Cruisy Evo from TimeToRide

On a recent jaunt to London for a meeting, which meant blasting down the very dull M40, I had the opportunity to try out what may prove to be the simplist, most handy gadget I’ve had in a very long time; the ‘Cruisy Evo’ cruise controller.

Manufactured in Germany, the quality of the robust plastic item isn’t in doubt, but it’s the design that is of real interest. It fits in seconds without any tools – so can easily live in your pocket when you don’t want it – and is so much easier to use than many a bike manufacturer’s inbuilt electronic component. You simply push it around with your fore finger so that it rests against the brake lever, and the friction it exerts on the throttle twist grip holds the throttle at whatever position you’ve set it. It’s as easy to flick back the other way when you don’t want it, but this happens anyway as soon as you choose to reduce the throttle position.

Given that the Versys I was riding was fitted with wraparound heated grips, my hold on the ‘bars wasn’t as comfortable as I’d have liked, so it was great to be able to rest my right hand. What I found however, was that my digital speedo illustrated a reduction of speed of almost 1 mph every mile or so, demonstrating the grip it exerts on the throttle is minimal. If you ride a Moto Guzzi or something else with very strong springs controlling throttle closure it may not therefore work very well, but it would still let you stretch/ relax your hand occasionally.

But what really shines is the design simplicity, light weight and lack of bulk. Perhaps it’s not surprising therefore that this little mechanical marvel is the work of TimeToRide, a couple who’ve spent more than enough years riding around the world on every terrain imaginable and occasionally over huge distances in one sitting. This is a design born on the road and it really shows. At £17.90 it’s worth it and I just can’t think of any way that it could fail to function or leave you stranded. It’s aways the simple things!
For further info see Timetoride.de

Paddy Tyson