davidvanhawks

David from Vanhawks here - couldn't agree more. That's why our vision isn't just to 'throw technology at bicycles.' What the Valour does allow is for rich data collection so that we can help shape more useful changes in the future.

In the short term, having this platform built in to a bike allows us to offer the turn by turn navigation with less distraction and much more robust data collection. That data collection will be used to improve the navigation based on real world feed back in the future.

In the long term, building this platform into a full bike means that we can offer plenty more - imagine being able to locate your bike if it was stolen or, imagine your bike could communicate with other vehicles around you to keep the rider safe.

This is not to say that we only offer full bikes in the future. However, having the full bike now is allowing us to perfect the platform and understand the full range of needs for our riders.

Hey, David from Vanhawks here. One of the nice things about the Valour is that we will continue to develop the platform while you ride the bike - it will get better the longer you own it as we release new features. And, if you worried about whether we'll be around long enough to make that happen, I feel confident in saying yes.

Check out our latest news on our new structure here: http://blog.vanhawks.com/2017/04/26/in-case-you-missed-it/

David from Vanhawks here - why do you need a connected bike? Maybe you don't. But, I sure like riding one. We are aiming to make commuting safer and more comfortable for riders. A big part of that approach is to remove distractions to the greatest extent that we can. Unlike strapping a device on to the handle bars, you can simply open the app, lock your phone and put it away. The ride recording starts and stops automatically and, your turn by turn directions are given through easy to follow light signals from the handle bar. Basically, we want you to keep your eyes on the road and not on your device.

The Valour also records a much more rich set of data that we will be using to inform cycling directions in the future. Most apps or devices record speed, time, distance, etc. We're recording much more.

I get what you are saying though - I have a Garmin that I use with multiple road bikes on country roads during the weekend. There, it is much easier to glance down to see how many watts I'm producing or switch screens to check my vertical metres per hour. However, when I'm riding across town to the office, I have a very different set of concerns.

David from Vanhawks here - great question. As a long time cyclist myself, I would never want to buy a bike that I didn't get a chance to throw a leg over first - we are completely aware of this and, we will be working with a retail partner in the near future to offer this option.

It was important for us to create and refine the product while we found the right partner. In the coming weeks, we'll be starting a purchase program that allows both online and in-shop purchasing in select locations.