Bicycle GPS Tracker?

[Cavemud]

Hi All

I've been researching this topic on and off for quite a while, but never really managed to find just the right thing.

Today I've finally ordered the following product:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/smallest-Real-Tim ... 8698889527

The one I ordered was 50 pounds on buy it now.

I'm thinking the unit might just fit under the seatpost, either that or disguise it under the pannier rack with gaffer tape.

Anybody else got any experience of this or similar products?

This is one of the few trackers that I found that didn't have ongoing costs (other than the pay as you go sim costs).

Ian

[keyboardmonkey]

I saw an advert for a car/motor bike tracker today. It was in a motorway service station and it started me thinking about using one - and how big they are.

Can you let us know how you get on with it?

[Cavemud]

I'll post back with some proper info and review once the unit arrives......although the seller did warn to expect a two week delivery time......

[3tyretrackterry]

looks interesting though the standby time is only 48hrs is that 48hrs after the first text has been sent or 48hrs from the time you put the battery in?

[yakdiver]

You spent £50 on that, maybe you should have spent the same amount on a better lock IMO

[Cavemud]

That's an interesting point of view.

Unfortunately whilst I have a very robust lock consisting of 10mm steel links, this is only suitable for leaving in a fixed position outside the office.

Robust locks have a weight penalty, regardless of the price, which makes carrying one awkward.

Also, I am a regular used of 'sheffield' type stands which bolt to the floor, so any would be theif could easily unbolt and remove the bike regardless of the lock system. Clearly choosing a better anchor position would be an obvious answer, but this leads to other inconveniences.

The price seems pretty reasonable to me considering the value of the bike (circa £1500), and the unit would be used in conjunction with a reaonably good quality lock.

[yakdiver]

Maybe the bike is too expensive to leave outside your office, cheap one for work, nice expensive one for the weekend.
Another way of looking at it - expensive bike + GPS, if you bike went missing, the law would look at it as being entrapment, you have deliberately tried to set a thief up to take your bike.

[Cavemud]

Plenty of motor vehicles are fitted with trackers.

Are they too expensive for their purpose?

Are there any cases of users of Tracker etc being accused of entrapment?

Anyway, who said anything about involving the law? A friend recently had a bike stolen which he managed to track down via Gumtree. He involved the police but they managed to bungle it and got neither the theif or the bike.

I didn't initiate this post to obtain advice about bicycle security, simply to highlight that the product existed and hear about any other user experience of the product.

[Cunobelin]

We bought two small radios a few years ago, and leave on in a pannier with the volume on full when we have cafe or pub stops.

If anyone gets near the bike then a quick "Alert, you have entered the proximity zone, please step away from the bicycle" works wonders!

We have also had children saving full conversations with the bike!

[ferrit worrier]

We bought two small radios a few years ago, and leave on in a pannier with the volume on full when we have cafe or pub stops.

If anyone gets near the bike then a quick "Alert, you have entered the proximity zone, please step away from the bicycle" works wonders!

We have also had children saving full conversations with the bike!

Love it

[pete75]

Another way of looking at it - expensive bike + GPS, if you bike went missing, the law would look at it as being entrapment, you have deliberately tried to set a thief up to take your bike.

The law may be an ass at times but on this occasion it's you who's being one.

[wirral_cyclist]

A mobile phone jammer is only about £25 so cheaper than good bolt croppers, most of the proper monitored trackers alert when signal is lost (just in case of tampering) but obviously a mobile phone can't do that as its too late once jammed... Oh and of course it will only work when a good mobile signal is available, so outside my office wouldn't work for instance. Sorry.

[Erudin]

....
Also, I am a regular used of 'sheffield' type stands which bolt to the floor, so any would be thief could easily unbolt and remove the bike regardless of the lock system. Clearly choosing a better anchor position would be an obvious answer, but this leads to other inconveniences....

The stands in my local town centre are like that, puts me off using them. The one I use at work also had bolts, but I managed to replace them with dome-top allen bolts with ball bearings super-glued into the bolt holes.

I use an 18mm Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit u-lock which is supposed to be hard to bolt-crop, and a Xena motorbike disc-alarm on the chainring to lock my work bike with, but way too heavy to tour with.

Hope the tracker works well for you, it looks the business, even says it's waterproof. Look forward to your review on it.

[marleydc]

Here is a covert bicycle GPS tracker :
http://www.gpstrackthis.com/GPSTrack/Pr ... pyLamp.jsp

[misterbenn]

I actualy have the gps unit you were talking about.

It does what it says on the tin i must admit. It does give good GPS refrences and the phone reception isn't bad either.

However it is a bit fiddly to set up - i've only got the 'text back' function working atm (where you phone it and it texts back a possition) which is ok. I haven't managed to get the realtime possition monitoring working yet as you have to bit a total computer wiz kid.

really i'd like it to do some data logging so i could use it to map my ride as well but you can't expect everything for this price! Also battery life is an issue if your leaving it out for a long time and want it monitored.

Looking at the post above this one i really like the idea of hiding the gps in a bike light - i think i'll adapt mine to do this!