ABUS partners with Portland’s Project 529
Germany’s ABUS Mobile Security and Portland, Oregon’s Project 529—a cycling software startup—are joining forces to combat the growing epidemic of stolen bicycles with their new 529 Garage platform.
Both companies agree that the key first step in bike security is using the proper lock and using it correctly. The understanding that no lock offers 100-percent protection against a well-equipped thief is the basis for the partnership. Project 529 and its 529 Garage platform pick up where ABUS’s locks leave off, by providing easy bicycle registration and crowdsourced recovery assistance in the event of theft.
Statistics indicate that a bike is stolen every 30 seconds in the United States and fewer than 10 percent of recovered bicycles are ever returned to their owners. By encouraging the use of high-quality, high-security locks—and teaching owners how to use them properly—the goal is to prevent theft before it happens.
The 529 Garage allows riders to easily and securely register their bikes and provides the capacity to broadcast a “Missing Bike Bulletin” to the 529 community and social networks that include images and details that will enable cyclists and law enforcement to identify and recover the stolen bike. Additionally, the 529 Garage generates a detailed report that can be provided to the police and the victim’s insurance company to maximize and expedite claims and the ability for law enforcement to check against a national database of missing bikes.
“Our goal is to make the best locks in the world,” said ABUS Marketing Manager Joan Hanscom. “Our locks are engineered and produced in our own factories to incredibly demanding quality standards that we set – standards that meet and exceed many of the most widely recognized testing standards employed globally. But even then—whether it be due to human error or the use of power tools—bikes still get stolen. By partnering with Project 529 we are delivering a more comprehensive security solution to cyclists and we are thrilled to be working with them.”
The ABUS and Project 529 partnership will launch on the ground in Portland and online nationally this month. This season, a security “bundle” will roll out with select Portland independent bicycle dealers that will include a high-security ABUS lock and a 529 Garage registration kit. The partnership extends further into cyclist education and new product development efforts. Recently, J Allard was appointed to the newly formed Portland Police Bike Theft Task Force by Portland Chief of Police Larry O’Dea to help attack the growing frustration with bike theft in Portland.
“This partnership represents the marriage of simplicity and security backed by world-class engineering,” said J. Allard, founder of Project 529. “Bike theft is an epidemic, and the solution lies in industry cooperation and community engagement. We’re excited to partner with ABUS and the bike shop community to bring new thinking and new solutions to this difficult problem.”
