In-Lock: Bike Parking When There is None
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.10.06
Not sure how well this would work in the real world, but we do like the thought process. The In-Lock is designed to create secure storage for your bike when camping, or anytime you run out of street signs and lamp posts to chain your trusted steed to. Twist the corkscrew into the ground (using the provide bar), slip a chain through the eye. (see 'how-to' image after the fold) The blades of the corkscrew are wide enough to resist pulling up through soil. There are numerous ways the lock could be thwarted by determined thieves, but against the casual, light-fingered person it would have some useful deterrent value. Regardless of actual effectiveness, we applaud any move to make cycling a more positive experience. In-Lock concept by John Wrightson, via Cool Hunter.
I like the concept. I often see bikes locked up to trees and the pedals and other parts of ten scratch up and damage the bark. This would help avoid that damage. I an not sure about hauling it around with me...
It's a neat idea, but very old. Have a google/froogle for "screw ground anchor" and you'll find versions of this without the plastic coating and nice case very cheaply, designed to be used for securing everything from dogs to trampolines.
It looks like it would be difficult to attach both the tire and frame to the lock. If you have quick release tires, it would only take a few seconds before all that was left on that lock was your tire.
I'm gonna have to say, this is one of the more stupid ideas I've seen.
If you're putting a chain + lock around the wheel, that will prevent oportunist theft. Attaching it to a flimsy piece of metal in the ground isn't gonna stop anyone. If they can carry the bike out, ripping the gadget out of the ground won't be hard.
I doubt this would do much to deter all but the most casual of theives. My brother goes to USC now, and no matter what they chain their bikes to, it invariably gets stolen.
I think finding a bike that you can collapse and carry around with you easily would still be your best bet.
I used to tie my dog up this way.. I didn't expect it to keep people from stealing him though. Whats to stop someone from I dunno.. pulling it out of the ground? Honestly? This thing wouldn't work at all. Shovel? It goes maybe 5 inches into the ground, I'm estimating based on the picture of the hands. I agree that a casual sticky finger would be detered.. unless its night time.. or no one is around so the only person this is going to deter is something who's afraid to steal your bike directly in front of you.
Or, you could just grab the bike and spin it around to unscrew the anchor. I don't see this as any more effective than simply locking a bike wheel to the frame.
This idea must be from somebody who's never parked a bike where there's been any threat of theft.
Look at the image of how they lock the bike. Who thinks locking a wheel is going to secure a bike? It's much better to lock the frame to the wheel than lock just a wheel to some oversized eye bolt in the ground.
Treehugger, your site indeed skimps on bike news, but I suppose is understandable: the best innovation to happen to cycling will always be the bike itself.
And bike news is always the same: some people will ride them for practical transportation, and some people won't.
Life on the road for cyclists continues to be abysmal, thanks to pathetic jerks who drive like they're compensating for some infantile insecurities.
Unless something is done to change road safety, or make it unattractive to guzzle gas, commuters are just going to keep carting around tons of metal along with their fat, lazy, pathetic carcasses.
Yikes! Super dopey. No place to lock the bike? Go somewhere else.