A clever new device from Miami-based startup Spinetics looks set to be a new must-have cycling accessory, allowing cyclists to keep their smartphone charged while they’re on the move.
The CydeKick (awful name,I know) allows its users to charge their smartphones using the energy generated from their cycling, effectively powering their smartphones with their legs. The system can be mounted on your bike’s handlebars or on the rear wheel hub, with it generating power to your smartphone using electromagnetic induction through its spinning magnets.
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The gadget will prove to be extremely useful for those who embark upon long-distance journeys with their bicycles, allowing them to keep their phone and its cycling apps running whilst also ensuring that its battery doesn’t go flat, and will also come in handy for commuters who don’t want to run out of juice during their cycle to their office.
Those who want to charge more than their smartphones will also be pleased to learn that the CydeKick doesn’t just cater to mobiles, with its USB output meaning that you can cycle some more power into just about every portable device including lights, GPS devices or action cameras that record you whilst you’re on your travels.
Of course, a possible issue with the CydeKick would be just how much power it provides to your device, and unfortunately this information isn’t revealed in its Kickstarter campaign. This invariably makes me a little skeptical of the charger, given that it is reliant upon energy generated by the user in order to keep devices powered. Until we know how efficient CydeKick is at doing this, we won’t really know exactly how effective it is as a cycling accessory, but them’s the risks you take with Kickstarter campaigns! Fortunately, the CydeKick can be charged at home before you set out on a journey, meaning that if the power it generates during a cycling session is minimal, it will at least still be able to charge your devices if you plug it in beforehand.
If you’re interested in the CydeKick and, like me, remain cautiously optimistic that it’ll do exactly as it says on the tin, then its Kickstarter campaign will begin on July 30th.
