The Best New Tech for Cyclists

Keyed locks are great for securing your bike— until you forget the key. Noke (pronounced no-key) aims to simplify your commute with a lock that talks to your phone via Bluetooth. Simply get the app and pair your phone with the lock, and then forget about it. You’ll be able to unlock the lock with a simple press whenever you get close to it with your phone; you don’t even have to take the phone out of your pocket. The company claims that the system is impossible to hack, and the lock itself is made with a boron-hardened shackle to withstand weather and hacks of a more saw-like nature. It’s available in both a u-lock and padlock option. 

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Noke Bluetooth Bike Lock, $69.99, Amazon

At a Glance

• Bluetooth-enabled bike lock pairs with smartphone app rather than a traditional key
• Boron tempered shackle resists weather and lock cutters
• Available in both U-lock and Padlock

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Outdoor Tech’s Kodiak Plus 2.0 Power Bank can help you take your electronics off the grid—or save your butt when you’re heading out for a ride and realize you forgot to charge your bike light or phone. It’s waterproof, shock-proof, and fits easily into a jersey pocket—but what really sets it apart is the super-bright 100 Lumen light strip on the front. With solid or flashing red and white modes, you can instantly turn the power bank into a flashlight or backup bike light if you need it. The Kodiak 2.0 packs enough juice (10,000 mAh) to charge an iPhone four times, or a GoPro eight times—and with two USB ports, you could conceivably juice up both at once. The handy charge indicator will let you know when it’s time to head back to civilization. 

Outdoor Technology Kodiak 2.0 Powerbank, $49.95, Amazon

At a Glance

• Charges an iPhone 4x and a GoPro 8x
• Built in 100-Lumen LED acts as emergency flashlight or bike light
• Two USB ports for multiple device charging

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When we think about speed on a bike, most of us picture propulsive power—but the flip side that few of us consider is braking. Speed is a combination of maximum acceleration and minimal deceleration—which is why PhD candidate (and former downhill racer) Matt Miller has dedicated his research to measuring braking power. The rotor-mounted power meters aren’t available for purchase yet, but the data he’s collected with prototypes over the last few years is fascinating—most notably that faster riders tend to brake harder for shorter periods of time, while slower ones “ride” their brakes. By targeting sections of trail where they can brake less, riders (especially of the Downhill inclination) might soon be going faster with less effort.

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The New GoPro comes loaded with new features compelling enough that you might actually consider upgrading. Most notable is its voice control capability, which lets you literally tell the camera what to do. Other features include a real-time viewfinder touchscreen, shutterspeed/aperature control and image flattening if you’re not into that signature GoPro Fisheye look. The audio is also improved, with three separate mics designed to sense the direction of the wind— if one is getting buffeted, it’ll automatically turn off, letting the other two do the work and keeping your audio clear. The camera can also auto-upload your shots to GoPro’s cloud-based editing app, which means you won’t bog down your hard drive with big files

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GoPro Hero 5 Black, $399.99, Performance Bicycle

At a Glance

• Large touch screen real-time display
• Image flattening and Aperature/Shutter speed adjustment
• Optimized Sound recording
• Auto-upload to cloud-based editing app

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Bontrager’s lights are designed to make you visible to drivers whether it’s dark or not. Part of a larger overall visibility initiative, these lights feature specially focused optics and blink patterns to help capture drivers’ attention from a whopping two kilometers away during the day, giving them more time to react to you on the road. Even cooler, the T models feature ANT+ capability, which means they can be controlled by Bontrager's Transmitr remote—or your Garmin computer, if you’ve got an Edge model 510 or above with the latest firmware. The update lets you toggle through light modes, check your remaining battery, and turn your computer and lights on and off all with the same button—or, get this, with your Di2 shifter if you've got that enabled. Daytime running lights on bicycles have been shown to decrease the rate of collisions by 33 percent—why not stack your odds? 

Bontrager Ion 700 RT, $160.00

When temps drop, many of us face the grim prospect of hours spent riding indoors, usually alone. But with Wahoo’s new Kickr Studio, multiple riders can sync up and work out together using Kickr’s unique platform. Aimed more at bike shops and gyms than the home rider, the system helps pair multiple riders’ data to a single device and display—and sets all the Kickr trainers in the studio to the same virtual ride—albeit calibrated to each rider’s %FTP. The ride leader will be able to check people in on a mobile device as well as display everyone’s stats during the ride in real time—and afterwards you’ll be able to track your data, sync to other platforms like Strava, set goals, and network with people in the class. The system will be available for a monthly fee, plus the cost of hardware and equipment, with packages and leasing options also available. 

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Wahoo Kickr, $1200.00, R&A Cycles

At a Glance

• Direct-drive attachment works with quick-release or thru axle
• Syncs to any ANT+ head unit
• Bluetooth compatible

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Quark has risen steadily in the power meter game, extending their offerings across platforms with every year. This year marks a sort of coming back together, with the new DZero, which encompasses their high-end Elsa and budget Riken offerings into one even cheaper, higher-performing package. The most exciting new feature is ANT+ and Bluetooth capability, which connects the power meter to both to your smartphone apps and Quark’s own app, letting you update firmware and run diagnostics without the ANT+ key. The DZero also features an improved strain gauge arrangement, accelerometer-based cadence sensor, and a red and green LED status indicator light. At the top-of-the line the Dzero cuts more than $200 off its predecessor’s price tag, going for $1,079. The aluminum version will run just $799. 

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Quarq Dzero Power Meter, $1079.00, R&A Cycles

At a Glance

• Improved accuracy
• Lower price
• LED indicator
• Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible

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