When you’re riding a bike, the world is an endless barrage of obstacles, hazards, and other vehicles sharing the road you need to avoid. Mirrors let you keep an eye on what’s going on behind your cycle, but the Backtracker promises to spot vehicles up to 137m away using radar, and warn you to get out of the way when they’re approaching a little too fast.
The system actually uses two devices strapped to your bike that work in unison. The radar transmitter mounts to the back of your seat and provides an additional visual warning to drivers that intensifies the closer they get. And an LED indicator mounts to the bike’s handlebars, providing a visual indication of how fast a vehicle is approaching from behind, and a warning if the rider needs to get out of the way just to be safe.
The Backtracker’s creators have turned to crowdfunding to help raise the $US226,000 needed to put their device into production. And if successful, they expect it to retail for around $US200 when it hits stores.
But that depends on many factors, including demand. Is this something cyclists really need when a quick turn of the head, or a glance at a mirror, can provide a similar heads up? And can the device really be effective when you’re on a windy road, or already fighting your way through dense traffic? What do you think? [Backtracker via Outside]