Never get lost again cruising unknown streets on your Stingray. Last week during CES, Schwinn unveiled their first ever mobile app and bike accessory- the CycleNav Smart Bike Navigator. CycleNav is a free mobile application paired with a handlebar mounted device designed to give you turn-by-turn audio and visual navigation on your bike.
When connected to your phone via Bluetooth, the CycleNav Smart Bike Navigator device delivers audio commands and visual light indicators to direct you along your chosen route. With your phone safely in your pocket, your hands are free to steer while CycleNav speaks directions and flashes turn indicators. If you miss the directions because of traffic noise or other distractions, simply press the middle button to have the last instruction repeated.
CycleNav works both on the road and on the trails, while also functioning as a bike light. Before setting out, simply enter your desired destination address and the app gives you route options based on either terrain or shortest distance and fastest time. You can also create custom routes and add in coffee stops along the way.
Much like other smartphone apps, CycleNav records your distance, duration, and calories burned along your ride. You can share your stats on all the social networks or upload your ride to MapMyRide. I would love to see closer integration with other apps (such as Strava) where you could download GPX file routes for navigation and upload ride data.
The CycleNav is available for free on both iOS and Android. The CycleNav Smart Bike Navigator device itself retails for $59.99 and will start shipping from Walmart in the spring.