I wonder if something like Graphene would have any applications for bicycle locks? I would love a lock made from this Graphene paper, which is allegedly 10 times stronger than steel:
With bike locks, you're not looking for tensile strength, you need to resist shearing & shock loads.
Carbon fiber, for example, may be considered to be almost as strong as steel, but it breaks pretty easily when subjected to shear and shock forces, i.e. a bolt cutter.
Quickly skimming the article, graphene is only twice as strong as steel in this regard. Although this is still great, you have to be careful.
http://inhabitat.com/new-graphene-super-paper-is-10x-stronge...
New materials are giving us great opportunities to re-think old problems, which is why I regularly enjoy browsing http://www.inventables.com/