#PokéBiking.

I heard a friend say this yesterday. This word is about to enter our lexicon and it’s coming faster than the Hyperloop with a ludicrous speed button.

What is PokéBiking you say? If you’ve been busy this past week and haven’t checked the top apps lately, you may not have noticed Pokémon GO, the latest mobile app based on the popular Nintendo game. Pokémon GO is a location based, augmented reality game that has kids (and many adults) scouring their neighborhoods for Pokémon and battling for ownership of gyms.

You can walk around town looking for these characters. But if you can’t drive yet, it’s far more efficient to get around on your bicycle, hence PokéBiking… playing Pokémon GO while riding your bike. My 12 year old came home yesterday and proudly said that he and a friend rode 9.5 miles. I quickly realized that this game was on to something, getting kids outside and addictively active is pretty cool. I’d be surprised if Trek or Cannondale doesn’t find a way to market this somehow.

My predilection for this game turned to dismay when I saw a teenager whiz by staring down at his phone though.

So what to do, I ask myself. Take to Facebook with a video making fun of them? Only a rookie will think that actually works. Start lecturing about safety? No, I just have a good old fashioned chat with my son. I asked him if he stares at his phone while riding.

He said, “There’s no need to. It just vibrates when something is near.” So he stops to take a look. “It’s too dangerous to look while riding,” he says. Smart kid (yes, I am biased).

For better or worse, PokéBiking and PokéWalking are here. We can complain about it. Or we can educate about it and be aware it exists. Maybe we can paint some lines for PokéBiking lanes. Or maybe not. It’s guaranteed that copycats will be in its wake, but this ship will pass.