Kickstarter - Litelok

[eddief]

what does the crowd think o this:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/189084529/litelok-lightweight-flexible-and-super-secure-bike

[druptight]

Looks pretty cool. I'd love to see a video of them bringing in some wringers to try and destroy it. I also like that's it's softer exterior might be less likely to mark up your bike.

I tend to wait for these things to actually release and see how they do in the real world. If they're successful, it would be interesting to see them create something half the size that you could maybe stash in a jersey pocket that might buy you just a few minutes to run into a store or something.

[tumbler]

The key is whether it's actually as strong as they claim it is... the video didn't show enough to convince me. The other issue is whether the lock mechanism is well designed (I'm thinking about those Kryptonite locks that could be released using the shaft of a Bic pen).

It's definitely a cool design. I hope it works like they say, but I'll wait for some others to test.

[dumbod]

It doesn't really work for me.

It's very expensive. At 29" long, one doesn't do very much for you - you can lock the frame but the wheels will still be up for grabs. That means you need 2 which is going to run you GPB 155 or roughly US$225. A Kryptonite New York lock will run about $90. (Even one Litelok will cost about $120 and there's no insurance or certification.)

And it's not actually all that light. It weighs "less than a kilo". Assume about 1 kilo or 2.2 lbs. Two would weigh 4.4 lbsThe Kryptonite weighs 4.3 lbs. I'm sure that there are people who would stress about the extra weight but I'm not one of them.

It's an interesting idea but not all that compelling when you really analyze it.