ATM security maker launches smart bike lock for insured bikes

TMD Security has moved from bank infrastructure to bicycles with the TMD Chain Lock, a Bluetooth-enabled chain lock it says is approved by insurers for insured bikes. The company is pitching it as a practical upgrade rather than a novelty, built around keyless access, an integrated motion alarm and ART 2-certified hardware.

The numbers behind the lock are meant to support that pitch. TMD says the battery can last up to 9 months on a single charge. Product material says the ART 2 model is 110 cm long and weighs 1.65 kg, putting it in the range of a full chain lock rather than a lightweight accessory. The app is part of the product’s appeal: TMD says users can unlock the lock with a nearby phone, share access, monitor battery level and see the last known location.

TMD is leaning on a security pedigree that predates the bike market. The company says it was founded in 2004 by CEO and founder Cees Heuker of Hoek in the Netherlands and has spent nearly 20 years protecting ATMs before expanding into consumer hardware. TMD says it now protects more than 400,000 ATMs and SSTs worldwide, a scale that gives the brand a commercial-security profile uncommon in the bike-lock aisle.

That background matters because the product is being sold into an insurance-driven market, especially in the Netherlands. Stichting ART says ART 2 is the bicycle category rating for quality theft protection, and that bicycle insurance policies require an ART lock with a minimum of two stars. The foundation also says almost all insurers require an ART-approved lock and recommends using a second ART lock to secure a bike to a fixed object.

Taken together, those requirements make TMD’s chain lock a test of whether a premium smart lock can do more than add Bluetooth. For riders buying insured bikes or e-bikes, the value hinges on whether keyless convenience, a built-in alarm and insurer-recognized certification can replace the hassle of a separate key-and-chain setup without weakening real-world theft protection.