(Photo courtesy of J-LOQ)
Bendite Files Patent & Opens Business for Outdoor Gear
J Miller is the founder, owner and designer of J-LOQ; a new bike rack locking mechanism that is compatible with the ever-locally popular 1UP bike racks. “We make a replacement lever with a lock built into the lever directly so that once your bike is mounted in the bike rack, it becomes a very simple system to fully lock up your bike,” Miller said. “No need for another cable or another locking mechanism: simply push the button to lock it.”
Miller is a Bendite and an avid mountain biker himself. Miller owns his own 1UP bike rack, like many other local bikers, and found himself hassling with cumbersome cables, big padlocks, and a locking mechanism that he felt could use a revamp, “I got a point where I thought there has to be a better way to do it; something that is simple, easy to understand and just plain works.”
Miller, who clarified that he is just a “regular guy” and not a professional or amateur engineer, spent a year in his garage playing with different ideas, evaluating his current locking system and trying to figure out a better method of protecting his gear. Finally, Miller came up with his lever design and reached out to a local machine shop who agreed to help create some working prototypes to test the design out.
“Just six months later, we had a working model that we used to file for a patent in January,” Miller said.
As to why cyclists should consider using the J-LOQ system, Miller stated plainly that any locking system is a deterrent, and explained that the longer a would-be thief spends trying to break into something, the more risky it becomes for that thief. So if a bike thief sees a new system that they are unfamiliar with, one that cannot be snipped with wire cutters or broken into with other commonly used theft tactics, the odds of that thief stealing the bike are much lower.
“There is no such thing as a 100 percent effective lock. No guarantee anywhere, and that is the unfortunate but honest truth,” Miller said. “My hope is that this is a greater deterrent than other locks that thieves are used to. It causes people to stop and think about a new plan, and that increases deterrence. I’m trying to give people a choice when they choose a locking system, and this choice is easier, simple to understand and it just plain works.”
Miller takes a very intentional and personal approach to his new product and business, “The goal is to make things simple, clean and easy,” he said. “It’s also very important to me to keep things local and American-made.”
Miller said that he has been told on multiple occasions that he could potentially save money by outsourcing the actual manufacturing to another state or country, but this goes against his philosophy.
“We’re local people, we machine the pieces at a local shop, we anodize the colors locally, everything is assembled right here and they are sold locally,” Miller said. “Through and through, this is a 100 percent local process. We wanted the business to be a part of the community and we want the work done by people who live and play here in Bend.”
While growth is on the horizon, Miller still operates as a one-man team, adding a personal touch to his business. “When you surf my website, you’re going through my own design. When you call our phones to grab more info, you’re not talking to someone who needed training on the product; you’re talking to the guy who actually designed it, made it and uses it himself,”
Miller said.
On the horizon, Miller is hoping for growth. Ideally, he would like to see his product on the shelves of local stores, as well as others in the PNW and beyond. Right now, his objective is to reach as many people as possible; he’s even set up a booth at the trailhead to some local biking trails so that he can connect with other mountain bikers in the community. Eventually, Miller wants to establish a wholesale division to reach larger and more competitive markets.
“Goal number one was to get production down, and we did that,” Miller said. “Goal two is get the word out and get on the shelves. Goal number three would be to have this just be the beginning of other products that I have an interest in producing for the outdoor community. I want to keep making new and innovative outdoor products, and I think this can be a great stepping stone for that.”
Even with new potential products in the future, Miller made clear that any new product will follow his philosophy; local, clean, easy to use. More than anything else, Miller believes in what he is making, “I’m not an engineer, I’m a mountain biker who saw something he might be able to improve. I use the product myself and I am always open to feedback and reviews from other people who have also used it. This is an active and healthy community that I am so happy to be a part of.”
If you see Miller out at trailheads, stop and say hello.
