Chris Froome will never have an excuse for staring at his stem again if he adopts this exciting new product from Vancouver based company Recon Instruments.
At the cutting edge of wearable cycling tech is the Recon Jet glasses with their heads up display. If you like gadgets, Top Gun and cycling, this is going to be the product for you.
Before we go any further we will list some of the tech crammed into these glasses:
- A Dual core processor
- Dedicated graphics
- Wi-Fi
- ANT+
- Bluetooth
- Altimeter
- Accelerometer
- Built in Gyroscope
- Thermometer
- GPS
- A HD Camera
- A Comprehensive suite of sensors
These features make the Recon Jet a connected, standalone computing solution comparable to a smartphone. On top of this, the platform will be open, which means that third party developers will be able to create apps and uses for the Recon Jet that we cannot yet imagine.
>>> Shimano adds remote control to Di2
ANT+ will allow you to connect power meters, cadence sensors and heart rate monitors so that you can view your training data right before you eyes. The Canadian makers claim that it is like watching a 30in plasma screen at 7ft away, just below your right eye.
An artistic impression of the heads up display
You will also be able connect the Jet to your smart phone, to allow you to make phone calls on the fly. Syncing with Strava could allow for real time visualisation of segments as they appear, with virtual partners on the road with you. A bluetooth camera such as the Drift Stealth on the seatpost could act as a rear view mirror…
>>>Belgian man reinvents the wheel
But what does it weigh we hear you ask? Whilst not as feather weight as pair of Oakley Radars, the Recon Jet is reported to be a very respectable 60g. George Hincapie appears in a promotional clip stating how he can hardly feel them on.
It might be one of the nerdiest gadgets ever conceived and some riders actively avoid tech, in an effort to keep cycling pure, but luddites aside, there is no escaping the potential impact this kind of technology has. This could revolutionise riding, racing and training (plus you get to pretend you are a fighter pilot).
>>> Lumo: Cycling clothing with hidden LEDs
The Recon Jet is set to launch in the UK in the first quarter of 2015, and we expect the price to be around the £450-£500 mark.