The idea that bike thieves would resort to angle grinder to break bike locks is an audacious one, but not uncommon. And you probably have advancement in battery-powered angle grinder to thank (or not!). However, bike lock maker Altor Locks is resolved to prevent such a ridiculous heist and came up with SAF Lock that looks straight out of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoon.
Yes. That ridiculously, comical even, bike lock you see here is Altor Locks’ proposition. Billed as the world’s first angle grinder proof bike lock, SAF Lock is not just brute without brain. That ridiculously thick shackle is composed of a 14 mm hardened steel core shackle encased in a 78 mm patented aluminum alloy with an elliptical geometry internal that will impede an angle grinder from penetrating deep enough to reach the steel core.
The patented aluminum alloy, dubbed SAF Tech Shell, not only makes angle grinder harder to compromise the core, but also bog up the grinder disc and in the process, wears through the disc and batteries. Finally, a soft outer coating ensure that this bike lock of immense proportion from marring your bike’s beautiful paint job.
In the event that the perpetrator managed to grind through the super girth shackle, the inner core will prevent “traditional” tools like bolt cutter and hack saw from cutting through.
The crazy thick shackle and super strong core are just part of the out-of-this-world anti-bike theft system. SAF Lock Angle Grinder Proof Bike Lock further boasts a hard-to-pick eight disc disc-detainer lock mechanism with false gates housed in a hardened steel, dual-sided anti-rotation locking bars that engaged on both sides of the shackle, and finally, the core shackle locks through the entire Cross Bar to any attempt to pry.
Lets get real, though. There is no such thing as foolproof protection against relentless bike thieves, but SAF Lock Angle Grinder Proof Bike Lock will make a living hell for those who try. However, such protection is not quite as portable. By the shear size and heft (it tips the scales at a weighty 13.7 lbs or 6.25 kilograms), it is not exactly a bring-it-around bike lock.
However, it is certainly an ideal candidate for bike that will be parked in the same spot for a long period of time. Some words of advice, though. Make sure the bike is secured to a post or rack that is equally hard to break, or else the thief might just cut the post/rack and bring it along with the bike. That being said, I guess you could say the SAF Lock Angle Grinder Proof Bike Lock is only as strong and theft-proof as whatever it is secured to.
It is suffice to say that SAF Lock will leave a memorable mark in the anti-bike theft industry and it will also leave your wallet agonizing because, it is not cheap. It will retail for a hefty $299 when it hit the shelves, but for now, in the next 29 days or so, you can secure one for an early bird price of $199 on Indiegogo. Also, whether or not if you will see delivery of SAF Lock in March 2020 will depend very much if the campaign gets funded.
Images: Altor Locks.
Source: GearJunkie.
