Do you tend to get lost or maybe just like to explore? Does putting your fragile phone on your bars scare you, or do you just not want to look like a fred? Whatever the case, BeeLine has distilled GPS navigation down to the simplest form and gives the rider all the power to decide how to get to their destination.
If exploring unfamiliar streets on a bicycle, making your own route, or having the simplest turn by turn directions sounds good, keep reading…..
Imagine wanting to go somewhere on your bike that you aren’t sure how to get to and you like exploring. Mark Jenner & Tom Putnam have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for their simplified version of a GPS navigation system – the BeeLine. You may ask why not just toss your phone on your bars and use its GPS. Well, the phone directs you using the fastest route, and though it might be faster, it might also incorporate a street with no shoulder and a lot of traffic as many common bicycle routes are common for cars as well. Oh top of that, you might turn down the wrong street as you attempt to see the microscopic streets on the map while paying attention to your riding.
BeeLine claims they can help you navigate in a simpler yet more fun manner that could be safer as well all thanks to a little moving triangle on a puck. Let’s break down the differences between GPS navigation and the BeeLine. A GPS gives you step by step “commands”. The BeeLine gives you a continuous “guideline”. The GPS is all business and has a goal to get the job done in the most efficient manner possible step by step. Through directional bearing, the BeeLine points you in the general direction letting you choose a street to your liking to turn down.
You never have to look and see what specific street to turn down. Just look at what direction you’re supposed to head and turn when you want keeping your eyes on the road…. as well as the scenery.
A pretty cool feature on the app is that you can set various way-points you want to incorporate in your route so you have better control over what part of town you pass through or if you’re visiting a new city you can pick a particular site you want to see along the way.
The BeeLine will run for 1 – 3 months with average use on a single charge. When you don’t need navigation, BeeLine can show you your speed and distance traveled, or simply act as a clock. The Kickstarter says the Beeline should start shipping out in August 2016 and currently a pledge of $60 (£39) will get you one of the guiding pucks.
