It seems to be bike season for Kickstarter projects! This time around it is a smart bike lock, the LINKA LASSO Smart Chain Lock, from my favorite smart bike lock company. What makes this bike lock special and is it worth it? Let’s dig in.
Table of Contents
What is a Smart Bike Lock?
There are a few different things that could make a smart bike lock. It could have a built-in alarm like the Abus smart bike lock, or Knog Bike Alarm and Finder. It could be unlocked from your phone or a keyfob. It could have built-in GPS tracking. The LINKA smart bike lock has some of these features, but not all, as it is missing the GPS BUT that should be fine for many.
Who is LINKA Smart Bike Locks?
I’ve been following LINKA for about 2 years as one of our bikes for business clients at Tern uses their solar-powered frame locks for their bike fleets.
Last year at EuroBike, LINKA launched the LEO2 Pro, which has become my favorite smart bike lock (review coming!) Use a KeyFob or phone to unlock, GPS, and Alarm, and all built into a frame lock! The video is of the more basic LEO2 but it looks basically the same.
I have been eagerly waiting for this new LASSO product as it is more mainstream for all cyclists than a frame lock. (I’m also waiting eagerly for the stand-alone GPS box that they displayed last year at EuroBike but I’m not seeing any hint of that on their website or Kickstarter…)
LINKA LASSO Smart Bike Lock Key Features
- A chain lock for bikes, motorcycles, or scooters
- 3 different models with different lengths and chain thicknesses
- Unlock using your phone (Apple or Android), Apple Watch, Keyfob, or a phoneless access code
- Can be synced to 4 keyfobs (sold separately)
- Share the lock with friends through the LINKA app
- 100db alarm
- Rechargeable battery with 3-12 month battery life
- Kickstarter price: $119 – 159 USD
LINKA LASSO Series 8
ART 2 / Sold Secure Silver rating. The 8 means 8mm thickness for the chain. The thicker the chain the longer it takes someone to cut through! It is 100cm/39.4″ long and weights 3.9lbs
LINKA LASSO Series 10
ART 3 / Sold Secure Gold rating. The 10 means 10mm thickness for the chain. It is 100cm/39.4″ long and weights 4.4lbs
LINKA LASSO Series 10 Moto
10mm thickness but longer! It is 140cm/55″ long and weights 6.6lbs
Back the LINKA LASSO on Kickstarter
Go check out the LINKA LASSO on Kickstarter and let me know what you think of the product in the comments below!
