It’s been a number of years since we’ve seen any major progressions in helmet technology. Outside of changing the aesthetics or the aerodynamic benefit of the helmets, not a lot has changed. So we were very excited when Specialized announced their new ANGI technology to be fitted with a new MIPS system.
— THE SPECIALIZED BICYCLES COMPANY —
So what is ANGI? Angi stands for Angular G-Force Indicator. It’s a small device that will be fitted to the back of helmets to alert your emergency contacts if you have an accident.
Sounds great, there must be a few issues? We had all the same questions as you will. How? What happens if it takes a knock but you’re not hurt? What happens if you lose signal? And Specialized had all the answers.
Specialized have brought out a new riding app, that in appearance is very similar to Strava. You’ll be able to track your rides, upload them to the system and get all the same information that Strava gives you. In fact, the ride will even sync up to your Strava so you don’t lose any of the data. This will be a subscription based app that will cost around $29 annually.
— SAFETY TECHNOLOGY FOUND & USED IN HELMETS —
You set a reaction time limit between 15 seconds and 2 minutes in which you’ll be able to access the app, then link it up with the ANGI device on your helmet. If you have an accident, an alarm will sound. From then you have how ever long you programmed in to turn the alarm off. If you don’t, the text will go.
So lets say you tap in one minute, take a knock from a branch but you’re ok. You have 1 minute to get to the alarm. Great. But what happens if you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’ve lost signal?
At the start of the ride you can program a time based back up. Tap in how long you’ll be out for and the same process happens. If you’re out longer, you can tell the app that you’re going to be a little later than expected. If not, your last known GPS location will be sent to your family and friends.
— ELECTRIC BIKES TIMELINE: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE —
Great, keep a track on those close to you, so you don’t have to worry about their safety any more!
You can have up to 10 contacts on the list that’ll all receive the text message with your location, just to make sure they get the message.
The ANGI technology will be available fitted to all Specialized top level helmets, as well as aftermarket for £39.99. This will be able to be retro fitted to any of your old Specialized Helmets, allowing you all the features of ANGI without having to re-invest in a new helmet.
