The age-old battle of keeping your bike safe has a new, high-tech ally. The LINKA lock connects with a phone and has a built-in alarm that’s triggered if someone tampers with your ride.
Bluetooth locks are not new to the bike industry, with companies like Noke and Bitlock selling phone-compatible locks that are controlled with an app.
But a new entry, the LINKA, offers something different — this lock is permanently affixed to your bike frame, and via a connection with your phone it locks off your rear wheel, rendering a bike immobile.
The unit attaches under the rear brake on the frame. It has a 9mm steel bolt that locks through the back wheel. A “lasso” chain can be added to secure the bike to an object.
Alarm Included
Adding security to the system, a siren sounds from the lock if a would-be thief tries to take off with your locked bike. Motion of the theft is detected by an accelerometer.
LINKA can also notify you via an app (as long as you’re within a 400-foot range) if anyone tampers with the system.
In the event that the bike is stolen, LINKA has a “community tracking” feature — LINKA locks can communicate and provide coordinates through bluetooth.
Auto-Locking
The LINKA syncs via Bluetooth with your phone, and an app controls most of the functions. To lock it, a user is required to press a button on LINKA for three seconds while the bike is still.
In the event that your phone dies, the LINKA can be unlocked with a passcode by pressing buttons on the lock unit. The company says the battery in the lock itself will last for up to a year without needing to be recharged.
In the end, the LINKA offers convenience with a lock that stays affixed to your bike at all times. For those quick outings to the grocery store or coffee shop, when you’re not going to leave your bike for long, LINKA looks like a good option.
Buy it? If you’re into high-tech solutions, get the LINKA for $99 on the company’s Kickstarter page.
