Lights, GPS, App, Action! Make your way with integrated smartphone based COBI, a bike system that brings easy turn by turn navigation, GPS and fitness tracking, battery charging, theft alert, handle bar mounted screen (your smartphone actually) and thumb control, turn and break signaling and more. Adding to the biking experience and “supercharging” your phone “to keep track of everything important to you during your ride – including friends, music, weather, sensor-data, wearables and the environment. COBI gives you endless possibilities – because our system expands with your imagination. You can use it with accessories such as wireless headphones, speed / cadence meters, heart rate sensors, fitness trackers and other wearables. This makes COBI special – perfectly tailored to your lifestyle.”
Putting the perfunctory lifestyle claim aside, what I like about this system that it integrates software and digital functions with hardware and offline value. It really approaches the whole bike experience from a lot of angles. Smart stuff. Love to try it. It also connects to a number of e-bikes to “access telemetric data but even control the motor support levels of the following eDrive systems: Brose, TransX, Continental, Impulse and Bosch (MY 2014-2016 Active, Performance and CX, Nyon*) ”
The system can be applied to any bike (only limitations seem to be bar circumferences as far as I can tell.) the heart of it being the handlebar mount holding your smartphone steady.
The Sport version of the set an be pre-ordered, price starting at € 179,- depending on the set-up and lighting is not included. You can include lighting, a MTB specific headlight can be added for €19,90, but there are multitude of buying options to fit together the package that suits you.
So, although really enthusiastic about the product, it is a bit pricy. I am not sure if what it brings to the table, for me particularly would make it worth the money. I MTB more than anything on a bike I like to keep as light and unencumbered as possible. But many of my fellow Dutchies cycling everyday in the city I think, would really like this.