Bringing AI to the riding experience. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Fifty-three percent of people in the Netherlands—people who are from ages 18 to 64—ride a bike at least twice a week for transportation, according to a Statista survey.

Rounding out the top three are Poland at 36% and Germany at 34%.

And in the top 10 the U.S. comes in at nine, with 16% of adult bike riders. (And in case you are curious: Korea is number 10, at 12%.)

Which probably explains why Bosch, which is headquartered in Gerlingen, Germany, is bullish on bikes.

eBikes.

And they are taking it still further.

“We’re confident that Connected Biking is the future. Only by merging the physical riding experience with the digital world can the full potential of our eBike systems be realized. With the integration of AI, we are taking the next logical step in developing and creating priceless added value for eBike riders: Mile by mile, the eBike learns more and unnoticed, becomes a smart and connected companion along the way.”–Gregor Dasbach, Vice President Digital Business at Bosch eBike Systems.

Bosch has developed what it calls the “eBike Flow” app that provides riders with specific information about their journey.

There’s AI-based Range Control that allows a rider to know precisely how much battery charge will remain in the bike after reaching a destination that has been programmed into the nav. While that may not seem all that clever, this takes into account factors including the overall weight (bike + rider), elevation along the route, and riding behavior based on previous rides. Yes, this is something predicated on having used the system.

Then there’s an array of post-ride stats available to the rider, such as the amount of braking during a ride, including, for those bikes equipped with Bosch ABS, how many times the ABS was activated.

Clearly, those who are serious about their biking would be interested in things like that.

Perhaps eBikes will become an alternative means of transportation for more Americans as there are systems like this that can provide higher degrees of confidence that they can get where they need to be when they need to be there.