Weekend Plus Desk :
After being the victims of multiple bike thefts while at university, twenty something Chilean inventors Cristóbal Cabello, Juan José Monsalve, and Andrés Roi Eggers, set their minds to creating an unstealable bike.
So if you are a cyclist, have no fear because the Yerka is here!
How it works:
The bike’s lower frame splits in two to allow the seat tube to form a steadfast lock around any tree, pole or bike rack.
For a thief to forcibly release it from a rack, he or she would have to cut through the whole bike itself rendering it unusable.
The tires are attached by a locked bolt, so they are safe, too. And for the convenience of users, it takes only 10 seconds to lock it.
Aside from the innovative frame design, the bicycle also uses anti-theft wheel nuts, which can only be loosened using a special key -a useful method of preventing opportunistic thieves from nicking the wheels.
The road ahead:
The trio last week saw their design go into production, with 300 bikes rolling off the production line. They sold around 200 bikes in various colleges in Chile and have now started with the production of the bikes on a large scale, with orders coming in from the US, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Hong Kong. They are seeking $1 million investment from national and international financers.
“In the next four years, our goal is to sell a container of almost 300 units each month worldwide. But the most important goal is that customers say, ‘This bike is great. We love the bike you sold us and we will spread the word.”
After being the victims of multiple bike thefts while at university, twenty something Chilean inventors Cristóbal Cabello, Juan José Monsalve, and Andrés Roi Eggers, set their minds to creating an unstealable bike.
So if you are a cyclist, have no fear because the Yerka is here!
How it works:
The bike’s lower frame splits in two to allow the seat tube to form a steadfast lock around any tree, pole or bike rack.
For a thief to forcibly release it from a rack, he or she would have to cut through the whole bike itself rendering it unusable.
The tires are attached by a locked bolt, so they are safe, too. And for the convenience of users, it takes only 10 seconds to lock it.
Aside from the innovative frame design, the bicycle also uses anti-theft wheel nuts, which can only be loosened using a special key -a useful method of preventing opportunistic thieves from nicking the wheels.
The road ahead:
The trio last week saw their design go into production, with 300 bikes rolling off the production line. They sold around 200 bikes in various colleges in Chile and have now started with the production of the bikes on a large scale, with orders coming in from the US, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Hong Kong. They are seeking $1 million investment from national and international financers.
“In the next four years, our goal is to sell a container of almost 300 units each month worldwide. But the most important goal is that customers say, ‘This bike is great. We love the bike you sold us and we will spread the word.”
