“I’ve had both a motorbike and a bicycle stolen from me here in London. I had locked both bikes and done as much as I could to keep them secure. The thieves had a massive advantage because they were able to gain access to the bikes and dismantle the locks in the dead of night while I was asleep. It inspired me to develop an alarm that would wake me up and cause the thief to flee. That alarm is Bike Mine,” Yannick Read described the invention.
Bike Mine comprised a titanium wire, a spring-loaded trap and a small detonator. Velcro straps were incorporated, allowing the device to be attached quickly to virtually anything from a bike to a jet ski. It sounded so simple, but anything with a detonator will cause worries.
“The detonators used in the Bike Mine are sometimes referred to as saluting blanks. They are widely available and legal to own and use. Bike Mine is extremely hard for a thief to detect and when they do, it’s too late: You are awake. Your neighbour is awake. They are running away as fast as they can,” said Yannick and insisted that the invention was perfectly safe.
However, people disagreed with him. The irony is that the project “bombed” in the end. Only £4,331 of the £15,000 goal was pledged to the cause on Kickstarter, and Bike Mine never went into production. What do you think about the idea? Would you use it? Let us know in the comments!
