We recently completed another field test of the HeadzUp platform, and this one pushed the limits. Not a parking lot, not a bench: a full riding day at Iron Mountain Resort, on the terrain the product is actually for.
We did not test a demo. We tested reality.
- Six hours of riding at Iron Mountain Resort: head-on approaches, stopped riders and blocked sightlines.
- Every approach raised a vehicle proximity alert on both phones — zero misses across the test.
- The team settled around 650 ft of warning on this terrain; the shipping default is 600 ft, adjustable 150–1,000 ft.
- The point isn't reacting faster — it's knowing sooner.
What we tested
- Head-on approach scenarios with zero line of sight
- Riders stopped unexpectedly on the trail
- Same-direction traffic with obstructed visibility
- Terrain blocking all visual awareness of nearby vehicles
Across six hours of that, every approach raised an alert. Zero misses.
Dialling in the alert distance
The number that matters is not "how far can the radio reach" — it is "how much warning does a rider actually get". Too short and the alert arrives at the same time as the other machine. Too long and it fires all day for vehicles two ridges over, which is its own kind of failure: an alarm nobody believes is an alarm nobody hears.
On this terrain, we settled around 650 feet. The result: riders had ample time to slow down, adjust and stay in control. In the shipping app the default sits at 600 feet, and any rider can move it between 150 and 1000 — and when two machines are closing fast, the warning comes sooner than the number, because a fixed radius at speed arrives too late to be useful.
Knowing sooner changes everything
It is not about reacting faster — it is about knowing sooner.
That distinction is the whole product. HeadzUp does not make anybody a better rider and it does not make a decision for them. It moves the moment you find out about the other machine earlier in the sequence, and then it gets out of the way.
Thank you
Our thanks to Iron Mountain Resort and to Tim Bolden for the trails, the time and the honest feedback. Testing at a working park with real riders is the only way this gets better.
A few more questions
Does the alert distance change with vehicle speed?
Yes — when two vehicles are closing fast, HeadzUp raises the alert sooner than the fixed ring, so the warning still arrives with time to react.
Can I set my own alert distance?
Yes, from 150 to 1,000 feet in Settings → Minimum Alert Distance. The shipping default is 600 feet. See the plans to get started.