GPS tracker tag for stolen bike

[Stephan]

How does this work? Which product to buy / how to connect/track / costs? 

Has anyone had actual experience with tracking a stolen bike? 

[Stephan]

Bump. 

With all these flipping bike jackings going on....any thoughts on this?

[Shebeen]

45 minutes ago, Stephan said:

Bump. 

With all these flipping bike jackings going on....any thoughts on this?

Been on the verge of taking off for the past 10 years 

 

Coverage, battery life and criminals being wise to it will always hold them back

[CraigN]

Has anyone tried or looked into Apple AirTags? For R600 it might be worth a try. You can watch a few videos on YouTube it was designed to recover items like keys etc. but can be a decent solution for a bike. 
 

(only works for iPhone users)

[dave303e]

Trackers work on cars because there is an energy system to tap into to keep it charged and running. If you have AXS etc and charge the tracker while you charge gears it may work. But then your tracker needs to be accessible to charge it which will make it easy to find anyway. Also GSM based trackers are so easy to get around it is a joke.

[The Ouzo]

48 minutes ago, dave303e said:

Trackers work on cars because there is an energy system to tap into to keep it charged and running. If you have AXS etc and charge the tracker while you charge gears it may work. But then your tracker needs to be accessible to charge it which will make it easy to find anyway. Also GSM based trackers are so easy to get around it is a joke.

actually alot of the cheaper tracking units for cars dont tap into the power, and they last a number of years on a battery. But they dont have to be as small as one that needs to be hidden on a bike.

[Jono]

I think this may have come up in the 3d printing thread. There are quite a few 3d printing ideas for holding an airtag https://www.yeggi.com/q/airtag+bicycle/

This is quite a neat one inside fork crown:

[Steady Spin]

Apple airtag isn't great. 

Tested it and it couldn't even locate my keys in my house. It just tells me there is no signal. 

It does however show me that my keys are at the address. 

Another problem is that the tag notifies iPhones near it that it is tracking them. Had to disable the notifications on my phone or I would get constant notifications that I'm being tracked. Maybe there is a way past that. 

[dave303e]

ya it is a lot easier if you have space for a battery. I guess an e-bike could be easier to solve for.

But is still doesn't get around simple things like just putting the bike/car into certain places puts them in a 'black hole of signal' which buys a lot of time to find the tracker and 'sort it out'. 

[Paul Ruinaard]

Apple airtag  = there is even a bike mount for hiding it under the fork in the headset tube. Problem solved.

 

[MORNE]

https://www.merlincycles.com/sherlock-standard-bike-gps-tracker-203928.html
 

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/buying-guides/5391/buyers-guide-gps-bike-trackers
 

some more options

[Spy007]

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-to-track-stolen-bike-apple-air-tag/

 

 

 

 

[dave303e]

39 minutes ago, Spy007 said:

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/how-to-track-stolen-bike-apple-air-tag/

 

 

 

 

tell you what. pop your apple air tag into a closed shipping container on the back of a truck and let me know how well you can track it.

[Shebeen]

47 minutes ago, MORNE said:

https://www.merlincycles.com/sherlock-standard-bike-gps-tracker-203928.html
 

 

I may be mistaken but I think Sherlock was/is a RSA company. 

[MORNE]

9 minutes ago, dave303e said:

tell you what. pop your apple air tag into a closed shipping container on the back of a truck and let me know how well you can track it.

this same guy had some fun with tags. Sent  af few to different parts of the world and was able to track them all the way. Even caught out dhl lying about one haha.

Edited April 20, 2022 by MORNE

[Titleist]

1 hour ago, dave303e said:

tell you what. pop your apple air tag into a closed shipping container on the back of a truck and let me know how well you can track it.

Exactly this. An airtag is only as good as the amount of iPhones in it's vicinity. Whoever wants to use it, go for it, but don't expect a foolproof solution. All you have to lose is a bike and an airtag.