Your car has all its displays and controls built into its dashboard, so why doesn't your bike have all its gadgets integrated into its handlebar? Well, that's exactly the approach taken by the sleek Flitedeck bar, which features a touchscreen, headlight, wireless connectivity and more.
Currently available for preorder, the drop-style road handlebar is manufactured by Munich-based startup Flite, which was founded by mechanical/automotive engineers Sabrina Fischer and Matthias Huber.
"The idea for Flitedeck came to me in 2019 when I bought my first high-end road bike," says Fischer, who previously worked for companies such as Porsche, BMW and Pininfarina.
"It featured a beautifully aerodynamic and clean handlebar-stem unit, but I quickly found myself frustrated. Why did I have to attach lights, navigation devices, a bell, and bulky, unsafe mounts to this sleek setup?"
The resulting carbon fiber handlebar/stem incorporates a StVZO-compliant dual-beam headlight, motion-sensitive theft alarm, electronic bell, GPS-based navigation system, and a full-color 180 x 70-mm touchscreen display.
It connects with third-party sensors and other devices (including all common electronic-shift drivetrains) via Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi, plus it links up with third-party iOS/Android apps running on the cyclist's paired smartphone.
The touchscreen can be user-configured to show a variety of small displays all at once, or to show a few larger displays (such as turn-by-turn navigation maps) as needed. An accompanying app is utilized for over-the-air firmware updates, among other things.
Power is supplied by an onboard lithium battery, which should reportedly be good for 20 to 30 hours of runtime per USB-charge. The whole handlebar is claimed to tip the scales at a tad over 80 grams (2.8 oz) and is IP68 waterproof, meaning it can withstand being submerged to a depth of 1 meter (3.3 ft) for 30 minutes.
Should you be interested in getting a Flitedeck handlebar of your own, you can preorder one now via the Flite website for US$1,677. The first production run will be limited to 1,000 units, which are expected to ship in the second quarter of next year. Prices will be higher for subsequent runs.
A "leading premium bike manufacturer" – which equips a UCI WorldTour team – will reportedly be including the bar on its production bikes.
But getting back to the money thing …
Fischer has taken a unique approach to funding design and production of the Flitedeck, by becoming a content creator on OnlyFans. If you're unfamiliar with the social media platform, it's an online service in which subscribers pay creators to view adult content – in this case, that content is racy photos of Sabrina and Matthias.
There's no word on whether or not cheeky pics of the handlebar are on there too.
Source: Flite
