Tracking device to trace your stolen bike

tavyabe

Hi all

I have just had my cannondale stolen and am in a serious state of mourning. Does anyone know of any affordable devices that you use to track your bike if it is stolen?

I know it is too late for my cannondale but when I get another bike I want to protect it somehow and I find it hard to beleive that there isn't a simple tracking device that you can put in the frame which will allow you to locate it. I have seen some american things for £300 but I was wondering if there is a cheaper alternative?

thanks

delcol

there are devices out there that can help find your bike but not as in what you refare to as in track the bike,,, do search it has been mentioned on this forum a few times....

i can't remmeber what it is called now but it is a chip that goes in your frame usually the seatpost it holds your details if the bike is stollen you log it as stollen and if the bike is recovered by the police they scan it and it will come up with your details and in theory you get the bike back...

i think it is called a data chip or data tag,,,

a tracker would be could good but the main problem is powering it, as there is no power source on a push bike like there is on a car or motor bike..

nicklouse

http://www.datatag.co.uk/

TiBoy

I have a tracker fitted to a caravan (sorry) a 12 volt car battery lasts about 6 months and if that gets disconnected there a small back up battery that only last 2 hours so not much good for a bike. I know there are smaller ones that use a mobile phone sim to track, it may be worth having a look for them.

The Big Cheese

Just to clarify this:

The Datatag isn't a tracker, the police don't turn a machine on and it locates your bike.

IF and that's a big IF, the bike/frame is found. The police then wave a handheld scanner over the bike and it reads the chip that is normally in the seatube. This only proves your the owner.

turnerjohn

sorry to here about the bike mate...not good !
I've used DataTag but also try "Immobitag" they use a chip the same as DataTag but are even cheaper ! Their website is really good and you can upload photos and info on the bike...recommended.

One bike shop owner told me laminate your details and address and shove it down your seatpost...99% of people wouldn't bother to look down there so would be another proof of owner ship.

Tacking Systems can't really be fitted to bikes (as about posts) power being the hardest part.
Also Trackers cost...approx £500 fitted then over £100 a year is what it costs for my Subaru...aint cheap lol.

Best way is to chip your bike, and a (or more in my case!) very good D-Lock.

Briggo

turnerjohn wrote:

and a (or more in my case!) very good D-Lock.

Which will be broken into in a matter of minutes, if you're lucky

turnerjohn

Briggo wrote:

turnerjohn wrote:

and a (or more in my case!) very good D-Lock.

Which will be broken into in a matter of minutes, if you're lucky

yeh tis true ! Though am sure my NewYork would put up one hell of a fight .

whats needed is a bike with a force field or some relaliation device...although I recon theres some law against that

biff55

Briggo wrote:

turnerjohn wrote:

and a (or more in my case!) very good D-Lock.

Which will be broken into in a matter of minutes, if you're lucky

minutes are an eternity to a casual thief
thus should always be your first line of defense.

biff55

turnerjohn wrote:

whats needed is a bike with a force field or some relaliation device.

there is .... 8)

i have seen , on i think the instructables website , a american bloke who rigged up on his bike stripped down compnents and battery from a mobile phone connected to a stun gun , also concealed within the bike.
dial up your bike from another phone and it activates the 50,000 volt charge. :twisted:



this is quite possibly the best thing since sliced bread.

turnerjohn

biff55 wrote:

turnerjohn wrote:

whats needed is a bike with a force field or some relaliation device.

there is .... 8)

i have seen , on i think the instructables website , a american bloke who rigged up on his bike stripped down compnents and battery from a mobile phone connected to a stun gun , also concealed within the bike.
dial up your bike from another phone and it activates the 50,000 volt charge. :twisted:



this is quite possibly the best thing since sliced bread.

quality idea though know what the laws like in this country...would be the owner who got done!....only thing is its not gona work on a carbon bike .

biff55

turnerjohn wrote:

....only thing is its not gona work on a carbon bike .

wrap it in foil

turnerjohn

biff55 wrote:

turnerjohn wrote:

....only thing is its not gona work on a carbon bike .

wrap it in foil

and it would look uber retro ! I like your thinking

Mr bump

All my bikes have been smart watered. you cover every possiable part with it and it acts as a deterant to any would be theives.
Like everything though its only a deterant i also lock the bike to the floor with 2 chains have a house alarm frame numbers written down etc etc.
Unfortunatley all this probably wouldnt stop a pro theif.

Mr bump

www.smartwater.com
Sorry forgot to add that.

bails87

The thing with all of these is that the bike has to be recovered before it can be ID'd. I can't see the point in it, just get a decent insurance policy and do what you need to so that if the worst happens, you get a replacement bike.

slimboyjim

An alternative to Smartwater is 'SelectaDNA' - not used it and don't know how it compares but it may be worth looking at if this is the route you're taking. Good thing about either this or Smartwater is you can mark every part of your bike, rather than just the frame - may deter someone from breaking it up and selling the parts?

The most important part of this is the sticker though - make sure it is prominent as you are ideally looking at PREVENTING the theft of your bike. As mentioned, these methods only work for recovered bikes which are sadly few and far between... (Don't get grand ideas from the hype!)

So +1 for the insurance I'm afraid...

The other thing no-one has mentioned is target hardening the place it was stolen from - if it was a shed can you fit an alarm, etc... There's loads of posts on this within the forum...

Sorry about your loss...


James

Mr bump

I have to say that im supprised that there is no log of owners of all these bikes.
Like the V5 for your car etc.
Some bikes can cost thousands.

I had my demo 8 stolen and often wonder where it went. :?

bails87

Mr bump
You could say the same for computers, TVs, furniture, stereos....

Mr bump

Oh i agree with you.
Just think some sort of data base would be a good idea.
Maybe have some sort of rule in races that bike frame numbers are to be provided etc, just i very quick idea.

tarquin_foxglove

Mr bump wrote:

www.smartwater.com
Sorry forgot to add that.

£5 a month! :shock:

Are you able to just buy the stickers on ebay?

sammeoldme

There are always the products made by integrated trackers (http://www.integratedtrackers.com) which do track your bike if stolen - though in my experience the police normally find these ideas difficult to wrap their heads round. As for databases, has anyone registered with immobilize.com its free, and police forces have the kit to track down any stolen bikes with it (as they do with Datatag). 'course, whether they have the time or the inclination is another matter. Its a shame we don't take the theft problem as seriously as they do in Copenhagen, as shown at www.copenhagenize.com/2009/06/chips-are ... hagen.html.

Anonymous

Easier to just get enough insurance and don't let your bike be vulnerable. If you care about it and it's expensive, don't leave it in a shed or garage, no matter how beefy and "sold secure" etc the locks are (though you need these for the insurance), or even if you use ground anchors etc. If they want it, they'll get it, and your shed or garage is a nice quiet safe place for them to work.

In the house, decent security, don't leave unlocked and unattended for long enough for someone to pop in and nick it.

Outside - never leaves your sight, if not touch!

Bike to run to the shop & pub - very cheap bike. Cheaper than the bike you lock it up next to.

Car - inside the car is safest, but if on a rack just be very careful, never unattended at a trail centre, stopping for petrol or at a service station, watch out for people following you home, unload the bike first and into the house, locked up, before you do anything else.

If it still gets nicked, get everyone to look out for it and check ebay quickly as often seems to be a good way of finding it. Either that or drive around the local pikey estate and look for kids on expensive bikes

EyesintheSky

^I second the Ebay pronto tip^

When my Cube was stolen the nutjob had it on Ebay within 45 minutes of stealing it.

Round went the police, had my bike back within 24 hours.

So lucky, but there's no reason to not look no matter how unlikely.

stanny_uk

http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/ thats what we need!!