Samsung And Trek Team Up To Make Smartphone-Friendly Bikes

The bicycle is one of the more effective means of conveyance out there. But it’s also not necessarily one best-suited to our connected lifestyle; if you see a cyclist on his or her phone, you’re probably seeing somebody about to get hit by a semi. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be some phone-friendly innovations on your bike, and Trek and Samsung would like to show off a few.

Charging While Pedaling

The first, and simplest, addition is a charging cradle between the handlebars. Designed, as you may have guessed, for Samsung devices, you simply slot your device in between and can use it as a GPS or other tool while your pedaling ensures it doesn’t lose any juice. In other words, it’s fairly similar to devices we’ve seen and tried out, but with a Samsung focus. The other bike is, however, the more interesting.

Tracking Your Cycling

The second prototype uses sensors and syncs with your Galaxy Gear to track your workout as you cycle. That’s pretty interesting not least because it’s been difficult for cycling fans to get accurate data on what they’re achieving; most cycling apps are essentially running apps with different algorithms. If the sensor set becomes more common, it might be better able to tell you where you’re slacking and where you’re doing well. And, hey, it’d bring cycling in line with most other sports.

Charging Up

These bicycles are just prototypes, for now: Samsung was showing them off as part of their CES booth, and it’s not clear when, if ever, we might see this technology gracing bike shops. But it’s definitely some interesting stuff, and if anybody’s got the reach to put a product like this out there, it’s Samsung. We’ll keep you posted when it starts looking like it’ll be widely available.