Looking for a new bike with simple aesthetics yet advanced security technology that will make it easier to find if stolen? If so, you’re in luck because KP Cykler has built a bike based on this premise.
The KP Cykler team has designed a stylish, single-speed bike equipped with a hand-built steel frame and a cushioned leather seat. The frame is made from lugged chromoly—a hard alloy comprised of chromium and molybdenum—and the design of the bike was inspired by some of the most successful frames throughout history.
But what sets this bike apart from the rest isn’t it’s sleek, minimalist design or its removable cable holders, but rather its innovative security feature: a tiny near field communication (NFC) chip embedded in the end of the handlebars.
The NFC chip can be read by holding a newer smartphone near the handlebars. Once the chip is recognized, information about the manufacturer and owner will appear on the phone’s screen. This information is customizable and can include a personalized message with phone numbers or instructions to call the police. Additionally, all of the information is remotely stored on a database so that authorized third parties can modify it at any time.
Though this isn’t the first bike to utilize the NFC chip, it is the first to improve its functionality by embedding it into the bike, therefore, eliminating the possibility that it can be easily removed, like most other bikes using NFC chips.
This could be a key development in the future of bike security given the prevalence of bike theft—some studies suggest that over half of cyclist are likely to have their bikes stolen.
The one downfall, however, is that as of now the NFC chip doesn’t make the bike trackable, just identifiable when scanned. But perhaps this may be a future development.
The bikes are made in Denmark and are priced at $900. Their online store has a user-friendly interface that allows buyers to customize their bike by playing around with different designs and immediately seeing photos of their potential bikes.
If you are interested in this NFC-equipped bike check out their website and their campaign.
