Sophomore Industrial Design students, Lauren Chesnet and Curtis Compton, placed third in the “Pitch Your Idea” competition at the Holmes Convocation Center on March 24th. The pair pitched a new idea for a bicycle lock. The new design solves the problem of keeping up with bike locks or carrying around “bulky” bike locks hanging off of bike frames. The pair’s idea consists of a retractable mounted bike lock that is directly mounted to the bike. It would be mounted to where a water bottle cage might be, with screws that can only be removed when the bike is unlocked. The cylindrical form consists of injection molded plastic and fits parallel to the bikes frame. Unlike other mountable bike locks that use keys, this one is unlocked by using a combination lock with easy grip dials. “This eliminates the annoyance of having to carry a key around. It contains a 3/8 inch cable (to reduce the chances of it being easily tampered with) that retracts into the main cylindrical form to maintain a sleek aesthetic. Color options could be easily incorporated. This bike lock improves the biking experience, especially of public bikers, because it prevents the chance of forgetting a lock at home or having to figure out a way to carry one around either on their bike or on the rider" the pair explained.
To see the full story about the competition, click here.
Curtis and Lauren presented with 3rd place