Having a navigation system in place while you are cycling can prove to be quite the challenge, really, as there aren’t really too many elegant solutions in the market at the moment. The general idea would be to mount a GPS unit or smartphone to the handlebars – where it would mean taking your eyes off the road for that split second, not to mention glare from the sun making it rather difficult for you to see what is on the screen itself. Boreal Bikes’ crowdfunded smrtGRiPS project could change all of that, really.
The smrtGRiPS happens to be a unique handlebar that you can install yourself – where it will pair alongside your smartphone to deliver directions, regardless of whether you are on the bicycle or not. If you happen to be riding, then the grips will shake to signal you of an upcoming turn – or function as an alert when it comes to traffic problems. Apart from that, they will also help you locate your bicycle, and you will also be on the receiving end of separation alerts should you be traveling alongside a smrtGRiPS-equipped cyclist.
It will require a pledge of between $59 and $69 in order to pick up a pair of smrtGRiPS devices alongside a basic set of replacement grips, although there are also choices for slender and sporty grips that go for $18 and $23, respectively.
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