Apple Watch - tactile GPS for cycling

The arrival on these shores early next year of the Apple Watch heralds new wearable smart phone functions that will appeal to cyclists, including tactile GPS route instructions.

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Expect the watch to be light, supremely comfortable to wear and intuitive to use. And the screen promises to be bright and crisp and crisp enough to be clearly visible from the kind of angles you expect when your hands are on the bars.

Once synced with an iPhone, the sleek aluminium cased watch will allow access to popular cycling apps such as Wahoo Fitness, Cyclemeter and Map my Ride, with the added benefit of a built-in heart rate monitor.

The Apple Watch also offers new possibilities for bicycle GPS functions. The watch’s so-called ‘taptic engine’ is a sophisticated buzzer that has many uses, but in tandem with a map reader can relay route instructions through a series of simple vibrations to your wrist.

The exact date when you can take to your bike with an Apple Watch on your wrist is not yet known; the company’s website says only that the Apple Watch will be available in early 2015. Expect prices to start at US$350 (£215), with three different models (Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition) and host of colours to choose from. For more information visit the Apple Watch website.

GPS and cycling

GPS technology has an increasing number of useful applications for cyclists - not least the ability to track a stolen bike, or bike parts. Early attempts have been clunky in appearance and opration, but a new postage stamp-sized digital tag called a tile promises to help find lost bicycles.

Each tile can be attached to almost any personal possession, costs about £12 and lasts a year before it needs to be recycled and replaced.

Using its accompanying app, a tile can be located within a 50m range. A built-in speaker allows the tile to chirrup so you can easily hear it when you get within close range. Furthermore, the app saves the last GPS location it saw your tile.

If you mark your tile as lost, without realising they are doing it, the entire global tile community searches for your item and you automatically receive a text with its location if anyone passes within 50m.

When millions of us use tiles, it promises to be quick, easy and cheap to recover lost and stolen items. Until then, many cyclists will stick with a conventional insurance policy. A good one will cover against theft, accidental damage, vandalism, third party liability of at least £1m. Get an instant quote for bicycle insurance

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