Handlebar Lock Mount

A handlebar lock mount to help an urban daily life.

After realizing the popularity of the easy-to-use and flexible Ottolock bike lock, and also being a supporter after trying it out myself, I thought about my experience and the potential challenges with the product and brand in order to come up with new and creative ideas.

a) For a daily routine, you need fast, accessible security. U locks are heavy, a pain to carry, and often buried in a pack. Ottolock solves half the issue but is hard to mount on your bike, and the convenience of the lock is thwarted by the inconvenience of storage.

b) Ottolock is relatively unknown. Part of the problem is that people put them inside their bags, backpacks, and slings when cycling, making them invisible to potential bike consumers’ eyes.

-design sketch

Instantly accessible near the handlebars, highly usable, extremely convenient daily lock accessory that puts the lock at the hands of the rider with high brand visibility to create growth and awareness.

-business

After looking at the industry, market and consumers who use Ottolock, it made sense to develop an accessory that worked with the product and enabled expansion of a product range.

An existing portable, flexible bike lock is already a great solution, my ideas take this one step further and really make it shine. I came up with the idea of bike-mount, an accessory for Ottolock. The lock offers instant easy usability for locking up your bike making it great for daily bike life, running in and out of shops, errands etc. Compared to other offerings on the market the lock is very lightweight and versatile/flexible to lock around things. Yet, the part that the company overlooks is how you carry it.

-design

I designed a way to attach it to a bike in a very visible and usable way.  I emphasize visible because the design holds the lock so it is very visible, in essence advertising the new product just by being on show. In essence, a handlebar mount for the lock.

Challenges I overcame:

#1 – many many size standards in the bicycle industry, from seatposts to tube shapes

I chose a common location and size that technically worked-  handlebar 31.8mm or 26mm diameter.

#2- generating options for a “suite” of complementary products

the design can accommodate other accessories – a light or computer attachment

#3 – making this so easy to use it becomes invisible, effortless, natural.

and successful – positioning right in view and close to hand

 

-concept cad

In order to get real fast, I created a quick CAD model and constructed a 3d printed prototype, to test the mechanical viability of the design. I wanted to know how it was to use on the bars. Did it get in the way? Did people notice it? How well did the basic design work?

The design is space efficient and clamps to 31.8mm bars. Pretty standard nowadays. A shim could also be used for 26.0 bars. The clamp is on a hinge for an easy install. The holder has been designed for injection molding and could be made in hip colours to go with the lock.

The design holds the lock in place by using an elastomer band (orange) fixed at one end and slotting over nubs to create tension and hold the lock. This can be opened and closed with one hand.

-prototype

The above bike wasn’t really a commuter bike, so I placed the prototype on a commuter bike and used it.

– In-Use

I found it very easy to use. Some people thought it would make steering difficult by hitting their knees or being unbalanced in the center. However, I found that it was too light to affect steering and small enough that it didn’t get in the way while riding. It’s very useful, and there are a few things that can be improved, such as making the clamp stronger. There are also opportunities to increase branding areas and optimize the length.

---