We’ve seen a number of bicyclist airbags over time, however Aerobag goals to take rider security to the following stage of efficiency with their ultralight, compact airbag system that shall be included into the straps of your favourite bib straps. The core concept is that professional street cyclists, particularly, careen down mountain roads at extremely excessive speeds, with EPS foam helmets the one actual aspect of security tools defending them in a crash. And whereas airbag know-how redefined security in vehicles since they grew to become widespread within the Nineties, they’ve by no means actually taken maintain in biking due primarily to their measurement, weight, and the complexity of appropriately deploying them.
However the know-how has progressed quickly in the previous couple of years, and this Aerobag seems prefer it may very well be the one to make airbags possible for high-performance biking…
Aerobag is a lightweight, unobtrusive airbag for efficiency cyclists
The biking airbag idea is simple, even when its sensible execution is exceptionally complicated.
A rapidly-inflating airbag may develop straight away to guard probably the most weak elements of a bike owner’s physique past their head, just like the neck, backbone, and chest. Identical to occurs in your automobile in a crash, that bike owner airbag may cushion the rider in a extreme influence, drastically decreasing the prospect of great or deadly accidents.
The primary trick is that the bike owner has to in some way put on a deflated airbag with out impeding their capability to trip a motorcycle, particularly a problem at to top-tier of the game. The opposite actual challenge is to get it to inflate each time there’s an actual crash, however by no means go off by accident when you’re JRA – simply driving alongside.
Present biking functions embrace the cumbersome EVOC Commuter AIR Professional, a giant backpack with an airbag inbuilt. Or there are the lighter, slimmer Mase Airding backpacks that dial it all the way down to the dimensions of a small hydration pack. Neither is appropriate for high-intensity street biking efforts, although.
Notable additions is likely to be the head-only safety of Hövding airbag helmet, however that may be a case-study within the failure to carry out persistently sufficient for a consumer-level security product. Or look to the teased Dainese D-Air DH airbag prototype included right into a wrap-around chest & again protector for gravity riders primarily based on their motorbike airbags, however they’ve but to make it dependable even for the slim focus of downhill racing.
How did a professional bike owner airbag mission come about?
With the quantity of hours and kilometers that skilled cyclists trip and race, these high-speed crashes occur quite continuously. The truth is, it was the deadly accident of Bjorg Lambrecht in 2019 that actually sparked the event of the Aerobag mission. Aerobag CEO & co-founder Bert Celis, who additionally had co-founded the cycling-specific BikeValley aero efficiency lab, labored with many professional groups to assist them go sooner. However he had additionally labored with Lambrecht of their wind tunnel just some months earlier than his accident. So his loss of life felt very private, spurring Celis to refocus his engineering experience on rider security as a substitute of all-out pace. That was the impetus for the airbag mission.
Having additionally labored by way of BikeValley on the Cold2Gold mission with clothes maker BioRacer forward of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Celis additionally actually appreciated the significance of rider consolation and thermoregulation in sport.
What makes the Aerobag airbag distinctive?
The three greatest variations between the Aerobag and former biking airbags appear to be: measurement, weight, and attachment system.
The Aerobag is way smaller than something comparable that we’ve seen but, integrating into the straps of seemingly regular bibshorts, with only a small bulge on the mid-back that appears in regards to the measurement of the smallest (possibly <1L?) hydration bladder we’ve seen. It’s claimed to have solely minimal. Apparently, Aerobag describes it as “virtually invisible whereas driving“, nevertheless it seems curiously just like the small humpback bladders some riders tried to skirt UCI guidelines to enhance their aerodynamic effectivity.
The opposite factor is it’s claimed to weigh simply 500g. That’s lower than half the lightest weight biking airbag we’ve held in our fingers, making it lighter than having a water bottle in your jersey pocket. The trick to creating it lighter actually is that, the Aerobag doesn’t want a backpack to hold it, resulting in the ultimate level.
The attachment system is only a sequence of mesh pouches built-in into the shoulder straps of current biking bib straps. Aerobag is working with a number of premium biking package makers, who will sew the mandatory attachment factors instantly into their merchandise, so that you received’t must trip Aerobag shorts. As a substitute, you’ll have the ability to trip your favourite bib shorts (and importantly, your fav chamois), only a mannequin with the mesh pockets to slide an airbag into them. The thought after all, is to not attempt to reinvent premium bib shorts.
But additionally, this retains the whole system lighter, ensures the very best breathability, and for professionals it can maintain their clothes sponsors completely happy!
What occurs whenever you crash?
Efficiency-wise, the most recent massive step in progress on the Aerobag airbag is smarter controls and sensor integration. 9 sensors monitor physique actions at 200Hz (200 x per second) to detect a possible influence. Good ‘AI-powered’ algorithms filter out common motion from actual crash indicators. And the high-power CO2 cartridge can then inflate the airbag inside 100 milliseconds as soon as it determines you might be crashing.
Instantly after the influence, the airbag itself will deflate in a brief time frame. And Aerobag assures that it’s designed to be simply folded again into place, so the not too long ago crashed rider can proceed the race in the event that they weren’t in any other case injured.
“A key enabler of Aerobag’s breakthrough is synthetic intelligence. AI permits the system to precisely acknowledge crash situations in actual time, one thing that has been refined for many years within the automotive business however solely not too long ago grew to become possible for biking resulting from advances in computing energy, algorithms, and miniaturization.“
Aerobag: Coming quickly, into your favourite bib shorts!
The primary goal marketplace for this bike owner airbag is clearly skilled street racing cyclists.
Aerobag has already labored with Nalini, clothes provider to Group Picnic PostNL to combine the primary technology of their airbag tech. Meaning Picnic PostNL will most certainly be the primary professional cyclists to trip check the Aerobag airbag in coaching, scheduled already for Q2 in 2026. If every part retains progressing in response to plan – and they’re now backed by Fundracer, making certain rather more operational capital – they might even have the ability to race in Aerobags within the 2027 season.
Relating to different clothes manufacturers, Aerobag says they’re already collaborating with “a number of different” premium biking package makers, and guarantee us that these will observe quickly.
As for real-world shopper merchandise, we’ve been informed availability is “relying on the check outcomes however probably later this yr” suggesting it’s not far off till we are able to cycle with an airbag, too. I already crash-tested a mountain bike helmet final summer time. I’m undecided if I’m able to crash-test an airbag!
Aerobag.eu
