Apple routinely files patents well off the beaten path. The technology detailed in the filings are not always designs that Apple intends to bring to market, but oftentimes the concepts behind the doodles are so cool that you hope that Cupertino ends up putting the product into production as soon as possible. Such is the case with this patent application for a high-tech bicycle computer that was dug up by Patently Apple earlier this week.
The patent application is for a system that tracks the rider's speed, distance, time, altitude, elevation, incline, decline, heart rate, power, derailleur setting, cadence, wind speed, path completion, expected future path, heart rate, power, and pace--Gah! That's a lot. While there may already be a few excellent apps out there that perform the same functions, Apple takes it a step further with this one, allowing for in-app communications among other bikers you may be riding with, so your group can discuss course difficulty, where to stop, or if their bicycles are having mechanical issues. In the area of bicycle maintenance, the patent also holds the possibility of allowing an Apple mobile device to work with sensors built into your bike so that you can keep a tab on what's working and what's about to send you sprawling into the bushes.
Honestly, who among even the mostly slothenly or casual of riders wouldn't want to deck out their wheels with a system that does all of that?
