Hasta La Gadget!

The StayLocked Bicycle is unridable when the locking mechanism is broken. Photo courtesy of Andrew Leinonen.

No matter the gauge of the U-lock or the metallurgy of the chain looped around your frame, the lock securing that vintage Miyata to the parking meter will not stop a determined thief with the right tools. Enter the StayLocked Bicycle.

The StayLocked secures the bike by making the lock part of the bike. If it’s broken, the bike is unridable and, parts aside, valueless. Andrew Leinonen, a Toronto-based industrial designer and cyclist, created the prototype bike after years of the security anxiety that comes with being an urban rider.

“A few weeks ago, my girlfriend’s bike was stolen,” he says. “Out of our own alleyway.”

The locking mechanism comprises a section of the seatstays — the two tubes that extend up to the seat from the rear wheel. Leinonen installed a universal joint at the junction of the tube and latches in the stays to secure it to the frame.

The locking section of the frame swings to secure your bike to a meter, post. Should an ignorant criminal break the lock, the chain stays — those tubes extending from the rear wheel to the crank — won’t support a rider’s weight. The bike will collapse as the thief tries to ride off with the plunder. Unfortunately, whether the culprit realizes the destruction before or after breaking the lock, all parties are left without a bike.

Since the lock fits in an integral part of the frame, Leinonen had reconfigure some key parts of the bike. The seat stays take a lot of the pressure during a ride, and Leinonen has outfitted the locking area accordingly.

“The shackle is inserted four inches into the stub tubes, so there’s a great deal of clamping area,” he says. “For additional peace of mind, a notch on the shackles latches over the quick-release binder bold to ensure that it can’t slide.”

He also put the brake caliper on the chain stays, down at the wheel’s 3 o’clock position.

Thought the bike is still a prototype, Leinonen is looking to produce the frames for large-scale sales.

“I’d be flattered if Giant or Trek were interested,” he says.

Whether criminals are smart enough to be deterred has yet to be determined, but the satisfaction of the StayLocked Bicycle’s retribution is inarguable.

Photos by Jim Merithew/Wired

$5,500 for a runaround? Maybe, once you read the spec sheet

Yeah, Paul Budnitz’s bikes might cost $5,500 apiece, but they look frikkin’ awesome. Appearing like a cross between a beach-cruiser, a hard-tail mountain bike and a hipsters’ single-speed, the bikes come with a component spec sheet that reads like a laundry list of all your fantasy bike parts.

There are two models, the Nº1 and Nº2, which differ mostly in purpose. Thus the Nº1 has thin, slick tires on 700c Velocity rims, a more upright position and harder gear ratios, while the Nº2 sports a 29er up front and a 26-inch at the rear, lower gearing, a more laid-back position and sweep-back handlebars.

Both bikes have Budnitz’s titanium frame, fork and all-in-one handlebars, Chris King No-Threadset, a choice of Fizik or Brooks saddles, a Phil Wood bottom bracket, Paul hubs and brake levers, Avid BB7 disk brakes and MKS pedals. I told you it was a wish-list, right?

It goes on. Instead of a dirty, noisy chain you get a Gates carbon drive belt drive and Shimano Alfine internal hub (or the already-mentioned Paul hub if you go for single speed, or even a chain). You can also spec alloy fenders, a brass bell and Pitlock locking skewers and bolts.

That $5,500 is starting to look less expensive.

These are both gorgeous machines, to be sure, but more likely to to be bought by Hollywood stars for trips to the store than by you and me. I know that if I had $5,500 to spend on a bike, I might certainly use some of those components, but I’d like to put it together myself.

Budnitz Bikes product page [Budnitz Bicycles via Uncrate]

See Also:

• Apple's Campus Bikes Are Classically Minimal
• CenterTrack Belt-Drive: Thinner, Stronger, Prettier
• Modular Cogs Bring Belt-Drives to Any Bike

Now you can ride your touring bike to the skatepark, just like you always wanted

I see skateboarders carrying their boards on bike all the time, but usually they’re slung crosswise over the handlebars or the rear rack, which is both aesthetically jarring and potentially dangerous (the handlebar version, at least). A much better solution for this admittedly specialist problem is the Fairdale Pannier Skaterack, a special skateboard carrier which velcroes into place on your existing rack.

The lightweight carrier has a loop into which you hook one truck, and a bungee cord up top to keep the whole thing in place. The board is positioned back behind the bike’s rear axle, so you can’t hit the board with your heel as you pedal.

It’s ingenious, and more flexible than Fairdale’s original design which comprised of a full rack with the skate carrier built in. Price and shipping date are not yet finalized.

Skateboard Rack [Fairdale via Prolly]

See Also:

• Flexible Bike Racks Look Great, Probably Aren't
• Over-Designed Petal-Like Bike-Rack

The Merrell Evera MJ comes in three colors including black, which pairs well with a Chanel dress. Photo courtesy of Merrell.

Cycling is a bummer for riders who don’t have the option to change clothes post-commute. Leather-soled wingtips slip on metal pedals. All but the tightest jeans require rolling up the pant leg to avoid chain grease. The problem is compounded for those who don heels, braving a bicycle route fashionably rather than comfortably.

Merrell, sensitive to this plight, will soon be releasing the Evera MJ, a heeled bike shoe with bottom contours that fit snug into pedals, and a rubber sole that grips where your Christian Louboutins would slip and scuff. The suede upper has elastic accents near the toe for flexibility while torquing uphill, and a Velcro strap secures the shoe to any arch. Added side vents ensure your trotters get plenty of air flow.

Merrell’s heels will be available February 2012 for $110. Until then, you’ll have to make do with your flats.