Tracking device for a bicycle

HurdyGurdy

Thanks all. I guess I will pass on a tracker then.

I am so so so cross with myself. I do have a cycle shed at work, but it's one of those where you have to raise the front wheel and rest the bike on its rear wheel. The bike was really heavy, and I found it really hard to get it into the shed.

I had left the bike in the cycle shelter instead (a row of racks with a curved perspex roof over it) and I'd left it overnight (yeah, I know).

It had a fairly hefty combination lock on it and it was locked to one of the racks.

The bike was old, second hand and I was thinking of replacing it anyway, as my employer does the cycle to work scheme. But oh, that's not the point - I loved that bike and being out on it. I really could kick myself.

Of course, the new bike won't ever be left overnight, and will always be put in the lockable shed.

I have ordered a gold lock as one of the accessories. I had absolutely no clue what to look for in a lock, so I opted for the best of what they had on offer.

Weird_Nev

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

It had a fairly hefty combination lock on it and it was locked to one of the racks.

Sadly, there is no such thing.

Most combination locks I met, I could open without tools in about 30 seconds. The rest, I could open with tools in about 5.

Solid D-Lock, Oxford, Abus or Kryptonite. There are ratings, but if you spend £40 or more and it has a key, it'll be decent. You can always get a cable to loop through the front wheel as a deterrent, but a better option is to fit 'security' quick release skewers. They're not that secure, but they at least prevent someone without tools coming up and removing either your whole bike or your front wheel.

And take the time to lock your bike up properly in future. It's a horrible lesson to learn, (I've had 2 bikes nicked, one unlocked as a student, the second one badly locked at a train station when I was a bit drunk and in a hurry!) but now you know, you'll be more motivated to make your bike a harder target.

carlos1973

I use datatag bought from Evanscycles.com. It's about the size of a grain of rice and easily be concealed about the bike.

armyknife

Why not just ride crap bikes? :scholar:

Mids_Costcutter

armyknife wrote: »

Why not just ride crap bikes? :scholar:

Because a poor quality bike is more difficult to maintain (poor quality components fail more easily), heavier and less enjoyable to ride.

brat

I use virtually no outdoor security for my best bike, a £6,000 Cannondale. It's simply never out of my sight!

On cafe rides I take a small Abus combiflex lock that would deter someone for the second or two it would take for me to run out to the bike from the cafe queue.

And I agree with the previous poster, a nice bike makes you want to ride it more.

Nebulous2

Mids_Costcutter wrote: »

Because a poor quality bike is more difficult to maintain (poor quality components fail more easily), heavier and less enjoyable to ride.

Not necessarily a crap bike, but a less desirable bike is a good idea. People on cycling forums sometimes talk about having a pub bike.

I have a 1980s steel framed road bike which is quite enjoyable to ride but would only fetch about £70 or £80 on ebay. A lot of bikes would be ahead of that one in the queue to be stolen.

Strider590

Wrapping your frame in duct tape tends to put them off thieving it.

As for trackers, why not use an old smart phone? Plenty of phone tracking apps on the market!!

Around here it's travellers that do the bike thieving and the Police won't go near em.

Marco_Panettone

If it's a utility bike (not a specific bike for racing specific terrain that is used for that purpose) why not add one of these: http://www.dutchbikebits.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=49


It is permanently attached to the bike, locks the rear wheel and can't be opened/ridden without the key being in it.

Weird_Nev

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

If it's a utility bike (not a specific bike for racing specific terrain that is used for that purpose) why not add one of these: http://www.dutchbikebits.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=49


It is permanently attached to the bike, locks the rear wheel and can't be opened/ridden without the key being in it.

Doesn't stop it being shifted around the corner though, and if you can't find it where you left it, it's as good as stolen to you.

My misgiving with that kind of lock is that they breed complacency, and people don't actually immobilise their bike by locking it to something solid.