Cyclists know the pain of locking up and unlocking their bike, something that is at least a twice-daily occurrence for many people living in the Netherlands.
Securing your bike shouldn’t have to be such a hassle, and most every cyclist knows the nightmare of losing the keys to their bike lock.
You have to go rent a steel saw or bolt cutters to free your own bike, all the while hoping that a police officer doesn't notice you and sees you for a thief. It's a very loud and slow process, with sparks flying everywhere.
If it's up a small company from Waterloo, Canada, this will soon be a thing of the past.
Grasp is designing the bike lock of the 21st century and is making it as user-friendly as possible thanks to modern technology, by incorporating a fingerprint sensor and a smartphone app.
The Grasp Lock, as it is called, reads your fingerprint and unlocks in less than a second. The lock even comes with an app that links your phone to your bike.
In the unlikely situation where your fingerprint isn’t recognised, you can instead unlock it with your smartphone via Bluetooth using the Grasp App.
Its ergonomic design lets it slide on and off your bike easily. The hinged arms allows for manoeuvrability so you don’t have to reach over your bike to secure it.
The Grasp lock has a finish of soft touch plastic, in order to prevent any scratching of your bike. The lock has gentle curves so the lock glides over any bike and bike rack.
Important for the Dutch weather, the bike lock is water resistant and can handle a downpour.
It’s easy to share your bike with anyone you want. You use the Grasp App to give access to family and friends.
The first time you open the app, it will link your phone to your lock using a special code associated with it.
Once the setup is done, you can add up to 20 additional fingerprints to the lock. User access can be removed from the manage page, and you can also set time intervals for when others have access to your lock.
Emergency unlock via Bluetooth is always possible using the Grasp App, should the fingerprint reader not function properly.
The Grasp Lock uses three AAA batteries that will last at least one year and which are easy to replace.
When the batteries are removed from the lock, or run out of power, the lock remains locked and your bike stays secure.
Unlike other smart locks that require you to bring the lock indoors to recharge when the battery dies, standard AAA batteries mean that you can leave your bike locked up, and easily replace the batteries when required.
If this lock sounds like something you’d like to have for your bike, you can join the Kickstarter crowdfunding project here.