Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by thirdcrank »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 10:19am =============================================================
PS I didn't check the cost of the kit or if there was any sort of subscription
That was because the site didn't seem to make that info explicit, without heading down the "buy now" route. The google search hit brings up this:
09/06/2020 · Product Price: £114.99, €134.99 (tax included) Service Fee: £3.49, €3.99/month (tax included) £34.99 €39.99/year (tax included)
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 1:00pm
thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 10:19am =============================================================
PS I didn't check the cost of the kit or if there was any sort of subscription
That was because the site didn't seem to make that info explicit, without heading down the "buy now" route. The google search hit brings up this:
09/06/2020 · Product Price: £114.99, €134.99 (tax included) Service Fee: £3.49, €3.99/month (tax included) £34.99 €39.99/year (tax included)
My impression (as I'm getting close to buying one, maybe just a few more prevarication loops) is that it ships from Japan so practicality or right to return might not be as easy as e.g. Amazon.

Ian
Psamathe
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 10:19am This thread has attracted my attention to the Afterlock
.....
I wonder if a thief with a roll of cooking foil in the van could quickly create a Faraday Cage. ....
My assumption is that a thief could wrap the device in cooking foil and likely block the signal. But, from the perspective of improving the odds in your favour, whilst thieves carry battery angle grinders and bolt croppers I'd assume at present rolls of cooking foil are not part of their kit.

My understanding is you don't have to set the alarm i.e. it can act as a silent movement detector notification to your phone.

My bent already has a movement alarm so for me, After-lock activated but without alarm would mean thief focusing on the box sounding a lot of noise and ignoring the silent After-lock. But again, maybe comes down to what the cyclist is looking for from the device and for me it's a longer range alarm (beyond earshot so you can run and catch thief mid-angle grinding) rather than tracking the bike across town to the shed where they dismantle for parts.

But I've not got one so may not be fully correct about options as it's just what I've got from their web site (and the other day on the Boomerang device website I read something that suggested under some circumstances you could activate their alarm but not be able to disable it on your return and their response "we better update our web site!

Many say bike security is as much about encouraging the thief to move on to easier targets and e.g. the Boomerang device tris to be as noticable as possible so thief sees it and moves on to other bikes. Maybe if bike starts beeping pre-full alarm as soon as thief vibrates the bike then they'll decide to try elsewhere? But I've not had a bike stolen since my student days and very rarely leave it unattended in cities.

Ian
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by thirdcrank »

The ideal from the OP's perspective would be for you to buy one and report your first-hand experience.

I would reiterate that the Afterlock does seem to be targeted at weight weenies(?) so for anybody not bothered about spoiling the appearance of their latest carbon-fibre confection, there may be other options. In particular, I'm cautious about multi-function electrical equipment although that dates from music centres and the like.

I'd be slow to assume that every baddy is thick. eg If you hope to make money out of nicking bikes, you need to know a bit about them. Then, there's little doubt that young offenders institutions are places where information about things like security systems is exchanged. With something like bike theft, no doubt there are opportunists who will take anything, given the opportunity, but there are some with a lot more sophistication. Also, they don't have any qualms about damage. If the aim was to strip a top-end bike for top-end parts, there might be few tears shed about slicing twice through the downtube leaving the alarm squawking on the floor.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Paulatic wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 7:59am
Tangled Metal wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 7:35am There was a story that the early apple itag tracking things they sold could be tracked by thieves to later steal. The thread heading makes me think that the OP wants a GPS device that will help with their bike being stolen. I doubt that's the case but I personally think I'd avoid the apple products and go with a more established GPS based system. Then have good bike insurance and a replacement bike in mind should it get stolen and not recovered.
I believe that’s the thieves who put their own AirTag on so they can later locate a car or bike they would like to steal.
You can avoid Apple products as much as you like but it won’t stop the thief using them. :D
Was that it? I didn't read it beyond the scare headline. It made me whether they connect through iPhone BT or WiFi to locate the tag and thieves have hacked that connection somehow. I didn't read because I don't use apple products because non-apple products are often better value. It didn't really interest.
Slowtwitch
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Joined: 25 Oct 2021, 11:35pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Slowtwitch »

The best tracker I use is my eyes. I rarely if ever leave my bike where I can't see it. I regularly take it inside my local supermarket and leave it at the tills! Same with the pub, I've been going there twenty years so I figure they owe me. If there's anywhere wont let me take my bike inside I simply ride away to somewhere that will.

Fwiw restaurants and bars in Portugal are so habituated to cyclists they don't bother emden if you sit the bike beside you. You can take a bicycle on the tram and the bus in Porto, and fact anywhere the bus goes the bike can go with.
richardfm
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Joined: 15 Apr 2018, 3:17pm
Location: Cardiff, Wales

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by richardfm »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 1:00pm
thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 10:19am =============================================================
PS I didn't check the cost of the kit or if there was any sort of subscription
That was because the site didn't seem to make that info explicit, without heading down the "buy now" route. The google search hit brings up this:
09/06/2020 · Product Price: £114.99, €134.99 (tax included) Service Fee: £3.49, €3.99/month (tax included) £34.99 €39.99/year (tax included)
This information is available without clicking buy now, although admittedly it wasn't easy to find. It may have been in FAQs
Richard M
Cardiff
thirdcrank
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by thirdcrank »

As I said, I'm a numpty.
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 2:07pm ....
I would reiterate that the Afterlock does seem to be targeted at weight weenies(?) so for anybody not bothered about spoiling the appearance of their latest carbon-fibre confection, there may be other options.....
I had been thinking about that and had guessed that most loaded camping tourers would not be bothered if something was aerodynamic and light whereas the carbon weight weenies would be so by making it aerodynamic and light they are broadening their market.

I actually dislike the design (from the pictures. Looks cobbled together to me, asymmetric, curved the wrong way and it's in part the design that puts me off.

Ian
Psamathe
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

I got my Alterlock today. I ended-up ordering it through Amazon (which I try o avoid) but the company's own web site refused to accept my address and got into a loop, but Amazon was probably easier anyway.

As noted above, there is a service fee in addition to the device purchase.

Setting up is pretty straight forward. You get 30 days free service but it looks like you do need to take out a 12 month contract to get this (so you get 30 days plus the 12 months). 1 year service is less than £40.

App on phone looks good and is slick and the device is very configurable. They have certainly done a lot to make it easy to use e.g. you "tune" the device to your phone BLE and is uses some proximity system to work out how close your phone is. You set a "threshold" distance and if your phone is within that distance the button on the alarm can be used to arm/disarm. They recommend 50 cm. Put your phone 50 cm from the alarm and select the tune option. Then put phone closer and arm/disarm button works, phonw further away and arm/disarm button on alarm does not work. You can of course use the phone app to arm or disarm as well.

It is a strange shape but I'll find somewhere to hide it. There seem two approaches by tracker/alarm companies Either make that it's got security devices obvious with flashing lights and stickers to encourage thieves to try something else or hide away to surprise those messing with it hoping they'll then drop whatever they are doing and move on. Personally I'm on the hide the security so somebody moves t and alwam warning sounds so theyimmediately stop and move on.

It's not yet got a GPS position - probably because it's indoors and my house has that multi-layer alu insulation and nothing gets a GPS signal indoors in my house).

Early days (just a few hours so far) but I'm happy with it. Not yet checked alarm volume (want to warn neighbours first).

For me it's more about a long range alarm (the text message to notify of tampering) in part because it's a bent trike so not something that can be picked-up and run off with and in part because I don't see the tracking where the burglars take it as particularly useful.

Ian
thirdcrank
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by thirdcrank »

Well done for giving this a go and writing a frank initial report. I hope it suits your purposes and that my doubts are misplaced.
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Feb 2022, 2:07pm The ideal from the OP's perspective would be for you to buy one and report your first-hand experience.

I would reiterate that the Afterlock does seem to be targeted at weight weenies(?) so for anybody not bothered about spoiling the appearance of their latest carbon-fibre confection, there may be other options. In particular, I'm cautious about multi-function electrical equipment although that dates from music centres and the like.

I'd be slow to assume that every baddy is thick. eg If you hope to make money out of nicking bikes, you need to know a bit about them. Then, there's little doubt that young offenders institutions are places where information about things like security systems is exchanged. With something like bike theft, no doubt there are opportunists who will take anything, given the opportunity, but there are some with a lot more sophistication. Also, they don't have any qualms about damage. If the aim was to strip a top-end bike for top-end parts, there might be few tears shed about slicing twice through the downtube leaving the alarm squawking on the floor.
I see the "designed for weight weenies" as a broadening of potential market. Touring cyclists wont reject it because it's light and aerodynamic and high end road bikes will accept it if it is so it's just more potential customers.

I agree with you about the nature of bike theft where damage to frame is not important as the components are valuable in their own right. I regard it as more of a discouragement - why take a bike that will sound a loud alarm and need additional bits stripped off there and then when you can move on the next one that doesn't have the same issues.

In my own case it's on a bent trike and I suspect a lot of bike thieves wont know most of the components are standard bike components and it's too awkward and a bit heavy to lift off into a van ... My aims are more to stop people messing around as their attention is drawn to something unusual and very different left outside a supermarket. e.g. Apparently it is important not to get out of the carbon seat using the seat sides to help yourself out. People messing wont know that but a beeping alarm before they get as far as sitting in it might discourage them (and let me know inside the supermarket). Also in effect it's a long range alarm so when I'm in the supermarket out of earshot of the alarm, the notification to my phone tells me somebody is messing around with it (and I can run out and confront them).

Ian
Psamathe
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

Initial update (in case anybody else imminently considering getting one)

Few (hopefully) teething problems:
1. Sometimes Bluetooth does not automatically connect (on iPhone means you have to use iOS Settings->Bluetooth and manually connect).

2. On iPhone the app is something of a battery eater (which could be a potential issue as once armed the only way to disarm with with your phone which is impossible if the phone battery is dead.

3. Alarm is not very loud

4. Whilst you can set the sensitivity, even on high it's nothing like as sensitive as e.g. my Abus Alarm Box

5. Not yet managed to get it to report any position (even having set the "Periodic reports" (which is meant to report position even without alarm detection).

Hopefully resolvable and I have contacted the company but I thought it worth posting my initial experiences.

Ian
Psamathe
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Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by Psamathe »

Update on AlterLock Experience:
Quite a few major issue arose which the manufacturer was unable to address so I sent it back for a refund.

I written up my experience https://psamathe.net/alterlock-cycle-security-review/ (not going to duplicate it here as it's quite long and only relevant if anybody is considering getting one.

Ian
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Best GPS bike tracker for theft?

Post by thirdcrank »

An excellent review (even for somebody like me with no plans to buy one.)
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