With all of the advances that have been happening in technology across the world, it’s no surprise that we are now seeing self driving transportation vehicles. Google is coming out with a self driving car that they hope to be a major player in the automobile market in the coming decade. However, there are some companies that do not have such a lofty goal, but are still trying to change the way that we think about transportation.  The self driving bicycle is one such innovation that is sweeping both the technology and the bicycling world by storm. The only question is…is it really going to change the world?

The Case for a Self Driving Bike

Like most technology geeks, we are absolutely obsessed with the progression of technology and how it is going to melt into the future for us. We want to see exactly how technology is going to blend with our daily lives to create more seamless and efficient ways to work. The self driving bicycle seems like a natural evolution on the classic bicycle, one that will propel it to the next generation instead of leaving it to rot as cars and other mass transit options outpace the lowly bicycle.

There are a few companies out there that are putting together a high quality self driving by, but right now it is far too expensive for any consumer to purchase. This is exactly how the technology curve works. New technologies are prohibitively expensive, but very flashy. They cause great buzz in the industry and garner a lot of media attention. As they become more affordable, people start to test drive them for themselves, including middle-class families. If the technology can break this barrier, it ends up being a major success. If we see self driving bicycles being purchased by families of average income, we will know that the tipping point has been reached. Until then, take a look at why this may not be a good idea.

The Case against the Self Driving Bicycle

While we are far from being Luddites, we do have a few concerns about this technology. The first technologies question that we always ask is, “Is this really a necessary innovation?” In our opinion, with self driving bicycles, the answer is no. If Google can master the self driving car, then we simply did not have a need for a self driving bicycle. There are a couple of things to consider. The first is the environmental impact of these bikes, and the second is the fact that we are eliminating yet another way for humans to get exercise. If we keep finding ways to creatively make us lazier, we might find ourselves facing even more serious health problems than we currently do.

The simple solution is to get back to our roots and stick with bicycles that are classic. For example, cruiser bikes are a staple of the bicycle industry and are sure to never go out of style. In fact, they are at the lower end of the bicycle spectrum, so you can find cheap cruiser bikes almost anywhere you look. They are stylish, work well, and our user-friendly, meaning that almost anyone who buys one will be able to use it within just a few hours.

The world is always increasing in complexity, and technology is the driving force behind this fact. However, just because we CAN do something, does not mean we SHOULD. In the case of the self driving bicycle, it is our strong belief that it is an unnecessary innovation, one that is just done or show and not for substance.

The self driving car has actual possibility to change the way that we travel, but for now we’ll leave it just that: the car. We’ll stick to the classic cruiser bike or road bike model and forgo the fancy technological innovations that is self driving bicycle would have on our society. What can we say, were just a little bit old-fashioned that way.

The article Self Driving Bikes: Are They What They’re Cracked Up To Be? is written by Sonia Meehan for CruiserBikes, the number one online shop for the awesome Scwinn and top-notch Micargi beach cruisers.