5 weird bikes locks to stop thieves in their tracks
Obnoxious to clever, borderline dangerous to high-tech, here are creative solutions to prevent bike theft
Unfortunately, it’s a real possibility—especially in cities—that an unattended bike will get stolen forcing commuters to invest in a sturdy bike lock. Luckily, there are a host of good options to choose from but some companies are developing locks that deter stealing in other ways than simply providing solid construction and materials. Whether consumers will widely adopt these five bikes locks is yet to be seen but they provide weird, unusual and creative ways to deter bike thieves looking for a vulnerable target.
SkunkLock
Touted by the company to be, “the bike lock that will make thieves vomit when they try to steal your bike” the SkunkLock is built with a chemical compound that is designed to be released when the lock is compromised. The idea behind filing a lock with a nasty smelling compound is the deter thieves who are trying to cut the lock with a grinder or in some other way compromise it. The lock looks like just about any other u-lock on the market and uses a key except it packs an allegedly nasty punch.
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Latis Ellipse
The Ellipse is a so-called smart lock because it can be operated without a key. Equipped with a solar panel, this lock can be operated with a smartphone and if your phone dies you can unlock it with a touchpad. Equipped with accelerometers, the lock is designed to alert you if it’s being tampered with or your friends and family if it detects you have been in a collision.
Bike Mine
The Bike Mine isn’t as much as a alarm. Attached with velcro onto the frame, the Bike Mine is designed to explode in the face of a thief stopping them in their tracks and alerting people in the surrounding area. Concealed, this lock uses a saluting cartridge like those typically used for military ceremonies, that is denotated upon detecting movement. The 150-decibel explosion should make most thieves panic and flee. Unfortunately for the inventor and fortunately for thieves, this invention doesn’t seem to be gaining traction.
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Linka Smart Bike Lock
This smart lock has an auto-unlocking feature that will recognize you when you approach your bike. The lock has a built-in siren, tamper alerts to your mobile phone and the accompanying app has a heat map so you can determine if you are leaving your bike in a high theft area. The bike is directly mounted to the seat stays though it appears it would be difficult to actually lock your ride directly to a bike rack.
Lock Alarm
The lock alarm is an obnoxious way to keep thieves away. The allegedly ear piercing sound it emits when tampered with means that people in  the surrounding area will be immediately alerted to the theft. There is no doubt noise is a good deterrent to crime.
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For the time being, we feel pretty happy with the Kryptonite Mini+ Messenger we have been testing out. A strong and sturdy bike lock has always been deterrent enough to keep our commuter bikes well secured and doesn’t come with the risk of being skunk.
