Solos cycling eyewear with a head-up display and audio prompts has virtually achieved its funding target on Kickstarter with six weeks to spare.
The smart glasses can receive information from a mobile phone app (iOS and Android) via ANT+ or Bluetooth low energy, and show it on “the world’s smallest heads-up display” – measuring 16mm x 9mm – that sits in front of your right eye.
“You think it looks really small but it’s actually quite a large display, it’s the entire upper right quadrant, but if you look beyond it you don’t even notice it,” says Kelly Catlin of Team USA.
The team behind Solos claims that the positioning of the display so close to your eye means that its virtual size is four times greater than that of a fixed display on your bike. You can adjust the position of the display.
The Solos can give you vital riding data like speed, cadence, heart rate, power zones, calories, distance and elevation. It also offers maps and navigation and allows you to race against previous rides.
You can also take calls while riding using the dual microspeakers and dual microphones that are integrated in the Solos frame.
That frame is made from a thermoplastic-polyamide nylon blend while the interchangeable lenses are a safety-rated Trivex polymer.
The Recon Jet Black Heads Up Display Smart Eyewear is a similar concept. Check out our review here.
The Solos is powered by a high-density lithium cell that’s embedded in the frame, and it is designed to offer a six hour runtime. The claimed weight is 65g.
The Solos mobile phone app gives you a host of post-ride information including an activity monitor, graphs, charts, and maps of your routes.
To be in line to receive a pair of Solos glasses you need to pledge at least US$250 (£170) via the Kickstarter page.
However, that’s for the Early Bird Special and only a few of those are remaining at the time of writing. Once they’re gone you’ll need to pledge at least US $400 (£272).
Delivery is expected in October 2016.
For more info go to the Solos Kickstarter page or www.solos-wearables.com
Mat has worked for loads of bike magazines over 20+ years, and been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. He's been road.cc technical editor for eight years, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. 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 past winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer.