# The bicycle of the future



## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Sep 7, 2015)

A bicycle that puts your smartphone at the centre of its design could revolutionise cycling as we know it.

A concept bike that allows you to disable the entire system when locking up as well as generate power and offer routes while you pedal is being developed.

And while the fUCI bike won’t abide by the official rules for racing bikes, it offers a tantalising glimpse into the future of cycling.







The fUCI is an e-bike powered by a lithium battery to enable super-fast acceleration.

It also uses a fly-wheel - a device that can provide energy even when you're not pedalling - to increase efficiency. 


Robert Egger, creative director of California-based bike manufacturer Specialized, built the concept bike to revolutionises the design of the bicycle from the ground up, reimagining everything from the aerodynamics to streamlined integration using the latest technology.

The fUCI comes with a smartphone docking station at the front with a built-in solar panel and a futuristic protective visor.

Egger imagines a bicycle with all the smart functionality of modern cars, controlled by a centrally mounted smartphone.

‘This is a bike all about what could be, not what it necessarily is right now, but what bikes could be,’ said Egger on the concept page of the bike.

‘We should embrace cars,’ he said ‘Let’s not hate on cars, let’s embrace the technology they have and where it makes sense, infuse that with bicycles.’ 


The bike’s name is a playful poke at the competitive cycling regulator Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) which states that ‘the addition of mechanical or electrical systems that serve to assist the rider is prohibited.’

The fUCI is not on sale but is intended to draw attention to the potential of technology to broaden the horizons of cyclists, and Egger worked on the bike for six months as a side project.

‘The idea would be that your smart phone runs the whole bike,’ said Egger. ‘Everything from disabling it if you want to lock it up, to being able to program in your ride route, or suggest alternative routes if you’re trying to get to a specific place.

‘It knows when it gets dark and turns the lights on, lets you know when tire pressure is low, or senses a car getting too close to you and warns you.

‘It’s infinite how many things digitally and electronically we could do with a bike like this. It’s like, you could program this bike and say, “I wanna burn this many calories” or “I wanna produce this many watts.”

‘Well, that could tell the motor only to work so hard, so that you’re producing on average 200 watts for the whole ride.’ 

*THE FUCI SMARTBIKE *
This concept vehicle uses a smartphone as a central hub to coordinate sensors that would bring the functionality of modern cars to the bicycle.
This would include a motor for quick acceleration, GPS route suggestions and proximity sensors.
The bike would know when it is day or night and be able to switch lights on or off accordingly.
The battery would be powered by a solar panel and by its rider pedaling. 
The bike would be able to deactivate completely when locking it up using the mounted smartphone as its central control system.
Using the smartphone as its central hub, the bike would know when it is day or night and be able to switch lights on or off accordingly, and use proximity sensors like in modern cars to give cyclists a warning when other vehicles approach.

Egger said the fUCI would utilize GPS and route suggestions to modernise the whole cycling excperience. 






Media coverage of the next generation of cars has gone into overdrive, with self driving vehicles and electric models stealing the headlines.

But the basic design of the humble bicycle has remained largely unchanged for decades, and one designer wants to change that.

Robert Egger has ditched official regulations imposed by the competitive cycling regulator UCI to put smart technology at the heart of a new design.


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## dorsetknob (Sep 7, 2015)

People walking down the street using their smart Phone / Mp3 Players often walk out into traffic
result a vist to A & E   that's at walking pace 5kph ( 3 mph )

Now get them moving at 15 kph (10 mph ) and as this concoction would and you have a Darwin Award Candidate in the making   ""Great ""
Cyclist Should have a legal responsibility to have Accident and Collision Insurance at the very least.

Nice looking bike tho

PS


CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> THE FUCI SMARTBIKE



Not going to comment on that Name but  WTF   that's open to dyslexic abuse


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## Jetster (Sep 7, 2015)

How about a dual wheel drive. 50 MPH mountain bike










Another one


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## animal007uk (Sep 7, 2015)

I will stick to my normal bike thank you very much and if i wanted something that is also self powered i would just take my motorbike test.


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## P4-630 (Sep 7, 2015)

Does not look a very practicle bike, I wonder if it can steer around corners 
But ok it is still a concept bike.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Sep 7, 2015)

http://bicycledesign.net/2015/08/more-on-the-specialized-eff-you-see-eye-fuci/


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## FreedomEclipse (Sep 7, 2015)

Disabling it wouldn't stop people picking it up and running away with it.  Im sure malicious folks will find a way to hack the software once the bike becomes more popular


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## RCoon (Sep 7, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> picking it up and running away with it



The fact you'd look like a total nard running away with this on your shoulders is enough to prevent people from attempting to run away with it I think 

Around here, if a thief wants to steal a bike and can't, he won't walk away, he'll just do as much damage as possible because he's been unable to nick it. I can't imagine this bike is cheap either!


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## AsRock (Sep 7, 2015)

Bump pot hole bump bump bump snap.

People are so lazy, yeah i have a bicycle but it battery powered GTFOH


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## Devon68 (Sep 7, 2015)

Phones+bikes= A BIG NO NO


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## Nordic (Sep 7, 2015)

AsRock said:


> People are so lazy, yeah i have a bicycle but it battery powered GTFOH


As someone who rides a bicycle everyday in, around, and with traffic I disagree. I already ride at about 20mph, and can accelerate pretty quick. I can go anywhere in about 5 miles easily.
The acceleration would be useful with traffic. I might be able to go faster, but that is not a concern. A different kind of bike could make me go faster. Long distance rides would be trivial for most anybody, including those in less shape than me, making bicycling more accessible.

Still though, no matter what it can not be cheap.


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## AsRock (Sep 7, 2015)

Well be in even worse shape if the bike is doing the job for you lol.


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## FreedomEclipse (Sep 8, 2015)

RCoon said:


> The fact you'd look like a total nard running away with this on your shoulders is enough to prevent people from attempting to run away with it I think
> 
> Around here, if a thief wants to steal a bike and can't, he won't walk away, he'll just do as much damage as possible because he's been unable to nick it. I can't imagine this bike is cheap either!



This has happened to a few people i know - and the stupid thing is these we're bikes that probably cost well under £200 from Argos (muddyfox) or Halfords (Apollo) These guys totally destroyed the bike and in one friends case even used an angle grinder to snap the handlebars in the middle. The amount of effort these pillocks wasted on destroying the bike when its not worth anything anyway given that one of the bikes was more than 2-3years old is laughable. I doubt anyone would give them £50 for it on ebay or gumtree.

The bike looks OK for an aero bike - this is something for a track or a velodrome.


Anyhoo - since my bike costs in excess of £800, ive got it insured which covers pretty much everything, theft, vandalism & any damage done to the bike should i be unfortunate enough to be hit by someone on the road while commuting to and from work.


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## tabascosauz (Sep 8, 2015)

"Super fast acceleration" - how fast, exactly?

I can't see this being practical for commuters (at least where I live), unless they develop some sort of add-on that allows panniers and stuff. That's where it would make the most sense; for someone who's riding home from a long day's work with their usual load, the battery could make things a little easier for them. Not without the panniers though. That needs to be fixed.

For road cyclists this is just ridiculous. If the acceleration is as fast as it's made out to be this thing could actually be a little less safe than your usual bike; what kind of driver expects that kind of speed out of the gates after the cyclist is stopped at a red light?

If you ride in a casual peloton with friends, they're just all going to be pissed off. I like my Madone and don't need experiments like this on the road, thank you. The road is already dangerous enough with bad drivers, arrogant cyclists and irresponsible pedestrians.


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## Schmuckley (Sep 8, 2015)

RCoon said:


> *The fact you'd look like a total nard running away with this on your shoulders is enough to prevent people from attempting to run away with it I think *
> 
> Around here, if a thief wants to steal a bike and can't, he won't walk away, he'll just do as much damage as possible because he's been unable to nick it. I can't imagine this bike is cheap either!



Ohohohohhohohoho..


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## Arjai (Sep 8, 2015)

[rant]
Embrace cars? As a cyclist, that is absurd. Last guy I saw embrace a car spent months in the hospital!

Somebody needs to kill this, and kill it dead! No fuci-ng way do I want to share the road with the idiot on one of these!! I'm probably more likely to be injured by some fuci-ng fuci rider than a car!!

I would rather walk than put a leg up on this fuci-ng contraption! Part of the reason I ride is because my phone is put up and I can't be bothered by it!!

I have seen the dweebs with their iPhone attachments on their handlebars. If I were a tad more ornery, I'd try to hurt each one of them!

Bicycles don't need more technology. The materials and brakes and suspension...enough! It should remain an analog pursuit, just you and the 20-40 pounds of bike and stuff, *Powered by Human propulsion.*

[/rant]


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## Lopez0101 (Sep 8, 2015)

People are acting like this bike would completely replace unpowered peddle bikes...

Better make sure nobody steals your horse when cars start becoming popular and cheaper!


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## AsRock (Sep 8, 2015)

Lopez0101 said:


> People are acting like this bike would completely replace unpowered peddle bikes...
> 
> Better make sure nobody steals your horse when cars start becoming popular and cheaper!



Yeah it's not going to, well not any time soon as i bet it has a $8+k price tag to boot.

Ever a racer style bike after not doing it at all or not for a long time ?,  you probably feel a little crippled when getting off that thing.


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## Vayra86 (Sep 8, 2015)

Good read, especially the fact this lovely guy is 'ignoring bike regulations'. In other words, good luck getting this thing on the road legally.

It really shouldn't be on the road at all with that smartphone holder.

Whenever I see people with a phone in their hands on the bike, I try to obstruct them while on foot. If they don't notice me, they go down on the concrete. Happened twice, phone broken, I filed a claim for personal damage, won. Everyone should do this to end that total madness once and for all. TAKE EM DOWN HARD AND WITHOUT MERCY


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## lilhasselhoffer (Sep 8, 2015)

I can see both sides of the discussion here.  This is definitely a stupid exercise in "aesthetic design" rather than a functional device.  On the other hand, it does look interesting as an art piece.

Now the real question.  I've got my several hundred dollar smart phone connected to what is likely to be a low thousands of dollars bike.  Let's call this a $1500 proposition.  An annual bus pass is about $150 in Los Angeles.  That's a ten year bicycle, that doesn't get me everywhere, can be stolen easily, and will require maintenance for onboard component well before that ten years is up.

Alternatively, I can buy a cheap bike for about $200.  I can buy a cheap smart phone for $150.  That gets me everywhere I want to go locally, and leaves $1150 for the bus.  Let's just call that 7 years and enough change to perform regular maintenance.

You don't buy something like this in rural or suburban US locations.  That leaves Europe and Urban US locations (the only places a bike like this could be afforded, and might not get chopped for parts on day 1).  Urban US locations don't withstand this kind of expense, because it'll be a month of rent for a bike.  Europeans, in my experience, are utilitarian with bikes.  As long as it peddled, somebody wanted to buy it to get around.  The only real market is people with way too much money, and no real reason to have a bike other than the hipster factor of "aesthetic design" that is "saving the world."  Bah! 



Now let's really be honest with ourselves.  This is a douchey hipster invention, that people will plink money down on because it makes them "green."  That's assuming the product even gets to market.  This kind of luxury good is likely to be priced such that all 10 hand crafted bikes will be bought up as status symbols, and left on display somewhere as a monument to design (rather than put to use).


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## dorsetknob (Sep 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Anyhoo - since my bike costs in excess of £800, ive got it insured which covers pretty much everything, theft, vandalism & any damage done to the bike should i be unfortunate enough to be hit by someone on the road while commuting to and from work.



If you read the Small Print your probably find

Use of any device which has the potential to distract the policy holder such as Mobile phones Sat navigation or other devices with display screens will invalidate this policy


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## FreedomEclipse (Sep 8, 2015)

dorsetknob said:


> If you read the Small Print your probably find
> 
> Use of any device which has the potential to distract the policy holder such as Mobile phones Sat navigation or other devices with display screens will invalidate this policy



Not in my T&C's

https://uk.protectyourbubble.com/up...-insurance/PYB-Bicycle-T&Cs-DA-03.08.2105.pdf


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## Vayra86 (Sep 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Not in my T&C's
> 
> https://uk.protectyourbubble.com/up...-insurance/PYB-Bicycle-T&Cs-DA-03.08.2105.pdf



Really?
No coverage when:
- Accidental Damage as a result of the Bicycle not being used in 
 accordance with the manufacturers guidelines.

(d) intentional causes at the direction of, or with Your knowledge;

Good luck


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## FreedomEclipse (Sep 8, 2015)

Vayra86 said:


> Really?
> No coverage when:
> - Accidental Damage as a result of the Bicycle not being used in
> accordance with the manufacturers guidelines.
> ...



Oh, my bad


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## dorsetknob (Sep 8, 2015)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Not in my T&C's


I hope that you NEVER have to find out the hard way but insurances companys will duck and weave to find some way to invalidate any and all claims
thats the Nature of Insurance


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## alucasa (Sep 8, 2015)

Accidents waiting to happen.

I can imagine ... dudes running into lakes while looking down on their phones... Running into trains ... Running into walls, cars, moms, teachers, insanity, and whatnot...

This bike is a good recipe for disasters.


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## FreedomEclipse (Sep 8, 2015)

For all those complaining that the phone is a recipe for disaster when paired with the bike.

IMO Its really down to how the rider is using it. I have a 'cycle computer' with quite a big display attached to the stem of my handlebars Occasionally i have a quick glance to see how fast im travelling, distance travelled or check the time. the latter involving me pressing the occasional button to switch between the readouts on the display.

Now a phone might have extra functionality, but if they disable message alerts and calls unless the ride is wearing a bluetooth headset, but if they lock down all major functions of the phone and only make it so it displays all the important things any cycle computer would when the handset is docked with the bike. Then i dont see no problem with this.

I might take a little extra effort to code but if its for peoples safety and the group of folk who are always style over substance then this is definitely something that would be for them


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## alucasa (Sep 8, 2015)

My neighborhood has a lot of pre-teen and teens and it's funny to watch them sometimes.

I've seen a kid running into a car that was backing out of its driveway. The car honked few times noticing the kid walking but he wouldn't take his eyes off his phone and ran right into it.

I've also seen a teen girl who walking over an active lawn sprinkler, panicking since water was cool, dropping her phone and getting it wet.

Funny moments and, if you think a little differently, scary moments.


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## Arjai (Sep 8, 2015)

Earlier this morning, I had to go to work, on my day off, to solve a small issue with one of the fluid pumps in our back room. As I was standing, waiting for the bus, some young black guy runs right into me, from behind.

I turned and heard his phone hit the pavement then, "Oh Shit" as he realized he cracked the screen dropping it. I could barely hold it together.

I wanted to laugh and pound the shit out of him, at the same time. Never said sorry, excuse me, nothing but "OH Shit" and walked away. When I blurted out, "Pardon Me!!" he barely half looked around. He was still staring down at his phone and I barely caught his attention.

I turned to see what the people around me were doing, as a consensus, they were all shaking their heads in disbelief.



There seems to be a disconnect from sane social behavior, from the "Connected" generation. I told my girl the other day, did you come here to see me? She looked up from her phone, like I was intruding. I told her to turn it off or I was leaving, and stood up. Only then would she shut it down.

Does anyone else ever get sick of the word "Sorry"?

Oops, seems I rattled on, AGAIN.


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## alucasa (Sep 8, 2015)

I don't know. I am in my mid-30s and when the smartphone boom came to dominate, I was in my early 20s. Perhaps because of that, I never got into it too much. Granted, I use it daily but it is out of necessity rather than addiction.

The younger generation seems to be totally addicted to it though. It's a little too much that it sort of worries me.

P.S. We are going off topic although this is somewhat related to the topic at hand.


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## FreedomEclipse (Sep 8, 2015)

Arjai said:


> Earlier this morning, I had to go to work, on my day off, to solve a small issue with on of the fluid pumps in our back room. As I was standing, waiting for the bus, some young black guy run right into me, from behind.
> 
> I turned and heard his phone hit the pavement then, "Oh Shit" as he realized he cracked the screen dropping it. I could barely hold it together.
> 
> ...





I think most cyclists on the road know not to use mobiles while cycling, If driving while holding a mobile up to your ear or texting is banned/illegal even when the vehicle is at a standstill at traffic lights (silly if you ask me but safety first...)

Obviously its common sense, Kinda like the argument with helmets - some cyclists choose not to wear them, Police, emergency services & other cyclists might like/want you to wear a helmet for your own safety but at the same time its something thats not enforced and they cant make you wear one unless a law was passed that made it a legal requirement.

With that said, even though a majority of cyclists have their wits about them and thus have some common sense, There are those that dont.... I saw a guy the other day cycling on the main road. In one hand was a box of KFC and the other a peice of chicken - He was EATING while he was cycling.

While its no easy feat to eat chicken while cycling on a busy road at the same time, this guy was an idiot and i honestly hope for the sake of society that he gets knocked over and possibly killed before his stupid antics can spread.

Luckily he wasnt cycling in Central London where there are a lot more threats that a cyclist has to look out for but he was still on a busy road none the less.

Seeing a guy eating while he's cycling on the road is a rare occurrence. I honestly see more cyclists on the road at night with no lights, no helmet or Hi-vis. While its not my place to give lectures. I have pointed out that he or she shouldnt be on the road with no lights or high vis on especially when cycling on the road at night and just wished them luck that they wouldnt get hit or knocked over by a car on the way home.


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