Car news! Pedi-Scope is a heads-down display for cyclists

Pedi-Scope is a heads-down display for cyclists
As many bike riders will know, sustained cycling can end up being a pain in the neck – literally. Tilting your head down toward the ground can provide temporary relief from that pain, but then you're not able to see where you're going ... unless you're using a Pedi-Scope, that is.

Designed by Brooklyn native Mike Lane, the device is basically a handlebar-mounted periscope for your bike. The idea is that when cyclists start getting that back-of-the-neck discomfort, they can relieve the strain by looking down into the Pedi-Scope for a short time – it shows them a view of the road ahead, via an internal prism.

The prototype actually uses three prisms side-by-side, hence the vertical dividing lines in its image. Plans call for a single wide prism to be used in the commercial version, however.

Lane is suggesting that the Pedi-Scope could be utilized both in the city and on long-distance road rides, although using that thing in a busy urban environment seems a little ... iffy. For highway riding where things like suddenly-opening car doors, jaywalkers and traffic lights aren't an issue, though, it could have its merits.

Mike is currently raising production funds for the device, on Kickstarter. A pledge of US$39 will get you one, when and if they're ready to go.