LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — Retailers might be drawn to the Abus booth at Interbike this week by its new bright green Hyban urban helmet. With an integrated light in the back, multiple vents and optional rain cover, it's one of 14 helmets the German lock maker is working to bring to the U.S. market. Abus has been selling helmets in Canada for a year and is working out the distribution details for expanding into the U.S.
But what Abus is talking up more than the helmets is a new line of competitively priced, entry-level U-locks dubbed the Ultra 410. The Asian-made line, featuring green accents, consists of seven models priced from $34.99 to $49.99 and geared toward students and bike commuters.
The Ultra 410 Mini is offered with short and longer hardened steel 120-millimeter round shackles (5.5-inch and 7-inch), with and without a Cobra Cable for added security. Its larger sibling, the Ultra 410, comes with 9- and 11-inch shackles with and without Cobra Cable and sells for $44.99 and $49.99, respectively. Despite the lower price point, the locks offer a new six-wafer key cylinder that's pick- and break-resistant, said Joan Hanscom, marketing and PR manager for Abus USA.
For 2015, Abus' Phantom series of steel coil cables ($54.99 to $59.99) now have a magnetic bracket that pulls the end of the cable into the snap closure. It's a small detail that improves the lock's usability, Hanscom said.
Meanwhile, the shackle on Abus' Granit Futura Mini—a popular lock among messengers—has been widened this year to fit more parking meters in the U.S. The made-in-Germany lock is offered with a 6-inch ($99.99) or 9-inch ($129.99) shackle.
