Don Cicleto + iLOQ: smarter access for cycling infrastructure—with no keys, no batteries, and no hassle

Urban cycling infrastructure is evolving fast—but access control hasn’t always kept up. Physical keys, battery-powered locks, or outdated RFID cards still dominate many systems, creating friction for users and management headaches for operators.

That’s why we’re proud to announce something new: Don Cicleto’s access control platform is now fully integrated with iLOQ, the pioneering battery-free smart lock system.

This makes us the first in the cycling infrastructure sector to offer this kind of integration—and marks a big step forward in creating access solutions that are smarter, simpler, and more sustainable.

Why cycling infrastructure access still needs an upgrade

If you manufacture or manage parking facilities, repair stations, or charging points, you’ve likely dealt with some of the usual suspects:

  • Keys or cards getting lost, copied, or broken
  • Locks running out of battery at the worst time
  • Costly maintenance or technician visits just to reset access

Access should be the simplest part of the user journey—not the bottleneck.

Enter iLOQ: battery-free locks powered by your phone

iLOQ is redefining what a smart lock can be. Its cylinders don’t use batteries, don’t need an internet connection, and don’t rely on plastic cards or mechanical keys.

Instead, users unlock them via NFC from their smartphones—which also provide the energy needed to open the lock.

Here’s what makes iLOQ different:

No batteries, no power cables
The lock is powered by the NFC signal from the user’s phone.

No keys or cards
Access is managed entirely through an app on Android or iOS.

No internet required
The locks work offline, which makes deployment easier and more secure.

Minimal maintenance
No batteries means fewer breakdowns and lower lifetime costs.

What changes with Don Cicleto’s integration

iLOQ provides the hardware. Don Cicleto turns it into a full digital service.

By integrating iLOQ into our platform, we make it possible to manage access, users, payments, and infrastructure all in one place—without any extra tech overhead.

Here’s how it works:

  • User app: Fully branded and customizable, letting users register, reserve, unlock, and pay with their phone.
  • Admin dashboard: Manage everything in real time—access logs, payments, usage, issues, and occupancy.
  • Interactive map: Show your infrastructure on a live, mobile-accessible map that increases visibility and usage.
  • Public APIs: Connect effortlessly to other platforms. (We’ve done it before—with Cabify, back in 2021.)
  • Any infrastructure: From lockers and bike hangars to charging points or cargo bike parking—we digitize it all.

This integration with iLOQ allows us to deliver a faster, more secure, and fully digital access experience. It’s a key step toward our vision of frictionless urban mobility — where technology makes people’s lives easier and helps cities operate more efficiently.

Pablo Rosa Casado, CEO & Founder Don Cicleto

Why this matters for operators, manufacturers, and cities

This is more than a technical upgrade. It’s a shift in how cycling infrastructure is accessed, used, and maintained.

By removing the friction of outdated hardware, we open the door to:

  • Smarter user experiences: frictionless access through the phone users already carry
  • Lower operational costs: no more card distribution, key duplication, or battery swaps
  • Greater sustainability: iLOQ’s locks eliminate waste and energy consumption
  • Scalable infrastructure: deploy access control at scale without increasing complexity

Cities are moving fast. Mobility is changing. And access technology needs to catch up.

With Don Cicleto and iLOQ, cycling infrastructure gets the kind of smart, resilient access system it’s been missing—one that’s built for the people using it, and for the cities supporting it.

Want to see how it works in action? Let’s talk.

Te puede interesar

From infrastructure to service: why cycling infrastructure must go digital

For decades, cycling infrastructure was defined by hardware. Robust bike racks, secure lockers, protective hangars, and durable shelters set the standard. Reliability and safety were the primary benchmarks of quality. Those attributes remain essential. But today, they are no longer enough. Cycling infrastructure is increasingly expected to function not just as a physical asset, but as a connected service.

Sheltec partners with Don Cicleto to consolidate their smart bike parking solutions in Canada

Sheltec, a Canadian manufacturer with more than 40 years of experience in urban and street furniture, has partnered with Don Cicleto to consolidate and scale its smart bike parking solutions in Canada through Cyclolink, its dedicated smart cycling infrastructure division. Based in Montreal, Cyclolink was created to deliver safe, secure, and affordable bicycle parking solutions to communities, building on Sheltec’s long-standing manufacturing expertise while introducing a unified digital layer to support connected, service-oriented infrastructure. Through this partnership, Sheltec brings its smart bike parking offering under a single technological platform, simplifying deployment, operations, and future expansion across Canadian cities.

The French city of Mulhouse launches a new velopark powered by Don Cicleto’s technology

The city of Mulhouse, located in the French region of Alsace, has launched a new velopark next to the Covered Canal Market, a secure bicycle parking service powered by the technology of Don Cicleto. The new velopark offers 11 parking spaces in total, 10 dedicated to bicycles and one space that will soon be available for cargo bikes.