Powering your way home with a little help from the Flykly Smart Wheel

The trend of city cycling is heating up due the changing trends towards Single and Fixed road bikes. Recycling your old Peugeot or BSA is now considered individual and chic. A clear example of the demand for refurbished styled bikes is plain for all to see from the amount seen cruising on the commute in London.

If you’re not riding a single gear bike, in some groups you shouldn’t consider yourself a city rider. However, not every rider in London is using a hipster Single or Fixed speed bike and often opt for the renowned Brompton fold up bikes or similar copycat bikes on the market. The third category are the commuters looking for the easy ride and adopt power assisted or electric bikes. Often considered to be lazy or lacking the same experience offered from a conventional bike. This could be a result of their unflattering design and style that most electric bikes hold.

However, to forget the existing clunky electric bikes and transform our perceptions – Flykly’s new Smart Wheel is a simplistic approach to adding some stealth and power to your ride. The $100,000 Kickstarter project from Flykly looks to overcome the perceptions and attract current riders. The Flykly is a rear wheel that can be fitted onto a variety of bike sizes and styles and can reach a speed of up to a speed of 20 miles per hour with a range of 30 miles. The wheel can also be controlled via an iPhone or Android device and can track the wheel through GPS and physically lock the wheel from functioning in case it gets stolen.

Flykly have previously launched two electric bikes which supports their experience in the electric bike arena. The wheel will be available in both 26-inch and 29-inch sizes and weighs just over 4 kilos, which is on average 3 kilos lighter than your average electric bike.

The Kickstarter project that has beaten its original target by over 100% is set to revolutionise the city biking scene whilst holding onto the current trend for niche refurbished bikes, according to the company.

Whilst we get excited about the launch of this product in December 2013, we must hold back from proclaiming its performance until it is launched. Until then we can wait in excitement as to how this innovative wheel might be the first step to making our bikes smarter.