ET-one system turns a pedal into a bike lock

Given the fact that bicycle commuters have to carry a lock with them at all times, we've seen a number of bike parts that double as locks. One of the latest, the ET-one, lets a pedal do the job – partially, at least.

Invented by German entrepreneur Thomas Eder, the setup consists of two aluminum-bodied platform pedals along with a frame-mounted rubber-coated steel shackle. One of the pedals is equipped with a key-operated locking mechanism.

When the bicycle is in motion, the shackle is left in its mounting bracket. Once the bike is being parked, though, the shackle is pulled off the frame and inserted through the rear wheel, through a hole in the pedal body, and into its lock. A small curved bar on the side of the shackle also goes into a hole in the end of the pedal's axle, helping to hold everything in place.

As a result, the bicycle is rendered unrideable until the shaft is unlocked and removed. That said, a thief could still pick it up and throw it in the back of a truck, or just run off with it. Eder has foreseen that scenario, however, by also offering a shackle that's curved to form a hook on the non-pedal end.

The idea is that the hook will be placed around an adjacent immovable object such as a signpost, thus locking the bike to that object. It's certainly a clever concept, although it's hard to say how usable it will be in the real world, where the spacing between the bike and the signpost may not be ideal.

In any case, should you want a setup, the ET-one is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of €149 (about US$176) will get you a Basic package with a straight shackle, while €179 ($211) is required for an Advanced package with a hooked shackle. The planned retail prices are 25 percent higher.

A previous attempt at a pedal lock, which integrated a retractable cable lock into one pedal, didn't reach its crowdfunding goal.

Sources: Kickstarter, ET-one