download
next
back to chart
downloadback to chartnext

Design Responses > About Bikes > Case Studies >
Cyclic Systems
Self-locking Bike Frame

Cyclic Systems says of their self-locking bike frame that ‘to steal it, you have to break it’ making it unfit for resale and therefore less vulnerable to theft.

Using this
spoiling strategy the design seeks to remove the necessity for carrying a lock by encouraging cyclists to lock the bike frame itself to a secure stationary object (it is recommended that the bike's wheels are removed and secured within the frame lock).

The locking frame solution combines a step-through frame design, to provide structural integrity, with a ‘non-structural top tube’ that incorporates a telescopic locking mechanism.

The manufacturer claims that this solution would add only $7.00 to the wholesale cost of the frame. To our knowledge this solution has not been licensed for manufacture though interested parties should contact the designer
dave.rubin@baymoon.com.

Strengths
• Lightweight – removes the necessity to carry separate locks
• Inexpensive to install

Weaknesses
• This design locks the frame securely but only enables the wheels to be secured if locked within the frame lock, an additional and time-consuming process
• Only men's frame is available


©2008 // DESIGN AGAINST CRIME RESEARCH CENTRE // LONDON WC1B 4AP
Bikeoff.org fully funded by the AHRC / EPSRC Designing for the 21st Century Initiative
// CONTACTS // CREDITS ///// BIKEOFF HOME