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TECH NEWS

New full colour GPS watch seeks funding (+ video)

Danish brand Leikr is after backing for its innovative new design

Danish brand Leikr is looking for crowd funding for a new GPS training watch that comes with colour maps on a 2in (5cm) screen, and downloadable workouts that coach you in real time.

Other key features promised by Leikr include:
• Fast GPS connection
• Wireless connectivity via Wi-fi, BT, USB and ANT+
• A long lasting battery
• Six tiles of data on display at once
• Ability to transfer your workout data to Endomondo for analysis and sharing

The watch can be connected to a heart rate belt, cadence sensor, foot pod or power meter, so it can be used for both cycling and running.

Leikr are asking for funding donations via Kickstarter with a view to taking the watch to market in the US this summer.

The GPS system is custom made and, unlike anyone else’s, it uses OpenStreetMap mapping. You have wireless connectivity to the cloud so you can program your training on the Leikr portal wherever you are and sync it to the watch without the use of any cables or dongles.

The display simultaneously shows pace, speed, heart rate, distance, elapsed time and calories, the idea being that you don’t need to toggle around to find the information that you’re after. The Leikr watch will show your position on the maps along with the route you’ve ridden and where you plan to go next.

Leikr say that the watch is upgradeable and that more software features will be added over time. It’ll retail at $449 (£278).

Leikr are looking for $250,000 (about £155,00) to take the design to market. When we last checked, they had donations totaling about $157,000 (£97,000) with 18 days to go. As usual with Kickstarter, if pledges don’t reach the goal, Leikr don’t receive any money – it’s all or nothing.

Visit Leikr’s Kickstarter page for more details. 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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3 comments

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kitkat | 11 years ago
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If it had video conference facilities then i'd definitely buy it! George Jetson here i come.

Avatar
amazon22 | 11 years ago
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From their website;
Q. Have you thought about a bike attachment?
A. Yes, the idea is to remove the strap and then securely attach the Leikr watch to a bike pod through the same interface.

Only a 6 hour battery life though. The screen looks fantastic quality.

Avatar
hurns | 11 years ago
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It will be intersting to see if they develop a bike mount? Not sure the use of having a GPS watch when cycling?

Really like the fact it's open source though and at that price point it looks like a great alternative to the Garmin 800 or 810.

I do love my garmin though.

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