All recent Garmin bike computers have gps tracking and crash detection. They do use your phone for cellular connection.

Most phones also allow you to share your location with others.

The comprehensive solution is to get a peloton and pretend to ride a bike indoors.

Problem = solved. 😂

I'll look into the Garmin solution, be back with more info/questions shortly.

I think Hammerhead units can have dedicated cellular connections with a sim card. Can't speak to the other features, but check them out.

I'll take a look at this as well.


Does anyone else find themselves wanting these kinds of things? I know there are a lot of pricey bikes here, the bike porn is real.

Then additionally, personal peace of mind, peace of mind for SO's, etc...

How do these help protect your head? I think the most important things to protect your head are not crashing and not being hit by cars.

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http://www.jt10000.com/

My wife follows me from home using Google Maps. I use my cellphone on the Wahoo App for speed, location, cadence and music (to my Sena BT helmet) . The Wahoo App uses Google Maps on GPS. As we share location info on Google she knows right where I am all the time and if I have stopped or not. When concerned she can call my cellphone through my BT helmet to be sure I'm OK. I don't even need to stop riding and we can talk. Just push a button on the helmet to answer her call. I ignore all other calls if I get one!!

How long can your phone go on GPS before it conks out?

Probably 3 hours. Even with Spotify playing from the phone to my helmet, it'll last 3 hours. I have a Samsung Note 8 mounted between the aerobars.

You're right, the above list doesn't protect your noggin. I was thinking about this from a after-the-fact situation, not preventative.


Is there a preventative solution to be had? I saw one of Garmin's things that can use radar to detect the distance of a car behind a rider?

allinthehill wrote:

Is there a preventative solution to be had?

The most important things to protect your head are not crashing and not being hit by cars.

Some things you can do are:

• Train on quieter roads or indoors.
• Improve your bike handling skills.
• Wear lights in low-light and nighttime riding.
• Keep your bike in good repair and have it set-up well.

Here's some stuff about not falling in group rides and races.
https://medium.com/@johntomlinson/staying-up-607a3bf88de4

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http://www.jt10000.com/

I get what you're saying, I just don't see a $250 solution to having GPS on my bike (if it gets stolen), an intelligent crash sensor in case I kiss some asphalt (that can tell the difference between the bike falling over when stationary and me riding it), and the system having its own cellular connection– so if I don't bring my phone, it's still doing it's thing. Maybe even a $150 add-on for satellite-backup when a cellular connection isn't around?

Looking at the solutions from Garmin, to do close to the above, it's around $1k plus monthly costs (!).

Maybe it's just me, but the peace of mind something like that would offer is worth what I pay for a pair of carbon cranks for 200g of weight savings.

I've been hit twice and both times were well before the invention of fancy bike computers and cell phones. I only ride outdoors once a week because I figure when I do, I'm riding on borrowed time now a days. 3 days a week I ride on Fulgaz on my wahoo kickr bike. I've been cycling for over 30 years.

You were listening to music or otherwise distracted?

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http://www.jt10000.com/

That's kind of what I'm getting at- less phones, less distraction, tech there just in case it needs to be. Anyone else agree?

Then I don't understand why did you raise your two crashes as part of the reason he should not listen to music.

I mean, I've never had a serious accident and do sometimes listen to music - based on our two experiences, we might argue that listening to music is actually safer! I'm not saying that (I only do music in quiet spaces with no or very few cars), but I don't get your point about your crashes. What is connection between your crashes and music?

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http://www.jt10000.com/

I listen to music through a Sena R1 BT helmet. I do not wear ear phones or head phones. If you've ever used one, you can hear all traffic. It's totally safe. My 2 crashes were the cars fault and well before BT, bike computers, cell phones, etc. Neither one had to do with me being distracted.

Hey there! As a fellow biker, here's how I keep myself safe when I'm riding:

• Wear a fitted helmet.
• Adjust your bicycle to fit your height
• Check your equipment before and after you ride
• Watch for and avoid road hazards
• Don't or avoid riding at night

Feel free to follow the steps above and see if that would work for you too. Ride safe buddy!

I ran into a semi on Friday. I was doing 50 kmh due to a good tailwind on a straight rural 70kmh road. The truck was coming the other direction and turned into a driveway right in front of me at the last moment. I couldn't avoid it completely, hit his front left corner and went flying. Down tube, seat tube, chainstays, all broken. I have only abrasions, cuts and a busted lip. I got very lucky.

He never saw me.

I had a cygolite hotrod 110 flashing in the front. My helmet is black and my clothing was mostly black with fluorescent yellow sides and armbands.

I want to keep riding outside. What can I do to effectively be more visible? Any opinions on the POC AVIP stuff? How many flashing lumens should I have up front to draw attention during the day?

Glad you escaped this possible tragedy. Yeah, freak accident for sure.

As you unfortunately experienced, bright light doesn't necessarily help.
All I can say is to ride like everybody is not seeing you and is out to hit you. And to have an escape route/plan.

When I see a Semi/car slow down coming at me on an unrestricted road with an intersection, I would have assumed the worst and slowed down. Even if it meant it ruined my interval.
I'd also try to make myself visible in the perpendicular plane, like standing up in the saddle or swerving a little left to right. Maybe even hand signal.

Also learned this the hard way (broadsided a car turning into me and cleared it with a double summersault), but think the above has saved my ass a couple times afterwards....

I use 600 lumens flashing in the daytime when riding outside.

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https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney