Bike theft is a major problem in cities. After all, bikes are by their very nature, light and easy to transport, and not enough people can be bothered to lug about the sort of heavy-duty locks required to prevent theft. A study published earlier this year showed that half of cyclists surveyed in Montreal have had their bike stolen; only 2.4 per cent of stolen bikes were recovered.
Fed up with having their own bikes stolen, a trio of Chilean engineering students have designed a bike they claim is unstealable. The saddle and the bar it’s attached to doubles as a kind of D-lock, which slots conveniently into the bike frame and the pedal mechanism. In breaking the lock, a thief would be breaking the bike: so while they could still, technically, steal it, there wouldn’t be much point.
Here’s a video showing the prototype in action:
The trio told Esquire that they’re raising money to put a few of the bikes up for sale in “six to eight months, tops”. Unfortunately, bike thieves like to walk off with wheels, too, and the locking system doesn’t incorporate these: you could just be left with one very secure bike frame.
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