Ground Truth is a device that clips onto a Citi Bike and changes pedal resistance in real time, based on hyperlocal rent burden data for wherever you’re riding.
- Location-based resistance: A GPS module tracks the bike’s position and adjusts pedal tension block by block, based on local rent burden data.
- Real census data: Resistance levels come from American Community Survey figures on rent burden, so each ride reflects actual local housing costs.
- Tool-free mount: A 3D-printed housing, shaped from a scan of the bike’s front fork, hooks on by hand in seconds.
- Rider stays in control: The bike’s own brake levers always override the servo, so the resistance stays smooth and never stops the bike.
- No internet connection: All data is stored locally on an SD card, and the device never saves or transmits your location.
Ground Truth makes rent burden something you feel with every pedal stroke. Explore the project and its interactive map online.