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Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike

Updated 1426 GMT (2226 HKT) August 27, 2014

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Every second, a bike gets stolen somewhere in the world. Three engineering students from Chile think they have a solution to the problem: the <a href="www.yerkaproject.com" target="_blank">Yerka</a> bicycle, currently a prototype, has a lock that is made out of the frame. The only way to steal it is to break the lock and therefore the bike. They call it "the world's first unstealable bike". <br /><br />By <a href="https://twitter.com/Justintyme75" target="_blank"><strong>Jacopo Prisco</a></strong>, for CNN.
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike – Every second, a bike gets stolen somewhere in the world. Three engineering students from Chile think they have a solution to the problem: the Yerka bicycle, currently a prototype, has a lock that is made out of the frame. The only way to steal it is to break the lock and therefore the bike. They call it "the world's first unstealable bike".

By Jacopo Prisco, for CNN.
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"The concept of making a lock out of the frame came to us as a team about two years ago," Andrés Roi Eggers, one of the three founders of the Yerka Project, told CNN. "First we made some digital models and then we built a PVC frame, followed by our first functional bike prototype seen in the pictures."
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – "The concept of making a lock out of the frame came to us as a team about two years ago," Andrés Roi Eggers, one of the three founders of the Yerka Project, told CNN. "First we made some digital models and then we built a PVC frame, followed by our first functional bike prototype seen in the pictures."
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"We are currently conducting some strength and performance tests," says Andrés Roi Eggers. For the next stage, the team might turn to crowdfunding: "Joining Kickstarter in the near future is one of our options, but we also want to travel to the US or Europe to look for partners or investors."
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – "We are currently conducting some strength and performance tests," says Andrés Roi Eggers. For the next stage, the team might turn to crowdfunding: "Joining Kickstarter in the near future is one of our options, but we also want to travel to the US or Europe to look for partners or investors."
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The modifications on the frame didn't add any extra weight to the bike and the current prototype is made out of steel, with aluminum components for the lock.
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – The modifications on the frame didn't add any extra weight to the bike and the current prototype is made out of steel, with aluminum components for the lock.
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The down tube splits in two and allows the seat tube to be inserted, creating a lock out of the frame.
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – The down tube splits in two and allows the seat tube to be inserted, creating a lock out of the frame.
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The locking operation, according to the Yerka team, takes only about 20 seconds.
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – The locking operation, according to the Yerka team, takes only about 20 seconds.
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But don't the wheels and saddle remain stealable? "Today there are other companies that have a solution to that," Andrés Roi Eggers told CNN, "and a Kickstarter campaign was created around special bolts and screws to secure the wheels. This could be a great option to partner with, but we are also working on our own technology to deliver full protection, while always keeping comfort and design into consideration."
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – But don't the wheels and saddle remain stealable? "Today there are other companies that have a solution to that," Andrés Roi Eggers told CNN, "and a Kickstarter campaign was created around special bolts and screws to secure the wheels. This could be a great option to partner with, but we are also working on our own technology to deliver full protection, while always keeping comfort and design into consideration."
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The final price of a commercial version, depending on specifications and components, will be between $400 and $1,000, according to the creators of the bike.
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – The final price of a commercial version, depending on specifications and components, will be between $400 and $1,000, according to the creators of the bike.
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The three Chilean engineering students who invented the bike: Andrés Roi Eggers, 22, Juan José Monsalve, 23, and Cristóbal Cabello, 22.
Photos: Can you crack it? The world's first 'unstealable' bike
Can you crack it? The world's first unstealable bike – The three Chilean engineering students who invented the bike: Andrés Roi Eggers, 22, Juan José Monsalve, 23, and Cristóbal Cabello, 22.
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