Picnic-PostNL set for wearable airbag trial in 2026

Belgian company Aerobag has said that its system uses electronic sensors to detect a possible crash before inflating. 

“It’s all fired by an algorithm,” development manager Quinton Van Loggerenberg told Bikeradar.com. “There are XYZ sensors, inertia sensors, impact sensors, and there are magnetic fields to give you a fixed zero – the system is very clever.”

According to Aerobag, the safety system does not require extensive modifications to existing kit. Their airbag system is composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) tubes which can be sewn into bibshorts, as well as a small pouch to be carried on the rider’s back, which contains a CO₂ cartridge and the sensors.

“You get an airbag system, and then you can have your bib shorts and your jacket or whatever,” said Van Loggerenberg, who noted that Nalini had produced specially modified kit for Picnic-PostNL.

“Nalini has made these for Picnic PostNL and is the early adopter for us,” van Loggerenberg said. Nalini has committed to working with us for the coming season for more general availability to the public.” 

Aerobag developer and engineer Bart Celis explained how it is determined whether a rider is about to fall. "That's quite complex. There are several sensors inside, which detect, for example, the angle of the back or the rotational acceleration," Celis told Sporza.

"Together, these determine whether a rider falls or not. For example, the position of the back has to change significantly or there has to be a huge rotational acceleration before it triggers," said Celis. "We've remained fairly conservative with our system. A rider who simply slides on the asphalt won't trigger the system. If he then flies over the guardrail, it will."

Van Loggerenberg added that another, unnamed WorldTour team will soon join Picnic-PostNL in using the system, while cycling’s governing body has also been kept abreast of the development. 

“We are already in discussion with the UCI through a number of projects, and the UCI have been broadly supportive,” he said.

Aerobag was devised in the aftermath of Bjorg Lambrecht’s tragic death in a crash at the 2019 Tour de Pologne, though Van Loggerenberg acknowledged that the system remains an expensive one for the time being.

“We’re trying to keep it around €750 to €800,” he said. “It’s pretty expensive. There’s a lot of technology involved.”

Celis also discussed how the system will first be implemented into training rides, rather than races, right away. "Riders are training 90-95% of the time, and that's also dangerous," said Celis. "The International Cycling Union (UCI) currently doesn't have a framework for races."

"There's a chance they'll allow this in races, but that won't happen until the next phase. I think maybe starting next year, once more experience has been gained. The UCI certainly knows this is coming," said Celis.