580,000. That’s the number of bikes stolen each year in France, which is about one theft every minute. And the poor victims can attest to it; these cruel crimes happen even when you have 3 U-locks and two chains to secure every inch of your precious means of transportation. This situation is echoed by many, including Aïko Leroux, a 22-year-old student from Lyon, who has decided to tackle the problem head-on by creating a rather unique system… that smells like success.
A smell to awaken the dead
In 2023, a friend of Aïko has his brand-new bike stolen, even though it was locked with two certified locks, in broad daylight.
In no time at all, she decides to look into the matter to find a system that would prevent the mishap from happening again. With her engineering studies and her knowledge of chemistry, she then decides to develop a lock that, beyond just slowing down thieves, would simply deter them.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
He then came up with the idea of using putrescine, a chemical substance that is paradoxically both aggressive and harmless. And for good reason, this molecule generated naturally during the decomposition of a corpse emits an absolutely unbearable smell that paralyzes the sense of smell for days, making any other scent completely unbearable. This is enough to deter any mischievous soul who might try to cut one of these locks. But then, how does it work?
An olfactory education
The CactUs Lock, the name of his creation, looks like a fairly classic U-lock in a lovely apple green color. The first deterrent of this seemingly unimpressive weapon: the presence of a substance .Chemical is indicated on the object, thanks to the mention "Putrescine – do not cut". And if that isn't enough (which is understandable, not everyone might know the term), if someone tries to tamper with the anti-theft, a gas is automatically released thanks to the mechanism, immediately generating a foul odor.
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Entirely made in France in small businesses from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, this anti-theft device also has aeducational function, as a thief's brain will associate the act of stealing a bicycle with this absolutely horrible smell, which is hard to forget. If this idea interests you, you can order your copy right now. And as the slogan for CactUs Lock says so well, thanks to this revolutionary system, those who mess with it get pricked!