The Internet of Bicycles
A new chapter for two wheels
As we enter a new chapter in human history, there has never been a better time to own a bicycle. In the current pandemic circumstances, people who have become more reluctant to use public transports are choosing the bicycle instead. Consequently, we are witnessing a rapid increase in bicycle ownership which has led many cities to reflect on the importance of reshaping and reinventing urban spaces.
Municipalities across the globe are prioritizing the creation of new cycling infrastructure, and upscaling existing bicycle lanes. This is happening in parallel with a growing sense of a need to live healthier and more sustainable lives. Therefore, bicycles are generally regarded as a smart choice to get around cities as they use less space, do not emit any pollutants, do not produce any noise, are affordable, and contribute towards both mental and physical wellbeing.
The increased ownership of bicycles together with the need to develop new and existing cycling infrastructure comes with a wide range of challenges. For instance, at present, the ways in which we measure and monitor bicycle traffic is relatively limited. As a result, it can be difficult for municipalities to decide where to place relevant parking spaces, bicycle shelters, and the implementation of bicycle lanes to suit potentially high bike traffic volumes in specific areas around the city.
Bicycle owners also face an ever-long-lasting challenge, and that is bicycle theft. As bicycle ownership increases, so does the rate of bicycle theft, due to the fact the ways in which bikes are currently locked are neither completely safe nor effective. One possible solution for both of the challenges mentioned above is indeed the digitalization of bicycles and urban mobility. So, over the coming years, we will witness the development and implementation of an ecosystem of interconnected bikes, or what one might call — The Internet of Bicycles.
This will happen as a natural consequence of equipping bicycles with sensing, computing, and communication capabilities. This process will not only transform the conventional bicycle into a smart bike but will also help to solve a wider range of common problems such as bicycle theft, bike traceability, and scaling cycling infrastructure around both urban and rural spaces.
‘The Internet of Bicycles’ will act as a catalyst for rethinking urban spaces, as more than ever we will be able to understand cycling behavioural patterns.
In turn, this will create abundant information necessary to take measures for increasing cycling. This digitalization process will also bring owners closer to their bicycles than ever before given that it opens doors for easily measuring factors such as calories, cycling mileage, and CO2 emission savings. It may also automate frequently executed tasks such as locking and unlocking bicycles.
Ever since its invention, the bicycle has played a key role in the transformation of society, especially when it comes to allowing individuals more freedom of mobility. So, the next step in the bike’s natural evolution is to allow for its own digitalization and integration into ‘The Internet of Bicycles’. This, undoubtedly, lays the groundwork for an objectively measurable way in which bicycles can continue to play a pivotal role in making cities more liveable and environmentally sustainable.
Examples of projects in municipalities centred around improving bicycle infrastructure:
- Enabling cycling outside the city centre — Madrid, Spain
- Public bike-sharing system — Tartu, Estonia
- Konya bicycle tram — Konya, Turkey
- Implementing storage and counters for bikes — Klaipeda, Lithuania
