Bicycle theft, common in France, discourages some from getting one or using it to get to potentially sensitive places.
For more security, a start-up is currently developing an anti-theft system inspired by the immobilizer of cars, with a remote control.
Bike thefts are commonplace, all cyclists know it. Half of them sometimes give up using their bicycle for fear that it will disappear. To reassure them, a start-up has put at least one anti-theft system that blocks the pedal unit as long as its remote control is not nearby, explains Anicet Mbida, Innovation specialist in Europe 1 on Tuesday.
Nearly 50% of French cyclists regularly give up using their bike for fear of being stolen.
For more security, a new generation of locks is emerging, inspired by the immobilizer mechanism of cars.
Today, it is impossible to start most new vehicles if you do not have the key with you.
The startup PentaLock is currently developing a similar remote control for bicycles.
First models marketed in September
As soon as you move away from it a few steps, the crankset will automatically lock and the bike will be immobilized.
And if a thief shakes it or tries to pick it up, a motion detector will sound the alarm.
The system will not be sold independently but installed directly at the factory.
The only way to remove it would therefore be to break the crankset and make the bike unusable.
For added security, the system will only be sold to bicycle manufacturers and will therefore only be available on their next models, identifiable by a bright yellow circle around the crankset.
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The first models of its kind should be marketed in early September, but it is not yet known from which manufacturer. A practical alternative to the U or the chain, very heavy and bulky. Especially since even high-end models can be cut with a grinder or hooked by experts.