Our latest Tech of the Week round-up features an AI-powered rear camera designed to enhance cycling safety by detecting and alerting riders to “threats” in real time, Factor’s new bike, new kits from Uno-X and Café du Cycliste, plus a wheel system which keeps the disc rotor and cassette fixed to the frame, allowing both wheels to be interchangeable and promising “ultra-fast changes”.
With so much good stuff to bring you, let’s not waste any time…
Can this AI-powered rear camera spot danger before you do?
Skillion Inc., the US expansion of Australia-based Skillion Bikes, has introduced the Hawkeye, an AI-driven rear camera system designed to enhance cycling safety by detecting and alerting riders to “threats” in real time. According to the company, Hawkeye can identify approaching vehicles and other hazards up to 220 metres away.
Unlike standard rear view systems, Hawkeye uses AI-powered “threat detection” to continuously monitor what’s going on behind and to the side of you. When a potential threat is detected, the system issues early warnings to the rider via their smartphone. The system supports both Android and iOS, allowing you to review the footage, receive alerts and manage settings in the app.
Hawkeye also includes side cameras with a 220-degree field of view and integrated rear and side lights which are also AI-responsive, claiming to automatically adjust depending on the situation.
In comparison, Garmin’s Varia RCT715 combines a tail light, radar and camera, and offers visual and audible alerts for vehicles approaching from the rear at up to 140 metres. While Garmin’s unit uses radar to detect traffic, Hawkeye focuses on AI-based interpretation, offering a claimed longer detection range and wider field coverage. We’d be very keen to get one in for review to put all this to the test.
And how much is it? You can preorder the Hawkeye now at hawkeye.bike for $390 USD (~£290), a $170 discount off the regular price. The preorder includes the Hawkeye unit plus 12 months of free software updates and cloud storage.
Factor launches the Monza aero bike for “real-world racing conditions”
Factor has released the Monza, a new aero bike designed to deliver high-performance at a more accessible price point. Drawing from the flagship Ostro Vam, ridden by the Israel-Premier Tech men’s and Human Powered Health women’s pro teams, the Monza has refined features and materials to reduce manufacturing complexity and costs, according to the brand.
Key features include Factor’s new HB04 integrated, “semi-aero” barstem, internal cable routing and clearance for up to 34mm tyres. Perhaps controversially for an aero race bike, Factor has added in-frame storage, claiming it helps reduce drag, saving up to six watts compared to carrying tools in a jersey pocket or saddle bag.
Geometry-wise, Factor has aimed to retain the same handling of its WorldTour bikes, matching the Ostro Vam’s head tube angle, fork offset, chainstay length, and wheelbase. However, the Monza has a slightly taller stack height (+10 mm) and reduced reach, so riders are less stretched out without sacrificing responsiveness.
The Monza doesn’t carry quite the same ultra-premium price tag as the Ostro Vam, although it will still lighten your wallet considerably. Full builds featuring new Black Inc 45 wheels are priced at £6,399 with Shimano Ultegra and £6,599 with SRAM Force AXS and a power meter.
For the full details head over to Factor’s website.
Café du Cycliste releases Play capsule collection inspired by childhood games
Café du Cycliste adds a touch of fun and nostalgia to your summer cycling wardrobe with its Play capsule collection. Inspired by childhood games such as word searches and playing cards, the collection “reworks some of our most popular and tried-and-tested summer products, adding exclusive designs and lighthearted style,” says the brand.
The collection features a range of jerseys, including the Daisy Claudine Gravel Shirt (pictured above), which is made from recycled fabrics. It features a full zip, three cargo pockets, and is priced at £150.
The Angeline jersey is designed for the hottest days and is available in several designs including a word search pattern — ideal for keeping your riding partner entertained while they’re sat on your wheel. It’s priced at £165.
Check out the full range on Café du Cycliste’s website.
What do readers think of Fasten’s Switch Wheel System?
Earlier this week, we covered Fasten’s new Switch Wheel System (SWS), which keeps the disc rotor and cassette fixed to the frame, allowing both wheels to be interchangeable and promising “ultra-fast changes: without touching the drivetrain. However, reactions from our readers have been mixed:
One said, “If it works well, it sounds good. Leaving the rotors and cassette in place does make sense.” Another reader expressed excitement, saying, “Love this, super innovation. Would need to be low or free barrier access design to encourage adoption by existing manufacturers.”
Some see it as a major advantage for racing, with one commenting, “I see this being a huge advantage in racing. Punctures would be easily remedied quicker than in the days of rim brakes and QR spanners. Also, the ability to swap out a wheel based on terrain or conditions would really suit teams looking for marginal gains.”
On the flip side, some were more cautious. One reader noted, “I don’t see any real benefit here, but I can see significant downsides”. One being, “it separates the rear hub assembly into separate parts, meaning more opportunities for water or dirt intrusion and squeaking.”
Curious about the details? Check out our full story on the Fasten Switch Wheel System here.
Team 7-Eleven is back — is this the best pro kit out there?
At Liège-Bastogne-Liège this weekend Uno-X Mobility will be rocking a throwback to the iconic 7-Eleven team of the ’80s. For one race only, out goes the usual red and yellow, in comes the green, white, and red.
It’s a celebration of 7-Eleven’s success in the 80s, from American underdogs to Giro and Tour de France stage winners, and Andy Hampsten’s 1988 maglia rosa. As a Scandinavian team, Uno-X announced the throwback kit by making a special note of Dag Otto Lauritzen having claimed Norway’s first Tour stage in 1987, a moment that inspired a generation in the famous green, white and red, a kit they will pay tribute to at Liège.
The link between Uno-X and 7-Eleven is that Uno-X is a service station operator in Norway and Denmark, with 107 of those stations featuring… you guessed it, a 7-Eleven store.
General manager and legend of the sport Thor Hushovd explained how his cycling journey began “watching Dag Otto – also from Grimstad – win Norway’s first Tour de France stage in that jersey”.
“Seeing our riders wear it now is truly something special,” he said.
It’s also a celebration of Eddy Merckx’s 80th birthday, with the team to ride a special edition of the Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, provided by manufacturer Belgian Cycling Factory, which owns the Eddy Merckx bicycle brand.
“This is more than a limited edition bike or jersey — it’s a heartfelt tribute to Eddy Merckx for his 80th birthday and to the legacy he’s built over eight incredible decades,” Frank Symons, the marketing director of Belgian Cycling Factory said. “By bringing the iconic 7-Eleven team back to life at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, together with Uno-X Mobility and our amazing partners, we’re reviving a piece of cycling history in a way that’s never been done before.”
The kit is on sale for 10 days, priced at €145. All sizes have moved from ‘on sale’ to ‘limited stock’ to ‘available to pre-order’ within 24 hours, but it does sound like more could be on the way if there’s sufficient interest. Once the racing’s done, the race-ridden 7-Eleven Noah Fast models will also be listed on Ridley’s site, including a signed race jersey, helmet, and bidon, as well as “scuffs, race numbers, and even dirt still”.
6 thoughts on “Can this AI-powered rear camera for cyclists spot danger before you do? Plus reaction to Fasten’s innovative Switch Wheel System, Factor launches new Monza road bike + more”
The rear view “ai” camera is
The rear view “ai” camera is interesting. Computer vision is one of the places AI really works. That said the only ones solely relying on vision for self driving cars are Tesla – everyone else is using radar/lidar + vision.
I can only see this being an improvement of the camera + AI has a longer runtime than the Garmin Camera + radar.
Also note that radar frequently sees through hedges.
The car industry has been
The car industry has been ridiculing tesla for years for stubbornly sticking with vision sensing only when the lidar tech is just better in every aspect.
thrawed wrote:
I’m all for ridiculing Tesla, but they can’t really start using Lidar as well as they (specifically Musk) foolishly sold the vehicles declaring that they had all the hardware necessary for Full Self Driving and so would only require a software update. If they now release FSD that uses Lidar, they’d have to start issuing refunds to everyone that bought a Tesla due to the false advertising or retro-fit Lidar on all those vehicles.
Also, Lidar isn’t better in every way – you’d want normal cameras as well for reading traffic signs etc.
While I am fully in favor of
While I am fully in favor of improved awareness in my surroundings, >EVERY< “interaction” with a car / small truck (never had a problem with a big truck …. so far), they were not “impaired”, fully in control, and were well aware of my presence. The only time I was hit by a car, was on a relatively quiet street and he clipped me. Per the poice report he actually admitted that “I thought I had enough room”. There is very little protection from idiots!
Brilliant … Just what we
Brilliant … Just what we need.
Something else that needs our nice, big, fragile mobile phones to be strapped too our handlebar.
As if there wasn’t enough bike jacking going on …
The Garmin radar might not be perfect, but at least I don’t need my phone powered up and on display.
Yeah it’d have to be
Yeah it’d have to be compatible with my Garmin head unit.