This Smart Wheel Makes Cycling in the City a Breeze

As city planners and green-energy experts endeavor to find new ways to make our commutes more environmentally friendly, the popularity of bicycle-sharing has exploded in some of the world's biggest cities. Now a new device promises to make riding around the city even more convenient by adding a smart wheel to your bicycle.

See also: Use These 10 Apps During Downtime

The FlyKly Smart Wheel is a circular device that provides an electric-powered pedal assist after you attach it to the back wheel of your bicycle. Once you start peddling, the motor in the FlyKly starts up, and begins making the ride easier by delivering a boost, depending on your speed. Check out the video, above, to see it in action.

To operate the FlyKly, you simply set a top speed on the device's app, which is compatible with iOS and Android devices, as well as the Pebble smart watch. The app and device combination also acts as a GPS tracker for your bike in the event it gets stolen.

With the ability to travel up to 20 miles per hour for up to 30 miles, the FlyKly is powered by a lithium battery that can be fully recharged via any common electrical outlet in just two to three hours. In addition to its quick recharge functions, the lightweight device gets a charge when you ride downhill.

Years ago, some of us thought the Segway might be the game-changing vehicle that would transform the way cities are built. But it turns out that just a small tweak to an existing invention may be all the transportation innovation we need.

FlyKly launched a Kickstarter campaign, and is already nearly halfway to its $100,000 goal. Early adopters can snag the device for $550, and should expect it to arrive some time in May 2014.

BONUS: 10 Android Apps for Health & Fitness

1. 

   Backpacker GPS Trails

   Time to get outside, O nerdy one! Backpacker GPS Trails can help you find and explore awesome trails that will improve your health, broaden your horizons, and give you something cool to do with that 8MP camera of yours.

2. 

   Nike BOOM

   If music is your ideal motivator, try Nike BOOM. This app syncs your music to your workouts and throws in some audio-visual motivation from pro coaches and athletes along the way. You got this!

3. 

   Instant Heart Rate Pro

   For tracking just how much fat your body is burning, we suggest an app like Instant Heart Rate. It shows your heart rate measurements, a real-time PPG graph and your heart-rate history.

4. 

   BMI Calculator

   This free BMI Calculator will give you key information for setting or optimizing your fitness goals. And it should work for all but the most muscular of bodies.

5. 

   Pocket Yoga

   If your day could use some deep breathing and flexibility, try Pocket Yoga, which packs 145 poses in the palm of your hand. You can choose from three different practices, difficulty levels and durations for a total of 27 sessions. Namaste!

6. 

   CrossFit Travel

   If you're anything like us, you spend some time on the road for work and/or pleasure. Time on the road, however, means time for you to forget about your workout. CrossFit Travel comes to the rescue with an impressive list of exercises that can be done in a hotel room or other small space.

7. 

   Squats

   This one's for the ladies, and the name says it all. If toning your backside is tantamount to holiness, you'll want to check out Squats. The app will help you reach your goals of a hundred or more squats in a row, and the enviable posterior that comes with such an accomplishment.

8. 

   Calorie Counter

   MyFitnessPal offers this Calorie Counter for keeping track of your nutrition -- an important part of any health regime. This groovy app also comes with a barcode scanner, so you can easily find out exactly what nutrients and no-nos are hiding in pre-packaged foods.

9. 

   JEFIT Pro

   Here's a bodybuilding app for the muscle-bound. JEFIT Pro is a highly-rated app to help you track your progress, time your workouts, and beat your own records, all without the hassle of pen or paper.

10. 

    SpecTrek

    Fitness should be fun, and SpecTrek is the app that proves it. This AR game gets you out and moving around in the real world, hunting "ghosts" using your camera, GPS, and your own quickly-moving feet.

Image: FlyKly