Specialized's New Helmets Can Text For Help After a Crash
That small rectangular sensor contains a gyro and an accelerometer that work together to detect a crash.
If a mountain biker falls in the woods, do they make a sound? It depends, but if that mountain biker was wearing a helmet with Specialized's new ANGi technology, a crash would automatically notify their emergency contacts via text, and send out their GPS coordinates.
ANGi stands for Angular and G-force indicator, and it's a tiny device that will be a standard feature on many of Specialized's 2019 helmets, and available as an upgrade on others. The small waterproof and dustproof unit contains a gyroscope and an accelerometer, which allows it to detect direct blows to the head, along with potentially dangerous rotational head movements that can occur without the helmet being hit.
If any of this sounds familiar, it's likely because early versions were created under the name ICEdot. Specialized acquired ICEdot in 2017, and brought aboard Chris Zenthoefer, the company's founder, to develop ANGi and the new Specialized Ride App.
One of the goals behind the new technology was to integrate it as seamlessly as possible. Chris Zenthoefer likened it to an airbag in a car – you typically don't think about it at all, but when it does its job you're thankful for its existence.
With ANGi, lifting up the helmet is all that's required to activate it. The next step is to open the Specialized Ride App, make sure the phone and helmet are paired via Bluetooth, and then tap a button on the screen to start a ride. That's all there is to it.
If a crash occurs, a countdown timer will pop up on your phone and an alarm will sound. The amount of time before contacts are notified can be set between 15 and 90 seconds, with 30 seconds as the default setting. If that countdown isn't canceled a text message will go out to notify the emergency contacts stored in the Ride App that there was a potential accident, along with the rider's GPS coordinates.
With ANGi, lifting up the helmet is all that's required to activate it. The next step is to open the Specialized Ride App, make sure the phone and helmet are paired via Bluetooth, and then tap a button on the screen to start a ride. That's all there is to it.
If a crash occurs, a countdown timer will pop up on your phone and an alarm will sound. The amount of time before contacts are notified can be set between 15 and 90 seconds, with 30 seconds as the default setting. If that countdown isn't canceled a text message will go out to notify the emergency contacts stored in the Ride App that there was a potential accident, along with the rider's GPS coordinates.
Specialized's Ride App is required to pair with the ANGi sensor.
What if you crash in an area without cell service? That scenario is even more likely for mountain bikers, but as long as you have an active data signal at the start of the ride you can enter an expected ride duration into the app. If for some reason you don't finish within that timeframe, a text will be sent to your contacts that includes your last known location.
There's no fee to use the ANGi feature - all that's required is a free download of the app. The ANGi sensor is powered by a CR2032 battery, with a claimed run time of 6 months.
MIPS SL was designed to be as light and comfortable as possible while still functioning in the same manner as the original MIPS liner.
More MIPS
ANGi isn't the only new safety feature available on Specialized's helmets. MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) will now be available throughout the lineup, including a version called MIPS SL that was developed specifically for Specialized.
MIPS, which uses a low friction layer to allow the helmet to move 10-15mm in any direction in order to reduce the amount of rotational force that reaches the brain during a crash, isn't exactly new, but Specialized say they were waiting until enough third-party testing had been done to validate the effectiveness of the technology before implementing it.
Helmets equipped with ANGi sensors are available now, including the Ambush and Dissident mountain bike helmets. In addition, all other 2019 Specialized helmets have a mounting point for attaching an aftermarket ANGi sensor, which sells for $50 USD.
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Autopsy reveals, it was a stick.
site.icedot.org/site/?fbclid=IwAR3mGuJeU6QVsIPpZCcPmaQiQ6SqqIE5xtQ5j9fgnT-FI0zfudJf5ZdAmjM
It only works where if your phone has reception...
Stick a receiver to your head... no cancer concerns at all...
Anyway I recommend any kind of incident detecting device, it helped me when a close family member went otb on a solo ride
If you purchase the one that has the sensor impact and auto notification on it... it's essentially the same tech as this. Least that's my understanding.
I still write for some magazines, but for obvious reasons, I don't do anything related to gear anymore. I just scribble out tone poems about chain wear and bottom brackets. Same ol', same ol', really.
Found a decent Free alternative (for Android), a GPS App for Android like Oruxmaps using "SOS message": if no GPS movement detected within a specified interval (ex:15min) it automatically sends a SMS to designated emergency contacts with coordinates and a Google lin. There's a 30sec countdown where phone plays notification sounds if you want to cancel it.
15 works beat for me, lower would trigger it too many times
This is actually something I think should be made to work in Trailforks app.
Although I ride with my dog, he's not great at using a smart phone.
I probably will buy one of these, as long as I can get an ok fit
at least cats would take longer...
aside: I ride solo mid-week with a dog, but I will take a pass on this device. I might turn on location services and share it with my SO when riding.
A better idea:
If you go riding solo. Text someone when you are riding and when you expect to b home.
There are plenty of zones I ride in that cell phones don't work.
Helmets a good idea but if your not in cell coverage it will make the rescue go much smoother if you let someone know where you are riding .
My text would read: I'm going to ..... trails ..... mountain. 11:00 am
If I don't text you before 7:00 pm . Rider down.
Also the hiking trails close to me have a kiosk at the trail head.
With a box and paper and pen.
If hiking solo it's mandatory to write where you are hiking and when your expecting to be back.
I pith my faith in friends and family.
And search and rescue. They are very busy on the North Shore all the time.
God bless those volunteers they have saved hundreds of lives.
BTW if I do a solo trip in the back woods I have a survival kit.
People die from hypothermia not thier injuries.
I probably don't have a tracker that is sat linked that can send a distress call because of cost.
Trail runners use these they are great . And expensive.
So the best excuse why I don't use one .
I'm more of a Dirt bag than a dentist. I'm cheap.
If the pointer stops moving and there is no pub at that location, then she knows there's a problem
The ANGi sensor is a very good thing for our security while riding alone but I think it's too expensive to be used by everyone...
That cost increase is not a result of ANGi, but rather the addition of MIPS, which is now an option on every Specialized helmet. A cost increase of 20 or so bucks is typical, across helmet brands, when they add MIPS to existing helmet models.
At this point, ANGi comes attached to Ambush, Ambush Comp and Dissident mountain helmets, right out of the box. The ANGi sensor is also stock on some of our road models, like S-Works Prevail II, Evade II and Propero. In the near future we'll have a grom-sized, ANGi-equipped Shuffle helmet.
The $50 quoted in the article is for riders who choose to buy an aftermarket ANGi sensor.
You can attach that $50 aftermarket sensor to the helmets we sell that have attachment points designed for the ANGi device, but which aren't equipped, right out of the box, with the sensor. We're calling those lids ANGi-ready helmets, as opposed to ANGi-equipped helmets.
Whether you buy a helmet with the ANGi sensor already installed or you simply buy the sensor, the first year subscription to the Ride premium app is free.
After that first year of use, the subscription to the app is, indeed, $29.99
It would be cool to see some kind of compatibility with Spot X or Garmin inReach devices too, so the sensor could send the alert even without cell service.
After it's done this 10-12 times(and you've subsequently notified the wife of the errors), you will ride off a cliff on accident, it will text the wife, she will ignore it as usual, and you will die of exposure/sun stroke/a bear/wolf/cougar eating you/ a closed-head injury.
*Rides to top of Credit Line*
*Sets estimated ride time to 3:22*
*Drops in for Hot Lap*
I for one find this super interesting and may just go ahead and pull the trigger. I ride aggressive shit solo all the time and rarely even remember to let friends/family know where I am in case they don't hear from me.
Another example: riding solo on a lonely fire trail the other evening and hit a kangaroo at speed. Held control, nothing hurt or damaged, but there are a hundred ways that scenario could have played out with me ending up broken and/or unconscious.
Whats the N stand for? Angular n' G-force indicator?
2: Having a transmitter attached to your head increases the chances of tumor.
Anything else?
2) it doesnt transmit unless you crash
3) next question?
2: then toss out your cell phone. taking a 5 min call is probably worse than wearing this all day long as your cell phone transmitter is probably a 1000x more powerful. not to mention you walk around with a cell in your pocket all day but that doesn't worry you?
anything else?
2: It has been proven that transmitters provoke cancer... it is always receiving/transmitting. The phone is not near your head for hours and hours... Google glasses were put in the back burner for this exact reason – besides nobody wanted them.
Another half backed product for the fools out there.