BRANDS
INNOVATION BY DESIGN
Hiplok has been a leader in bicycle security solutions for more than a decade. Daniel Blackham learns the brand’s origin story from co-founders, John Abrahams and Ben Smith
John Abrahams and Ben Smith H
iplok is a well-recognised brand, lining the walls and shelves of bike shops across the world with a number of SKUs.
Many are familiar with the original creation from co- founders John Abrahams and Ben Smith – the world’s first wearable lock – but the roots for that idea stem from a less than ideal situation. “I had a bike stolen, and that was probably the catalyst,” explained Abrahams. “Anyone who’s owned a bike knows it’s always more than just the
value.It was how I took my son to nursery; it had all the brackets for his bike seat. The theft was immensely frustrating. “
At the time, Abrahams was working at a design consultancy and had access to a workshop for prototyping. The duo were in fairly constant contact because they would go mountain biking together. “Although, at that time, it was less frequent because he
[Smith] emigrated to California, which I’ve never forgiven him for because I was immensely jealous,” said Abrahams. “I mentioned having a bike stolen, which led to thinking of a better way of carrying a bike lock – around your waist. That then rolled into the first Hiplok prototype.” The pair spent six months to a year going backwards and forwards until they landed on something special.
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“It’s always a good sign when you feel like you’ve solved a need for yourself,” added Smith. “I was annoyed when I had to send my prototype back to John because it was really useful.”
Security has traditionally been a need rather than a want, but with the Hiplok concept, Smith and Abrahams had solved the problem in a unique way. “We felt that there was a gap in the market from a product point of view but also from a category point of view by presenting it in a different way to consumers and retailers,” explained Smith.
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