The weapon of choice for professional bike thieves is the angle grinder — a motorized hand tool that can cut through any lock, no matter how big, how heavy or how expensive. This is a serious problem, especially since such angle grinders are now also available as battery-powered models for easy mobile use.
According to Hiplok, this fundamental problem has been largely ignored by the security industry until now, as it seemed too difficult to solve. But that is set to change with the introduction of the Hiplok D1000, a lightweight and mobile lock designed to withstand heavy and prolonged attacks from angle grinders.
The reason for this high resistance is a material called Ferosafe, a composite material made of graphene, which effectively resists high-power angle grinders due to its unique chemical and physical properties. The use of Ferosafe in the patent-pending design of the D1000 creates a lightweight, mobile bike lock that can be used like any other classic U-lock, but with unmatched cut protection.
Hiplok itself compares the D1000 with the “best D-lock” to date, which weighs 2.2 kg and is cut with the angle grinder in 20 seconds. The D1000, on the other hand, weighs only 1.8 kg and is not cut even after 10 minutes — the theft attempt can therefore be considered a failure.
With dimensions of 155 x 225 mm, the D1000 can be considered quite compact, sufficient for example to attach the top tube of the bike to a bike stand. For the launch of the D1000, Hiplok is using the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter — and as always, there are decent discounts for the first backers. The lock is currently available as a Super Early Bird offer for 175 euros, which corresponds to a saving of around 40%. The later sales price should be an ambitious 300 euros! Delivery is planned for March 2022. The D1000 can be ordered now here on Kickstarter.
If the lock keeps the mentioned promises — which can be expected from an established manufacturer like Hiplok — this lock should set new standards. This high level of theft protection at a comparatively moderate weight seems really noteworthy and gives hope for further bicycle lock types made of the same material.
