By David Ponce
This is just brilliant. If you’ve ever been camping, or attended a outdoor show, you probably know that bringing your bike (whether motorized or not) along with you can have its own set of problems. Namely, there’s no convenient way to secure it, especially if there are no trees around. Well, UK creative designer John Wrightson is developing the In-Lock, a device that would allow you to secure pretty much anything, anywhere there’s a little earth.
The In-Lock consists of a large screw with an attached hole, or loop. You’re also given a turning bar, which gives you the leverage necessary to drive the screw deep into the ground. Once screwed in place, you can secure your bike by running a chain or lock through the hole. Since there’s a chain running through it, it’s impossible for would-be thieves to unscrew the device, due to a pesky obstacle named “physics”.
There’s no word on how close this is to hitting the market, though here’s hoping that it does sometime soon.
[The In-Lock via The CoolHunter]
[Update: Many of you pointed out the various flaws in the design, and we do agree that used as is, the In-Lock… could sort of suck. But a smart reader over at Boingboing suggested a solution: “Have two of those suckers. Screw them into the ground 2 feet apart, with the open eyes facing each other. Run a 3-foot long eyebolt through both eyes; padlock the eyebolt to one of the eyes so that the bolt is now locked through both anchors and can’t be removed. Lock bikes anywhere along the eyebolt between the anchors. With the eyebolt through both anchors, neither one will turn.” So, how’s that? -Ed.]
Useless. Just use a spade to dig up the screw and the bike is gone.
Are you kidding me? Use a shovel or just spin the bike on it’s back wheel. bikes aren’t 400 lbs. They’re more like 30 lbs. The chain would actually help you unscrew the stake. This is simply asinine.
I’m surprised that they bothered to publish this article.Do you realise how stupid the editors of this page look right now?
As the first commenter said, anything designed for use “in soft ground” is easily removed. with a shovel. This is an idiotic design. “Oh, you can’t spin it by hand, though.” But I can bring a screwdriver…
Back to the drawing board. If the idea was “set these in a concrete block, to provide a locking point”, perhaps that would work.
I usually don’t have problems finding a tree or bench. Besides, can you imagine what would happen if everyone started using these things at outdoor events? The areas would get torn up.
Screw all that effort. Just cut the chain…
If someone wants to steal something and there’s enough time the will…
I think a lot of commenters have missed the point, namely “The aim of ‘In-Lock’ is to deter any opportunist thief”.
If your bike is harder to steal than the next one, there’s a fighting chance that it will still be there when you get back to your tent.
I’d agree – any bike thief with a spade could probably have this out of the ground in less than five minutes, but equally any bike thief with a pair of bolt cutters could have most of the bikes chained up in my town centre.
The added comment about using 2 is a bit ridiculous. Now I have to carry 2 of the In Lock Kits, plus a 3 foot long eye bolt, which probably isn’t that easy to find, as well as a padlock. That’s a bit much.
I say, steal the bike when the guy is busy skrewing the ground.