Recommendations for a bike alarm?

[halfer]

Hi all.

I'm looking to get a new bike, and am planning to spend at least £1,500 (and I recently saw some very tasty bikes that are tempting me to raise it a few hundred extra!).

Having just had a bike stolen, I would be greatly worried about parking such an expensive thing, especially in city centres where bike crime is pretty rife. So, my solution would be two D-locks and a (motor)cycle alarm. Do any e-bikers here use an alarm as a matter of course, and would recommend theirs? I expect this would be a device locked to the bike, plus a lightweight electrical loop locking around a lamppost. Or, perhaps, a vibration sensor - though that might not be so great if ones bike is jostled by another cyclist locking up their bike, of course.

 

[smudger1956]

Watch this -
BBC News - Police investigate how easy it is to steal a bike

I think chaining a large hungry dog to your bike would be a good deterent......

 

[morphix]

Hi all.

I'm looking to get a new bike, and am planning to spend at least £1,500 (and I recently saw some very tasty bikes that are tempting me to raise it a few hundred extra!).

Having just had a bike stolen, I would be greatly worried about parking such an expensive thing, especially in city centres where bike crime is pretty rife. So, my solution would be two D-locks and a (motor)cycle alarm. Do any e-bikers here use an alarm as a matter of course, and would recommend theirs? I expect this would be a device locked to the bike, plus a lightweight electrical loop locking around a lamppost. Or, perhaps, a vibration sensor - though that might not be so great if ones bike is jostled by another cyclist locking up their bike, of course.

I think there's a gap in the market (I've always got my businessman hat on!) here for something for e-bikes in terms of alarm and crime prevention technology.. whilst an audio/visual theft deterrent alarm would be useful (which could use a movement sensor on a wheel)..I think also, there's the potential for GPS tracking which might prove more useful in helping police locate a stolen bike.. I've seen tiny GPS transmitters, so in theory you could have one of those hidden inside the frame and it could run off a small battery and be activated by the movement sensor. So your bike gets nicked, you switch on your phone and start some Android app, and you can see exactly where it is or which direction it's travelling in, and pass that info to the police so they can recover the bike. Maybe if some company provided this technology, they could maintain a website which tracks all the stolen bikes and the police could access it.

 

[GaRRy]

I think there's a gap in the market (I've always got my businessman hat on!) here for something for e-bikes in terms of alarm and crime prevention technology.. whilst an audio/visual theft deterrent alarm would be useful (which could use a movement sensor on a wheel)..I think also, there's the potential for GPS tracking which might prove more useful in helping police locate a stolen bike.. I've seen tiny GPS transmitters, so in theory you could have one of those hidden inside the frame and it could run off a small battery and be activated by the movement sensor. So your bike gets nicked, you switch on your phone and start some Android app, and you can see exactly where it is or which direction it's travelling in, and pass that info to the police so they can recover the bike. Maybe if some company provided this technology, they could maintain a website which tracks all the stolen bikes and the police could access it.

Already exists. Look for something called Spybike

 

[eddieo]

mine is still working well 3 years on...dont for heavens sake bank on it, as only useful if within earshot. decent locks a must

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/3687-alarmed.html

 

[morphix]

Already exists. Look for something called Spybike

Just had a look at the website, fantastic products..very small. discrete and reasonably priced at 149 euros. Perhaps the more expensive bike manufacturers should be looking to do a deal with those guys and fit that technology as standard on bikes or as a lower-priced (half normal retail) optional extra at the time of purchase..

Opportunist thieves wouldn't know about this technology but I guess professional e-bike thieves would eventually learn about it and know how to scan a bike to detect and remove it? Unless the technology was fitted in a manner that it couldn't be removed, like right inside the frame tube..but then it would have a limited life or "one time usage" as once the battery runs out there would be no way to replace it eh.

 

[smudger1956]

I think there's a gap in the market (I've always got my businessman hat on!) here for something for e-bikes in terms of alarm and crime prevention technology.. whilst an audio/visual theft deterrent alarm would be useful (which could use a movement sensor on a wheel)..I think also, there's the potential for GPS tracking which might prove more useful in helping police locate a stolen bike.. I've seen tiny GPS transmitters, so in theory you could have one of those hidden inside the frame and it could run off a small battery and be activated by the movement sensor. So your bike gets nicked, you switch on your phone and start some Android app, and you can see exactly where it is or which direction it's travelling in, and pass that info to the police so they can recover the bike. Maybe if some company provided this technology, they could maintain a website which tracks all the stolen bikes and the police could access it.

To catch a bike thief

 

[morphix]

I'm personally in favour of using an inverter (or the thing which does the opposite, and turns a low voltage into a high voltage?) hooked up to the battery which turns the frame live with 10,000 volts..so anyone who nicks the bike gets a nice surprise!

But in our country with our laws that protect criminals, we'd probably be the ones on trial for knowingly causing actual bodily injury to the poor unsuspecting thief...unless you put a sign on it saying this e-bike will electrocute you.

 

[KirstinS]

Opportunist thieves wouldn't know about this technology but I guess professional e-bike thieves would eventually learn about it and know how to scan a bike to detect and remove it? Unless the technology was fitted in a manner that it couldn't be removed, like right inside the frame tube..but then it would have a limited life or "one time usage" as once the battery runs out there would be no way to replace it eh.[/QUOTE]

How about using inductive charging ? That way you could charge whilst still inside the frame/forks/bars. But I'm guessing this would only work on carbon - presumably you cannot induct charge through chro-mo or alu


Still - I'd bet a few quid that a couple of thumb size neo-magnets would scramble the cr@p out of any GPS module electronics (easily bought on ebay for a few quid)....but you'd need to know where it was located. And that would be difficult if you had induction charging

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I haven't tried it, but it looks promising:
New Two Way Bike Anti-Theft Alarm Audible Sound Security Lock Bicycle Undercover | eBay

 

[eddieo]

professional e bike thieves? is there such a thing?

more opportunistic I would think, as a decent normal bike much more salable and easier to sell on.

mine when locked up when out and about: no battery/handlebar display/seat or seat post. no charger or keys either. admittedly a pain in the ****, but 4 years at this and living in London... touch wood no problems...better safe then sorry

 

[eddieo]

I haven't tried it, but it looks promising:
New Two Way Bike Anti-Theft Alarm Audible Sound Security Lock Bicycle Undercover | eBay

looks worth a punt......problem I foresee is locking it into rack, someone nudges it locking their bike, and you have to run back for nothing