World's first unstealable bike designed by Chilean students
06 Aug 2015
A pioneering design to lock a cycle, making it the world's first 'unstealable bike', breaks the bicycle frame if anyone tries to steal it.
The bike is the brainchild of three young students, Cristóbal Cabello, 22, Andrés Roi Eggers, 23, and Juan José Monsalve, 24, who dropped out of university to design the unique bicycle after they got fed up of their bikes getting stolen.
The bike deters thieves by transforming itself into a self-lock cycle.
Part of the frame splits in half and can be clicked into the seat shaft - which can be pulled out by the owner.
On being clipped around an immovable object, like a lamppost, thieves are hard put to find a way to unlock the bike.
According to the inventors, it took only 10 seconds to assemble the lock, the New York Post reported.
The inventors who have named their venture Yerka, say on their website, "Introducing a bicycle locking system designed to keep you feeling safe. We went back to the roots of security and made a paradigm shift: Make a lock out of the bike.
"Now a thief would have to cut through the main structure to take the bicycle, defeating the purpose.
The government handed the trio a £64,000 grant to develop the bike. They sold their first unit via crowdfunding website Indiegogo.
The designers are now working on an app that would allow users to open up their bike using the smartphone.
The creators said the frame is dismantled and reconnected to make it lock onto a railing, tree or lamp post in only 10 seconds.
The design was first announced in November, though, last week, the team said it had booked its first order to produce 300 Yerka bikes.
"The three of us have always been bike enthusiasts since kids, we love to use them as transportation or as a simple way to have fun," Juan José Monsalve told Fox News.