As a speed bike of the 21st century (and the first ever smart aero road bike), it’s no surprise that the brand new SpeedX Leopard has blown past its Kickstarter funding goal. After all, the computer behind the bike (the SpeedForce) raised nearly half a million dollars last year on Indiegogo. And now this technology has been integrated into a sleek, carbon fiber road bike that is as much built for speed and aesthetics as it is for smart cycling. You can’t really blame the Kickstarter community for getting the SpeedX Leopard 980 percent funded in just 48 hours. That’s right, as of press time, this bike has raised over $735,000 of its $50,000 goal from 405 backers, and it’s still got 26 days to go.
So what’s making everyone go gaga over this bike? As its Kickstarter campaign notes, the Leopard is “the only smart aero road bike with the ability to help you train and track your progress in real time.” Promising to give riders the ultimate road experience, the bike is every bit as impressive as the computer that catalyzed its creation. With a T1000 military-grade carbon fiber frame, it weighs just around 2.65 pounds, and loops braking and technical wiring into the frame to reduce drag.
Then of course, there’s the software component of the Leopard — a 2.4-inch screen mounted on the handlebars that measures your performance based on 12 points, including lap time, cadence, heart rate, speed, power, and altitude. And don’t worry about your computer running out of battery — SpeedX says that the technology will be powered up for 497 miles (or 40 hours) before you’ll need to plug it in (charging takes 30 minutes). Ultimately, the Leopard team notes, this bike has a brain, “taking care of everything except the cycling.” And thanks to the XCoach feature, you’ll be able to train as though you have a professional coach by your side, no matter if you’re preparing for a Sunday spin with your (competitive) friends, or the next big race.
For the Kickstarter price of just under $1,300 (though these are going fast), you’ll get a customized Leopard bike — just upload a photo of yourself and let the Smart Bike Fitting System automatically select the most suitable model, frame, handle bars, and stem. So confident are the makers in their bike that they’ve offered a lifetime replacement warranty for the bikeframe, and a seven-day no questions asked return policy.
With other aero bikes costing at least $6,000, whether you’re an avid cyclist or just looking to get into the sport, the Leopard looks to be a pretty impressive value.
