CIN Podcast on digitalisation, bike security and eBike IoT
While some in the tangible cycling industry may feel digitalisation is something of a woolly concept, it is becoming ever more embedded, not least in those electric bikes and in production. Don’t believe us? In the summer of last year, Velco officially became Shimano’s off the shelf IoT (Internet of Things) partner.
Regular CIN Podcast Host Sean Lalley recently interviewed Johnny Smith, Co-Founder and CMO of Velco. Velco sells hardware and software for bikes, with the French and German company providing connectivity solutions for eBike brands. What this means for the industry includes preventative maintenance, greater security, fleet management capabilities and greater data…
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
“When we ask ourselves the question: Can smart bikes actually make bikes more reliable? Yes, they can. One easy example is preventive maintenance.
“A bike shop may be selling a bike to someone that is not necessarily technical and may have limited experience of riding bikes. So, thanks to connectivity, we are able to understand their life, how much use the eBike gets… So we’re able to push some notification on their mobile application. We’re telling them when it is time to do maintenance and when they need to go to their repair shop. We are also able to let them know, hey, there’s some new features and some improved experience that you can have on some of your electronic parts that you have on your bike, and connectivity can actually update your different components remotely…
“We were talking about maintenance as a way to have an operational bike that will be more safe for you as the cyclist. For example, right now we’re integrating with some tyre pressure sensors. So if your tyre pressure is getting low it will let you know that you need to inflate them.”
DOES DIGITALISATION PUSH BIKE COSTS – AND PRICES – UP?
“I believe eBikes are getting more expensive every year. And I think it’s actually a good thing because we’re moving from simply electrifying a bicycle to proposing a complete and qualitative mobility solution. Features that improve security safety or bike lifespan are, in our belief, necessary. And they’re necessary so that we’re able to put more people on bikes.
“Connectivity is tremendously helpful for these three topics. So yes, they’re going to have a more expensive retail price because of more technology and more quality. But they’re also more durable and safer, so a cyclist will be able to use their eBike for longer, and in the end, it will be cheaper on the overall costs of usage for several years.”
WHEN CONNECTIVITY GOES WRONG (AND RIGHT)
“Connectivity can detract from your eBike experience, if the quality is bad. And like all other markets and for all products, there are bad ones that are really bad and really good solutions.
“We have so much experience in what we’re doing. And we believe that we are proposing the most qualitative solution on the market right now. We’re simplifying the eBike experience, future proofing the connectivity experience. This is what we do every day.”
THE BIG PICTURE
“We believe that the job we’re actually doing is digitalisation, meaning being able to connect the different stakeholders in the value chain…
“We’re simplifying the eBike experience, from buying your eBike even selecting which kind of model you’re going to how are you going to use it every day? How you’re going to maintain it, how are you going to resell it, how you’re going to make sure that the data of your bike is protected, and that you can have a good value of understanding the value of your bike life. All of these are our jobs, and we are sure simplifying the experience. And if we succeed to simplify the experience, we believe that we can convince anyone to get on the bike and to use it every day.”
Listen to the latest Cycling Industry News Podcast here and catch up with previous editions of the CIN Podcast on SoundCloud.
