It was a couple of years ago that Cerevo first unveiled its high-tech limited-edition Orbitrec road bike. Now, the Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer has announced pricing – the bike will cost you a whopping US$140,000, although that figure includes two return trips to Tokyo.
So, what business does an electronics company have making a bicycle?
Well, inside of its down tube, the Orbitrec incorporates a GPS unit, along with sensors that measure nine ride parameters including acceleration, angular velocity, geomagnetic orientation and ambient temperature. Data from these is uploaded to a cloud-based server, where it’s used to create a continuously-updated personal ride log. It’s also transmitted by Bluetooth or ANT+ to a third-party cycling computer, or to an iOS/Android app on the user’s smartphone.
One Micro-USB-charge of the battery that powers all the electronics should be good for about 15 hours of riding.
The custom-fit frame is additionally pretty fancy, in that it consists of carbon fiber tubes joined together by 3D-printed titanium lugs. That’s where the trips to Japan come in, as Cerevo will initially be flying all buyers to and from Tokyo (and accommodating them) in order to get their exact measurements – once the bike is ready, they’ll be flown back to take ownership of it.
Australia’s Bastion Cycles offers something similar, in that buyers submit their measurements online for a custom-made, carbon-tubed, 3D-printed-titanium-lugged bike.
Cerevo informs us that the complete weight and components package for the Orbitrec has yet to be determined. If you get one, though, you’ll be one of only 10 people worldwide to do so – that’s how many of the bikes are being made. And should you wish to add much of the Orbitrec’s sensor package to your present bike, you can do so by buying Cerevo’s existing frame-mounted Ride-1 module – it costs $299.