With more people cycling to work, bike safety equipment – from fibre optic lights to high visibility jackets – are flooding the market. But what if the bike itself was designed to keep cyclists safe? That's the thinking behind the digitally connected Venhawks Valour smart bike.

Since Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France and star coach David Brailsford helped the GB cycling team win several Olympic golds, cycling has hit the mainstream. More than two million people cycle at least once a week in the UK.

Whether its a hipster on their fixie, a banker on their Brompton or MAMIL (middle-aged man in lycra) on their road bike, city streets and country lanes in the UK are packed with cyclists. Around two million Brits now cycle at least once a week. What is making travelling by two wheels so popular?

The desire to own and drive your own car used to be a life-defining characteristic for young Brits – but its importance is fading. And it’s the same case in other countries too, from the US and Germany to Japan and Australia. But why? And how is the car industry responding?