Electric bicycles are experiencing a revolution in technology, becoming more akin to intelligent mobility solutions or even IoT devices. This rapid advancement is changing not only how we see e-bikes but how we interact with them.
It’s not just new companies that are on the cutting edge of this technological advancement. Even the established US-based bike component giant, Sram, is taking strides in this area. They’ve recently filed patents for an intriguing piece of technology that might transform how we interact with our bikes altogether.
Traditionally, cyclists would change gears through a trigger shifter, grip shifter, or some other form of switch. Sram, however, is looking to change that. Imagine controlling your bike with hand gestures or even voice commands. It’s not as far-fetched as it might sound. After all, we already use hand gestures and voice commands with virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, and even in our cars. So why not apply the same principles to bicycles?
Sram is even considering a hand gesture system that might use a specialized glove laden with sensors. While this concept may seem a bit out there, it could potentially be used to control e-bike displays or toggle through various settings while riding.
This idea is becoming even more plausible with the development of automatic transmissions like those from Enviolo, which could pave the way for shift-by-voice technology. This might lead to cyclists casually commanding their bike to switch gears or adjust suspension settings with a simple spoken phrase.
But it’s worth noting that these innovations are still in the realm of speculation for now. Even though Sram’s interest in the e-bike market is clear, especially after their recent acquisition of Amprio and the fact that they own premium bicycle suspension specialist RockShox, we can only guess at what they have up their sleeve.
It’s crucial to understand that everything we’re discussing here concerning Sram’s new designs is totally speculative. If there’s one thing we can be certain of, it’s that Sram will most likely release something significant in the realm of bicycle technology in the near future.
