Yerka’s unique security system hit the headlines over a decade ago, locking a split down tube and an extended seatpost together to render the bike “unstealable”, according to the team behind it. Whatever became of the idea?

First of all, the Yerka idea, then… Yerka isn’t a lock, it’s a bicycle designed with an integrated lock system. Yeah, an unusual concept, but go with it.

It’s not as complicated as you might think. Just watch this short video…

Essentially, the bike’s down tube is split into upper and lower sections that are attached with a sleeve when you’re riding. When you stop, you swing the two hinged sections of down tube to the side and remove the extended seatpost. You then slot the seatpost through the down tube and secure your bike to an immovable object – like a bike rack or lamp post – with the integrated locking mechanism.

The idea is that a thief would need to break either the seatpost or the down tube to remove the bike, rendering it unusable. 

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Yerka was designed by three engineering students in Chile who had all been victims of cycle thieves, Cristobal Cabello, Andres Roi Eggers and Juan Jose Monsalve.

yerka 3
yerka 3 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

We first reported on the Yerka concept way back in 2014, and again in 2015 when it was looking for crowdfunding on Indiegogo. The Yerka project was successful, raising over $98,000 to take the bike into production, 35% more than the target. Then in 2017, the Yerka bike became available for pre-order.

At that time, Yerka said, “The main goal of this project was to produce the most secure bicycle system ever created without affecting the integrity of the frame itself. We realised that performance and comfort can be achieved together which is why the beauty of Yerka’s design is in its simplicity. By thinking out of the box, we came up with a concept that merges everything into one sleek design.”

The singlespeed version was available for €599, and a three-speed model was €699. 

We’ve not covered Yerka much in recent years, but the brand still exists. There have been updates but the split down tube, joined with the extended seatpost, is still at the heart of things.

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What about the wheels? They’re held in place by anti-theft nuts that require a special adaptor to remove them. They can’t be undone with standard hex keys or spanners.

The Yerka Classic flat-barred urban bike and the Alltrack hybrid are currently sold out but Yerka tells us that it is working on restocking soon. The brand was at last year’s Eurobike expo and a Yerka Electric is on the way, which will be available in both step-over and step-through frame designs with a 350W motor and a lithium-ion 360Wh battery. You’ll get hydraulic disc brakes from Tektro, integrated front and rear LEDs, and you’ll be able to choose between automatic dual-speed gears and a SRAM X4 8-speed system.

The pedal-assist level will be adjustable, so you can choose how much assistance you receive, or turn it off entirely if you’re feeling energetic.

Bicycle insurance: compare quotes and find yourself a great deal to get your bike covered

The Yerka Electric will be priced from US$3,000 (which converts to about £2,250). Yerka previously ran a pre-sale, but it doesn’t have a confirmed date yet for the next pre-sale or official production. In the meantime, it’s sharing some previews on Instagram and its website, where it will also announce any updates. European and UK customers can order directly from that site.

Check out loads more Bikes at Bedtime here.

www.yerka.world