Emperor Norton 1869 on board a boneshaker bicycle around the time of San Francisco's Grand Velocipede Tournament
(Photography, like the bike, was similarly rare to see in that time period. Pneumatic tires, smooth roads and enjoyment were apparently not top priority.)
In the world of modern cycling, advancements in technology come in fits and starts. Apart from what some consider an unhealthy fascination with tight spandex, not a lot seems to have changed in clothing. It's high time we do so, at least on the visibility front.
There are patents that doubtless go back quite a ways to rudimentary but impractical designs, and some more modern ones that directly address electronics in clothing. But frankly, small enough devices either embedded in/on fabric, or more ideally part of the fabric itself, should have made its way to the market by now.
In terms of clothing, the BBC (fabric as battery storage for phones, etc.) and Mashable (7 imaginative but disappointingly vague concepts in clothing to, once again, charge your phone) had articles back in 2012.
When is that solar-powered bra expected to be out in the sun?
(And, more intriguing, if this is all you're wearing,
exactly what electronic device are you powering?)
June 2015
This isn't a new idea, so much as a practical application and plea to get it done. Maybe they think cyclists would be too shy to wear anything gaudy....
If Mickey can blink when a kid moves, why can't I?
After all, toddlers have been running around with LED flashing shoes such as these for a long time.
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