Back on your bike?

It’s tough out there right now. However, over the last few weeks we’ve seen plenty of news that gives us reason to feel positive. First, the UK government gave explicit support to cycling by including bike shops on its list of essential businesses that have permission to remain open.

What you may have missed while you’re away is that a whole host of cycling enthusiasts and businesses have been working over years to bring us new products, services and technologies that make cycling safer, easier and more enjoyable. If you haven’t been on a bike since you got your cycling proficiency badge, here’s a quick roundup of some of our favourites - don’t miss our special giveaway where you’ll have the chance to win an amazing bundle of some of these products. 

The airbag for cyclists

We’ve featured Hövding before - to say that they’ve rethought the helmet from the ground up doesn’t quite cover it. If the only helmet you’ve ever had was a bulky, sweaty, ill-fitting piece of polystyrene or plastic, you might not even recognise the Hövding as a helmet at first. 

Hövding protects the rider by providing an airbag around their head and neck when they have an accident or fall off their bike. It’s able to detect the cyclist’s movement patterns and react to them thanks to the sensors and unique algorithm, meaning that the airbag inflates within 0.1 seconds if it’s triggered by an accident. The specialised airbag then inflates to cover your head and stabilises the neck.

The original Hövding was revolutionary when it first came on the market, but has quickly gained a loyal following of users who trust it to protect them and love that it’s discreet, leaves your head free, fits in your bag easily… and of course is highly effective. 

The team has been tirelessly developing the technology since then, and the Hövding 3 boasts some impressive features. The fastening has been redesigned to be one-size-fits-all, meaning you’ll always have the perfect fit whatever you’re wearing. The helmet also connects to a dedicated app. You can set the app up so that if the helmet is deployed in an accident, it’ll automatically send a message to your designated emergency contact to inform them that something has happened and where you are. It’s no surprise with features like these that over 200,000 cyclists have purchased a Hövding to protect them, and over 5000 have been saved from serious injury by this clever and robust technology.

Carry your lock with you anywhere

Carting a cumbersome lock around with you was never anyone’s favourite part of cycling, however necessary it was. So Hiplok started developing wearable chain locks that combine maximum security with minimal inconvenience.

Designed for riding and built for security, the Hiplok GOLD is the ultimate chain lock for the highest risk urban areas. Featuring a premium hardened steel chain and shackle and using Hiplok’s patented wearable design, this maximum security lock is easily adjustable to fit the rider’s waist without being locked. The GOLD features a maximum Sold Secure GOLD rating, and has a new speed buckle fastening. 

Chain locks offer a greater range of flexibility of what you can lock your bike to thanks to their long locking length, and thanks to HipLoks’ wearable design you can always carry a maximum security lock with you, without the need for a bag or bracket.

As if maximum security wasn’t enough, Hiplok’s award-winning wearable chain lock now also comes with an ultra-reflective, water repellent sleeve to make you more visible to other riders and reflects car headlights to add an extra layer of visibility when riding in low light.

New wave navigation

You may know the streets of your city like the back of your hand when it comes to driving a car, but everything changes when you’re on your bike. If you’re riding new routes and unsure of the exact twists and turns, it’s a faff to have to constantly take your phone out to check. 

That’s why the Beeline team designed the Beeline Velo. The device gives you glanceable, easy-to-use directions and looks pretty good on the handlebars too! 

Start with the Beeline app to plan your journey and then let yourself be guided by its smart compass interface . You can opt for compass mode if you're up for some exploring, or relax and let the turn-by-turn directions guide you safely to your destination. Perfect for exploring back streets and discovering new places in your area. 

There are more exciting things to come from Beeline, as they build a routing engine that incorporates feedback from cyclists to provide the best two-wheeled routes in London and beyond. This will be a big leap for cycle routing, which has traditionally been slightly modified car routes. Think Waze for bicycles!

A green clean for your bike

Your bike might have been languishing in a dusty shed or a leaky garage for a while, but getting it back to its sparkling best is easy with Muc-Off products. This Bournemouth-based company makes everything you need to clean, protect and lubricate your bike, including a range of biodegradable products such as their bio drivetrain cleaner. 

Their products are designed specifically for bikes and are loved by cyclists everywhere - as well as by Beryl’s team of mechanics! Not only do Muc-Off keep our Beryl Bikes in great shape for everyone who needs them, they’ve recently supplied us with their fantastic range of antibacterial products to keep our bikes virus free as part of their anti-bac fight back. Great products, from a great team! 

The bike insurance designed for cyclists, by cyclists

Not a physical product this time, but an important one if you’re the owner of a nice new bike: bike insurance. Laka provide insurance based on the idea of a community of cyclists looking out for each other to protect their bikes. Premiums go up and down based on actual claims made (so they can even be £0!) and the team is there to help you get back on your bike as quickly as possible, not to look for reasons not to give you a pay out. 

Laka is founded by some pretty keen cyclists, so they understand just how important your wheels are to you - and their community love them for it. 

The light with a laser

If the last time you had a set of bike lights you had to buy batteries for them, you’ve got lots to catch up on! Light technology has come on leaps and bounds. New materials, rechargeable battery tech and smart engineering mean you’re more visible, for longer while you’re out and about on your bike.

Beryl started life as Blaze with our signature light: the Laserlight. This front light combines white LED with a green laser projection of a bike in front of you, to give you a bigger footprint on the road and reduce the chances of you being unseen in the blindspot of a vehicle. Since then, we've gone on to develop a whole range of bike lights for the urban cyclist: rear lights with in-built braking function; the dual-colour, clip-on-anywhere Pixel as well as the classic companion for the Laserlight, the rear Burner.

Even though the clocks have finally gone forward and evenings are getting lighter, we recommend always having a set of lights charged up with you, in case you're out later than expected of the weather means there's low visibility. Let's face it: the recent London sunshine isn't going to last forever.

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If you like the look of these products, get involved in our giveaway over on Instagram or Facebook. A huge thanks to Hövding, Hiplok and Beeline for contributing to the giveaway and for bringing some positivity and good cheer in these tricky times.