Speed Vest: Part Vest, Part Speedometer
I’ve forgotten where I first read about this invention, but I wish I could get my hands on a Speed Vest of my very own. At the moment, it’s not being mass-produced – each one is a labor of love – but the very fact that it exists makes both the nerd and the cyclist in me very happy.
The Speed Vest is the brainchild of Brady Clark and Mykle Hansen. According to their website:
“The Speed Vest was invented because we were curious to know if putting more information in front of drivers might change their awareness of bicyclists. That, and we suspect a lot of people don’t realize that an average person can bike 10-15 mph (15-25 km/h).”
The FAQ states that the vest:
- Increases awareness of the bicyclist and bicycling as an efficient way of getting around
- Educates drivers about overtaking bicyclists safely, and
- Illuminates that an average person can easily bike 10-15 mph (15-25 km/h)
The vest works by “using a sensor on your wheel to send a signal to a microcontroller that then turns the numbers on and off on the vest.” Top speed it can display: 70 mph. If you want more detailed info (and lots of it) on how it was constructed, check out Mykle Hansen’s site. Actually, it’s worth clicking that link just to see the photo series on the making of their do-it-yourself mannequin “Packing Tape Brady”.
Although you can’t buy one for yourself (just yet), Brady and Mykle have been touring the vest around. If you’d like to be updated, or if you’re a bicycle advocacy organization and would like to use the Speed Vest for outreach and education, send them an e-mail: info@speedvest.com.