Flitedeck’s – The $100,000/£85,000 future of bike data on your handlebars?

The world of cycling tech never fails to surprise.

This week’s crowdfunded innovation is the Flitedeck from Flite—a fully integrated digital cockpit for your bike. Combining a built-in display, lights, and even a digital bell a la Edge 1050.
At around $3000, this high-end handlebar aims to redefine how you interact with cycling data. Is it really the future (A: No), or just another costly experiment in cycling tech excess? (A: Maybe not)

If you’re already sold on the idea, there is a lifetime upgrade option for GBP85k

What is Flitedeck?

The Flitedeck is an all-in-one cockpit designed to replace traditional cycling computers. Instead of mounting a separate head unit, the display is seamlessly integrated into the handlebar itself, creating an aero-friendly aesthetic that echoes the dashboard of a high-end car.

Like it or loathe it, this is a bold attempt at rethinking cockpit design.

The Price Tag: A Hard Sell

At £1,361 for the base model or £85k for the lifetime option, Flitedeck is undeniably premium-focused. Customisation is also offered – for a price. Carbon finishes, unique colour schemes, and personalised lettering are all possible but don’t get too carried away before you spend more than the price of a half-decent bike.

Last night, I explained to my partner that my 4iiii dual-sided Dura-Ace crankset power meter costs over GBP1,000 and really was worth the same price as a bike that would be good enough for most people. Expensive bits of kit are not new in cycling. But who would ditch their tried and tested Wahoo, Garmin or Hammerhead?

How Does It Work?

It’s a chopped-up iPad squeezed into carbon fibre handlebars with various sensors for connectivity and safety. And lights. And a bell.

Who is Flitedeck For?

The fact that it’s an all-in-one, aero solution probably won’t appeal to any performance cyclist anywhere, anytime soon.

The lucky buyers will all share one thing in common and lack another. They all will have money, but perhaps not so much common sense.

It does look quite nice, though.

Anecdote: My training buddy and I each sold old TT bikes some years ago. In both cases, the buyers wanted a fast bike to ride around London (yep!). Each had £1,000 and little common sense or understanding of gear changing in traffic or what makes a cyclist fast. Perhaps their rich uncles could be up for a  Flitedeck or two?

Technical Specifications

Specs and features are a bit thin on the ground but the company does supply this info to tempt you.

Technical Data

Connectivity Features

Technical Details

Pros and Cons

On paper, here are some pros and cons. I haven’t ridden with one.

Pros:

• • Seamless integration for a clutter-free cockpit
  • High-end aesthetics and premium materials
  • Built-in lights and bell for added safety
  • Reduces the need for multiple accessories

Cons:

• • Extremely high price point
  • Lack of modularity; not transferable between bikes
  • Potential software limitations or update concerns

Q: Is This the Future of Cycling Cockpits?

A: No

The original Wahoo bolt had fabled aero gains of a third of a watt (or whatever it was) and this generic concept could well offer even the best of cyclists a minimal advantage of a saved watt by removing a head unit. I suspect not, though; the rest of the handlebar design probably loses a bit of weight and gains that watt back somewhere else. And I further suspect most self-respecting performance cyclists (you, dear reader) won’t buy this.

But we are all different. And I reckon there must be some poor, unsuspecting soul somewhere out there who might go for this only to find its software unsupported a year or so later.

I will now lose what little credibility I have left by saying I quite like the look of it, tho! Decent display tech could create an aesthetically pleasing end result, and even the rendered design appears to have the various screen elements nicely laid out and very readable. If any of you are like me and like the Hammerhead Karoo, surely there is a grain of something deep within you that would like this?

Perhaps something like this would work better in a high-end e-bike? IDK who buys those, but when we performance cyclists get older, e-bikes might become attractive watt-replacers. By then, we might have lost a few grey cells and have a few bucks to spare. A frivolous Tron-like e-bike to remind us of the Zwift era when we were young?

Flitedeck’s concept is undeniably forward-thinking, but there are major hurdles. A high price, lack of modularity, and potential limitations in software updates could deter riders accustomed to more flexible, upgradeable options. However, for those seeking a minimalist aesthetic with integrated functionality, it might just be the cockpit of the future.

Pre-orders are open now, with discounts available until March. Go on. You know you want to.

More: Flite