Could this be the holy grail of bike theft recovery devices?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bike Bloke on February 17, 2012 at 1:14pm

It's up there! There's also a similar device disguised as a light. I think the steering tube one is better since it's not normal to leave a light on a bike when parked.

What I'd really like to see is cops using these to entrap the thieves. That is, after first using the device to follow where they take the bikes they steal and find out who they sell stolen property to.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 17, 2012 at 3:54pm

Love it!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mike w. on February 17, 2012 at 7:42pm

WANT!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MK on February 18, 2012 at 11:51am

That's a great idea! I don't really want to put a GPS in my bike, maybe if the device was super cheap or if I rode an expensive bike... but I love the idea of this being used in sting operations.

Bike Bloke said:

What I'd really like to see is cops using these to entrap the thieves. That is, after first using the device to follow where they take the bikes they steal and find out who they sell stolen property to.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on February 18, 2012 at 3:09pm

Not quite the Holy Grail for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to: miniaturization, battery life, and line of sight. Bloke is correct that to date, the preferred method of concealment has been inside blinky lights. There're batteries there anyway, and the location offers an unobstructed sight line to the sky above. As Bloke also pointed out, sometimes loose stuff on bikes gets pilfered, and if you think it's frustrating losing a $30, blinky, wait until you lose one or two $130 blinkies. One of the reasons these almost always employ motion-activation is because it preserves battery life. This unit is essentially a transmitter, which broadcasts a GPS location, and in this case, also sends a text message to your phone, computer, etc. This particular model may also use triangulation between cell towers to determine location, but my understanding is that is a much less precise method than GPS. The lingering problem with GPS is line of sight, and frankly, I don't know how that can ever be overcome. When your stolen bike goes into the back of a van, a warehouse, a garage or a basement, its GPS transmission is no longer detectable by satellite. Line of sight is also the reason the GPS transmitter has to be somewhere on the exterior of your bike; i.e. can't be inside a tube, bag, or under the seat. Proponents suggest that given its intermittent, motion-triggered transmissions, the location of the stolen bike is most probably very near the last place from which it transmitted. I say, "maybe."

There is a police department affiliated with the Illinois State Police which operates a periodic sting operation with GPS-tracked bikes. Due to the requirements for proving criminal charges, this operation is labor-intensive and expensive. (A couple officers on bikes, a couple in a van, and at least one in a patrol car). Once the bike is stolen, the perpetrator must be followed to ensure that they can be charged with the theft and not merely possession of stolen property.

I too have a fascination with technological solutions to mundane problems, but you should watch the third SpyBike video "retrieving a stolen bike." Doesn't look very convenient to me. And at the risk of sounding like a Luddite, I don't think a GPS tracking unit is a preferable or cost-effective alternative to buying a $70 lock or two, and locking your bike properly, every time.

Bike Bloke said:

It's up there! There's also a similar device disguised as a light. I think the steering tube one is better since it's not normal to leave a light on a bike when parked.

What I'd really like to see is cops using these to entrap the thieves. That is, after first using the device to follow where they take the bikes they steal and find out who they sell stolen property to.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on February 18, 2012 at 4:50pm

A few years ago the Police on campuses were offering FREE gps devices to help deter and catch thieves,I'm for that.

• ▶ Reply