AI light vs bad drivers: meet the new device designed to keep you safe on the road + “the ultimate cockpit” and more tech news from Bianchi, Santini, Fizik, Silca, Vision…

We have loads of shiny new bike tech to tell you about this week, including classics clothing from Santini, carbon-fibre thru-axles that weigh just 30g a pair, and cool bars from Vision and Fara, but we’re starting with an AI-powered light/camera that’s designed to keep you safe from bad drivers

AI light vs bad drivers: meet the new device designed to keep you safe on the road

US company Velo AI has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered bike light/camera system called Copilot that’s designed to keep you safer while you’re riding on the road.

You might think you've heard enough about AI over the past few months, but if it promises to help save us from bad drivers, we’re all ears.

“Velo AI is a robotics company that is making safety devices for personal mobility, specifically a safety device called Copilot,” says Velo AI CEO Clark Haynes.

“It’s a bike light, it’s a camera, but most importantly, it’s an AI device that helps alert bicyclists if they might be in dangerous situations. You begin to get this sixth sense of knowing what's going on before it happens.

“The modern automobile industry has applied a lot of really advanced tech to today's cars. We wanted to flip the script and bring that tech and focus it on making the experience safer for bicyclists.”

Okay, you’ve got our attention. How does it work?

Copilot watches the road behind you and, according to Velo AI, “can understand when a vehicle safely negotiates past a cyclist or identify an aggressive or distracted driver approaching dangerously”.

Alison Treaster, Chief of Staff at Velo AI, says, “40% of crashes and fatalities happen from being hit from behind. The more we can make drivers aware and the more attention we can draw to the cyclist, hopefully both parties are more prepared to avoid any kind of crash.”

“Cyclists will receive audible cues when a car is approaching and [Copilot] can also pair with your phone so you can pull up the companion app that will show you a visual representation of what's happening behind you. Honestly, Velo AI is looking to make streets safer for everyone.”

Copilot is designed to identify moving objects – cars, bikes, pedestrians, and so on – and tell the difference between something coming straight at you and something moving parallel on a separate road or passing you safely.

As well as giving you a warning about what’s happening behind, Copilot can alert drivers with its lights. It also captures ride footage (in 1080p) that could be valuable evidence if an incident occurs.

The Velo AI team hopes that data from Copilots can eventually feed into road safety improvements, aggregating data from different users for potential infrastructure upgrades.

Velo AI says that the Copilot is designed for all types of cyclists although, at least in its current form, it looks like it’s most suitable for commuters and other urban riders.

Of products already out there, the closest we can think of is Garmin’s Varia radar tail light (£169.99) which pairs with a Garmin Edge bike computer or a compatible smartphone to alert you of vehicles approaching from behind. The Varia RTL515 is designed to provide visual and audible alerts for vehicles approaching from up to 140 metres away, according to Garmin. The Bryton Gardia R300L that we reviewed does a similar job for £119.99. 

Both the Garmin Varia and the Bryton Gardia change their flashing light patterns when traffic approaches, but they don’t offer risk-based alerts or custom alerts for different vehicles.

The Copilot measures 92 x 95 x 35mm and weighs 330g. It’s USB-C rechargeable and is priced at $399 (which converts to about £313).

Velo AI currently ships to the US only. We’ve enquired about international distribution.

Velo AI is shipping only to US addresses at the moment, but it is planning a revision to the Copilot that will be available internationally.

Find out more here

Fara Cycling introduces "the ultimate cockpit" 

Fara Cycling says its new Modular carbon handlebar and stem combination could be the "ultimate cockpit". Despite looking like a one-piece setup at first glance, the Modular Cockpit actually comprises two parts, and the stem reach can be adjusted by 10mm. 

The shape of the new bar is unique (although it does bear some resemblance to Canyon's Double Drop Bar that the new Grail has) and is "inspired by the body’s natural hand position". Fara says the overall shape gives you a more efficient “elbows-in” riding position and improves blood circulation to the hands.

Designed with enhanced ergonomics and adaptability in mind, the cockpit comes with a whole host of sweeps and tilts. You get an 8° canting on the drops, paired with a 3° flare, which means the bar is 3cm wider if measured centre-to-centre at the drops, compared to the hoods.

On the hoods, you get a 6° upward tilt at the lever area, a gentle backsweep and also raised corner areas that, Fara says, decrease hand fatigue when on the tops. 

There are four width options: 37cm (narrow), 40cm (race), 42cm (regular) and 44cm (wide), and the stem lengths available are 80-90mm (short), 100-110mm (regular) or 120-130mm (long).

The bars come with fully integrated cable routing, and the 40cm version has a claimed weight of 450g. The mounting points can also be used to carry accessories such as aerobars for ultra-racing or triathlon setups.

The Modular Cockpit retails at £667.

Find out more here

Overfast's 30g carbon thru-axles are "weight weenie's wet dream"

According to Overfast, its carbon thru-axles are the world's lightest. They have a claimed weight of a mere 30g per pair, causing www.pandapodium.cc to describe them as a "weight weenie wet dream".

The axles are made with a carbon fibre shaft that is mechanically bonded to an aluminium thread via a patented interface. This is designed to offer strength, rigidity and, more importantly, safety.

If you're worried about carbon thru axles, Overfast lists a whole range of safety tests it has performed on these axles before selling them. 

> How to make your bike lighter — save a kilo or more from your road or gravel bike with these affordable upgrades

If you're serious about shaving off grams from your bike weight, swapping from basic aluminium axles to these carbon ones could save you 100g at most. That said, there are lightweight aluminium options available, too, such as these Token Zenith Super Light Thru Axles with a claimed weight of 48g a set, and similarly these Prime components thru axles hardly tip the scales at more than 50g a pair (and they retail for absolute bargain prices right now, though they might be hard to source soon, given WiggleCRC's commercial state). 

Overfast provides the axles in a variety of lengths, compatible with most modern disc-brake bikes, and each pair retails for $220 (about £170). Oh, and they have a lead time of 35-45 days at the moment, so you'll need to be patient.

Find out more here

Santini celebrates spring classics with its new collection

Santini has unveiled special collections paying homage to three iconic road races: Paris-Roubaix, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Made in collaboration with ASO (the organiser of the races) the lines feature jerseys, shorts, baselayers, and accessories. The Paris-Roubaix range aims to capture the atmosphere of the historic finish at Roubaix's velodrome. La Flèche Wallonne pays tribute to the Mur de Huy iconic climb, while Liège-Bastogne-Liège celebrates the Ardennes Massif's challenging terrain.

The full collection is available now, with jerseys priced at £95, bib shorts at £129, and accessories ranging from £7 to £29. 

Find out more here

Forget bikepacking - Silca is here to introduce 'fastpacking'

We've not even got around to establishing the difference between touring and bikepacking when Silca has come up with  another term to get our heads around. The brand's two new "fastpacking adventure bags" are called the Grinta bags, and they've been made to meet the demands of both competitive cyclists and leisure explorers.

The collection only has two bags at the moment; a handlebar bag and a roll-top seat pack, both featuring the trusted Boa closure system. You might recognise the closure system because it's the same one Silca uses on its Mattone saddle bag.

The handlebar bag has a 2-litre capacity and the seat pack can hold a little more at 2.5-litres. The capacities are not massive by any means, but Silca is  gearing these towards those mini 24-hour adventures or fast and minimalistic ultra-distance rides, so the focus has been on small size and functionality. 

Both bags are made with durable CYCLEPET fabric. The seatpack has taped seams, whereas the handlebar bag has a YKK AquaGuard zipper that's designed for water resistance. 

The Grinta Handlebar Bag is priced at £93 and the Grinta Saddle Bag at £156, and both are available now in the section we'd simply call 'bikepacking bags'. 

Find out more here

Fizik's new Proxy shoes are "built to excel on unpaved terrain"

Fizik has launched new off-road-specific Proxy cycling shoes - the ones we spotted at Rouleur in November. Described as all-out race shoes, they do in essence look much like the existing Vento Ferox Carbon – and they tip the scales at a claimed 326g, which makes them about 30g heavier than the Ferox. 

These kicks come with an upper constructed of a polyurethane (PU) laminated mesh which allows for a breeze to cool down your sweating tootsies. The closure system is Boa's Li2 BOA (and there is no strap like on the Ferox) while the sole is made with X3 fibre composite and has a stiffness index of 8 out of 10 (in comparison, the Ferox rates as 10). You get a thick rubber tread for better grip, and there are sizes ranging from 36 to 48 available. 

The shoes, which are available in two bright colourways and simple black, retail for £229.99.

Find out more here

Vision unveils Metron 5D EVO handlebar with XL thickness option

Already ridden to victory under Jonas Vingegaard at Tirreno Adriatico and O Gran Camiño, Vision's new 5D EVO handlebar comes with a lot of performance claims and a burlier thickness option. The new carbon handlebar maintains the existing 5D family features, including top sections that angle forward at 10° – the idea being to improve your climbing – and internal routing cleaning up the appearance.

But what's changed is the weight, the Metron 5D EVO tipping the scales at a claimed 320g (110x420mm bar) – the previous version was 406g in this size – as well as an increase in stiffness and improved vibration absorption, according to Vision. The brand has also lowered the stack height by 15mm (now 40mm) which it says gives a further aerodynamic advantage. 

Wider and thicker options have been added to the lineup. The bars come in two configurations: EVO-L or EVO-XL. The EVO-L bars come in 38-42cm widths, and EVO-L has a thicker diameter and is offered in 40-44cm widths. You get a compact 125mm drop paired with an 80mm reach on both. 

The 5D Evo cockpit will retail for £595 and is available now. 

Find out more here

Bag yourself an Arkéa-Samsic Bianchi bargain

Bianchi Oltre RC road bikes ridden by the Arkéa-Samsic pro team are up for sale on Bikeroom. 

You know the score: pro teams sell off their old bikes, often online, so you can pick up a used bike at a fraction of the price of a new one. These ones are all £4900.91, to be precise, complete with Shimano's top-level Dura-Ace groupsets and wheels.

A bike ridden by Nacer Bouhanni is up for grabs, although it looks like Warren Barguil’s has already gone. If you're browsing, bear in mind that Bianchi's sizing is unusual, so make sure you check out the geometry chart.

Have you ever bought a bike from a pro team? We’d be really interested to hear about your experiences.

Find out more here 

Scott introduces Cadence Plus as its “fastest racing helmet”

Scott has unveiled an all-new Cadence Plus helmet which, it says, has a drag coefficient that’s 5.2% lower than its predecessor.

“If we translate this data into Watt savings, we end up with a 1 Watt saving at a speed of 43km/h [26.7mph] with no inclination,” says Scott. “Furthermore, if we translate this Watt saving into time saving, you would gain a 10-second time saving over 40km [25 miles].”

If you want more speed and you're willing to sacrifice ventilation, you can buy plugs to stop air from entering the two side vents.

“We found that the two side plugs give a saving of 2 watts, which when we translate into time savings, would give a 16-second saving over 40km,” says Scott.

The Cadence Plus features a Mips Air Node safety system, and you can clip in a light at the back for greater visibility. The price is £229.99.

Find out more here

In case you missed our other superb tech content from the week, now's your chance to catch up: 

• Go East! Find out how Taiwan became the hub of the bike industry
• Factor teams up with pro skateboarder Chico Brenes for the Ostro Gravel Chico Edition
• Five cool kicks in for review from Fizik, Specialized, Trek, and Cafe du Cycliste
• The bike industry is "in chaos" says boss: so what do Trek’s plans to ‘right size’ mean for the industry… and you?
• Best cycling bib shorts 2024 – enhance your comfort in the saddle with these top picks
• The Diodra S3 e-bike is made from bamboo and uses an all-in-one hub motor and battery
• Best gravel bikes under £2000 2024 —budget off-road bikes packed with performance
• Best cheap cycling shoes 2024 - get your hands on road or mountain bike shoes for under £100