The Cure to Bicycle Theft: Bambú

In the hustle to get where you’re going, the last thing you want is for someone to steal your bike. Yet, despite all of the sturdy bike locks out there, this is a major problem across college campuses and world wide. So James Haskell, U marketing student and co-founder of Bambú, decided to take a stand.

Bambú is an extendable bike lock system that not only locks up your frame and front tire, it ensures that your entire bike frame, front and rear wheels are protected from those relentless thieves.

“I originally used a U-Lock and a cable myself, but I found that it was cumbersome to carry around both objects,” Haskell said. “I wanted something more compact and more secure.”

The design is similar to that of a U-Lock, but has an extendable interior element. This lends to its portability (fits in your backpack or bag), but also can be extended to cover each potentially-removable component of your bicycle.

The idea was born in the “Entrepreneurial Marketing” class at the David Eccles School of Business. Haskell had recently had one of the tires from his bike stolen and was livid. So he pitched the idea to a group of students in his class, and they collaborated to develop this all-encompassing product. The team is made up of James Haskell, Tait Meskey, Emi Deiss and Serge DuPreez.

Through counseling with their professor, and with the judges from the Lassonde Institute’s Get Seeded program, the team pooled resources to develop this product.

In October 2015, the Bambú team pitched their product at the Get Seeded event. Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute was able to provide them with their requested $1,000 so they could begin development on a prototype.

“Our professor was an integral part of this process,” Haskell said. “He told us that we don’t need to be professionals to launch a successful company; we just need an idea, the ability to work in a team and the right resources. I feel like the Lassonde Institute gave us those resources.”