Yep, you read the title of this post correctly. It’s apparently true that Apple has filed a patent for a bicycle.
As an avid cyclist and an Apple fan (not Fan Boy), I’m more than intrigued and excited by this. When you combine the technological know how that Apple has with something like cycling, that has a number of variables that Apple could somehow integrate with, the future for a product like this seems endless.
It’s important to note that from essentially, innovation in the world of cycling has always been confined to:
1.) Making frames and components out of new materials, so they weigh less, enabling riders to move faster.
2.) Building frames with new and improved geometry to maximize the physical output of the riders body.
Aside from carbon fiber dominating the bike frame landscape over the last 5 years and replacing things like aluminum, there really hasn’t been much more evolution.
But this patent, this could begin writing a whole new chapter in cycling….
So, If you think of the Nike + iPod products out there, you’ll get an idea for what this iBike could potentially be about. The iPod + Nike product essentially measures a few key metrics output while an individual is running. With cycling though, the ability to get more rich and robust data, from heart rate, cadence, wind speed, distance, mph, etc. is more than possible. I can only imagine how awesome and more importantly informative in my training, an integrated LCD screen on my bike measuring all this data would be. I literally could talk the most informative levels of trash to my cycling buddies after we finish fighting it out against one another as we climb (i.e. race) up some of the hills in Indian Hill.
As far as the whole liquid metal thing goes, I’m not to sure what to make of that. Apparently Apple has signed a contract with a company called Liquidmetal Technologies so it’s probably a pretty safe bet this will happen. Apparently the material looks like glass, but is infinitely stronger and requires little machining and polishing.
Could this material be the next carbon fiber? If Apple is committed to making it work, I’m willing to put bets down that it will.
My only fear is that this bike, with all the technology that it could have, will be priced so astronomically high that very few cyclists may be able to afford right away.
I’m already salivating over this so I’ll just have to start saving my pennies.
Oh, the only other thing to add here is that apparently this kangaroo will be helping out with the testing of the bike. Maybe not, but it’s still an awesome image.
