Exploring the back roads and countryside by bike can be a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but having to dismount and check your smartphone for a route home can be a pain. At CES in Las Vegas this week, UK bike retailer Halfords announced mid-year availability for the world's first e-bike – the Cybic E-Legend – that has Amazon's Alexa cooked in, meaning that riders will be able to ask the cloud-based voice assistant for directions and more.
"The combination of Alexa and Cybic enables riders to enjoy a great range of innovative, integrated bike features without their hands ever having to leave the safety of the handlebars," said David Kumar of Alexa Voice Services.
The Cybic bike range includes a hybrid Legend two-wheeler and the electric pedal-assist E-Legend pictured above. Models will have a control box mounted on the handlebars that sports function control menus, but with Alexa along for the ride, cyclists can just ask Amazon's almost ubiquitous virtual assistant for turn-by-turn directions, traffic or weather updates, and even send messages or make a seating reservation at a cafe or restaurant along the route.
The device is reported to feature GPS and mapping technology, a security lock and alarm (with bike tracking in the event of theft), and an included Vodafone SIM with 3 years of free 3G mobile data. It's Wi-Fi-enabled and rocks its own HD music player for music on the move. Riders will also be able to tap into cycling performance metrics such as speed and distance covered, and be able to control front, rear and handlebar lighting from the menu.
The Cybic bikes will be exclusively available online and instore at Halfords from the UK summer. Detailed specs are expected closer to launch. No pricing information has been revealed at this time.
Source: Halfords/New Atlas.
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