half of all reasons, it is quite hard to believe too, but let's leave it.
Second, when it comes to riding in Japan there's almost always some kind of traffic around, so knowing there's a car behind is like knowing there's a road under you. Really, not much of sense.
By the way, i could not find some clear and short explanation how the thing works and how it helps - it would be really helpful.
 
85% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
 
elloellloellowasallthisthen

Back to the gaijin gulag with you Gary and your "gang", in Bangcocks Prison.
 
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