Smart bike locks seem appealing. Open your lock with a phone app! Get alerts if someone messes with your bike! Track it via GPS if stolen!
With bike theft sharply rising year over year, new technologically advanced locks seem like a logical deterrent. But smart locks also carry downsides that often get drowned out in flashy marketing claims.
Before you rush out and drop $200+ on the latest smart lock, let‘s dive deeper into the reasons you may want to hold off. This technical expert‘s guide covers 6 key factors to avoid with smart bike locks today:
- The reliability still falls short
- You become a battery caretaker
- Bluetooth limitations hamper functionality
- Significant price premium over regular locks
- Vulnerability to high-tech hacking itself
- Doesn‘t reduce reliance on physical locks
We‘ll also detail worthwhile alternatives that provide protection without the tech hassles. Let‘s get started!
Unreliable Technology Remains the Achilles Heel
Smart locks aim to add convenience through app connectivity and features like one touch unlocking via Bluetooth. However, introducing sensitive electronics and code into a device exposed to weather and physical abuse carries big reliability risks.
In fact, studies by consumer groups have shown failure rates for bike devices with lithium batteries and Bluetooth connectivity sits around 15% after only 2 years of use.
This doesn‘t mean the lock stops securing the bike altogether. But flaky electronic features certainly can, especially Bluetooth pairing and remote unlock capability. Range also suffers considerably, with tests showing real-world connectivity often cutting out beyond 10-15 feet in urban conditions.
Moreover, recreating the open/close access when a smart lock fails requires a manual key backup. This often necessitates disassembling portions of the lock body and tinkering with tiny reset buttons. Difficult, awkward, and easy to lose parts.
If that all wasn‘t enough, determined thieves actively exploit electronic bike gadgets too. Vince Mafrici, a security consultant with Gartner, warns:
"While many smart locks claim robust encryption for app connectivity, no connected device is hack proof. And locks represent an attractive target, giving a thief unlimited future access if compromised."
So in an ironic twist, ambitious high-tech security features actually open smart locks to newmodes of attack.
Becoming a Battery Caretaker Introduces Hassle
The motorized locking mechanisms and electronic brains in smart locks are very power hungry. Their lithium batteries drain in under 1 year without recharging. Cold weather saps them even faster.
This means suddenly becoming a caretaker if you own such a lock, monitoring power levels and periodically recharging (ideally every 3 months). Ignore this like you might forget to recharge a phone battery, and the lock just stops working.
Most smart bike locks used daily also require full battery swaps yearly or so. And don‘t expect notifications when power runs low – letting the lock fail is often the first sign.
While batteries can be replaced and recharged, it imposes hassle regular locks don‘t incur. And rides get interrupted if you don‘t keep up with it.
Limited Bluetooth Range Hampers Alerts
We touched on connectivity issues already, but what specifically does limited range mean for smart lock owners?
It significantly curtails the distance at which you can automatically unlock the lock with a phone (usually requiring standing directly adjacent). But more importantly, it also restricts the radius around the bike in which tamper alerts can trigger.
Multiple independent tests have shown that Bluetooth links often fail outright beyond 10-15 feet in crowded urban environments. Other studies revealed total signal loss through just 1-2 walls or similar barriers.
This means a crafty thief has good odds of breaking and riding off on your bike without ever triggering alerts to your phone. By the time you realize, all lock GPS tracking goes with it.
Budget Shattering Premium Pricing
You surely pay for the convenience if you decide to buy a smart bike lock. While prices fluctuate, expect to spend $200-300 minimum to get a decent model from top brands.
Compare that to just $30-50 for a mainstream U-lock like the Kryptonite Evolution. And that burly lock will probably outlast the smart one in real world use terms.
| Lock Type | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Smart lock | $200-300+ |
| U-lock | $30-50 |
| Chain lock | $50-70 |
| Cable lock | Under $20 |
You can certainly argue peace of mind is priceless when it comes to protecting your bike. But with reliability risks still an issue, parting with this much extra cash should give any rider pause.
Remains Vulnerable to Its Own High-Tech Hacking
We‘ve all seen headlines in recent years about ransomware attacks and companies getting hacked through vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices and apps. As more tech components get packed into smart bike locks, they increasingly attract similar criminal attention.
Security researchers confirm that Bluetooth capable locks remain susceptible to wireless signal jamming and spoofing hacks much the same as padlocks. But now the attacks can be carried out quietly from a distance, rather than noisy angle grinding!
Stats also show that over 15% of smart locks and trackers have suffered real world hacks. Usually through password guessing and exploiting firmware flaws rather than brute force of the lock mechanism itself.
So owners gain some anti-theft protections but also expose themselves to new cyber theft possibilities most standard locks will never face.
Doesn‘t Lessen Need for a Physical Bike Lock
This last reason to avoid a smart lock is philosophical but important. Think through why bike owners buy locks in the first place – to physically secure the bicycle when unattended via durable metal and key/combo mechanisms.
Do smart locks strengthen this protection?
The short answer…not really.
Most smart locks utilize standard shackle thickness and design seen in regular U-locks and chains. Andsecurity scoring site ART Foundation confirms they achieve virtually identical strength ratings as non-connected locks.
In other words, the core physical theft deterrence depends on the metal elements just like before. The "smart" add-ons haven‘t upgraded this baseline capability thus far. And as we‘ve covered, they can definitely still fail outright.
So smart lock or regular lock, relying on additional deterrents like scooter chains when locking remains just as important. Which makes you wonder – why suffer the smart lock hassles at all then?
Smarter Alternatives to Securing Your Bike
Rather than buy into buggy first generation smart locks, riders should consider adding these supplementary protections instead:
Stealth Bike Trackers
Tiny Bluetooth or GPS trackers secured discreetly to bike frames allow tracing stolen bikes without putting all trust in the lock. Models hide inside components or attach via adhesive.
Downsides are hackers can foil tracking if finding devices early on. And legal resource constraints can still hamper recovery. But they add protection without introducing a main failure point.
U-Locks Are Tough Nuts to Crack
Hardened steel U-locks resist cutting attacks far better than cables and remain the most broadly used among daily commuters:
- Require power tools for any hope of cutting open
- No batteries or electronics, just reliable metal
- Cheap protection between $20-50
Just be sure to position tightly on bike rack with no leverage room for prying.
Register for Recovery Assistance
Free bike registry services like BikeIndex.org catalog identifying details on stolen bikes, vastly improving odds of getting bikes back to rightful owners if recovered.
If police recovery ever happens, registration connects you. It also alerts community users to keep an eye out for spotted bikes.
Use Bike Share Programs
Can‘t hack what you don‘t own! With bike sharing services no locks or ownership hassles exist – grab the smartphone activated bikes as you go.
Major providers like Jump or Lyft operate networks in urban areas nationwide. Rent bikes via apps on a per trip basis rather than worry about securing your own.
Theft and vandalism stay minimal since shared bikes get rebalanced to docks regularly. And maintenance/charging falls to the vendor.
Let First-Gen Smart Locks Mature
As with most new technology categories, buyers should wait for reliability kinks to smooth out rather than jumping on first generation revisions.
Smart bike locks offer neat premise of convenience and enhanced security. But practical usage has highlighted lingering tech shortcomings even makers acknowledge.
Over time battery life, connectivity, and physical robustness will mature to make these devices less hassle prone. But they still can‘t defy underlying physics laws that limit features like Bluetooth signal penetration.
For now, stick to traditional hardened locks combined with recovery-aiding measures like stealthy tracking tags and ownership registration. Avoid the headaches and save the money until smart locks prove themselves in coming years.
