Apple Airtag as a Bike Tracker
Moderator: robbosmans
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What about double sided tape under stem? Especially for SL7/Venge under cables. But looking at it now it might be quite visible as the tag is white. Under the saddle is better place I guess.
3m vhb tape works 100%, especially with light stuff like airtag.
Only issue is visibility.
I gotta make some black sticker to make it less visible.
Only issue is visibility.
I gotta make some black sticker to make it less visible.
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S Epic 8 L @ XX T-Type / Berg Ratheberg 30 / Quarq / Fox Transfer SL 100mm / 3p
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There's a good GPLama video on YouTube showing the range and accuracy based on different mounting locations for the AirTags. Long and short of it, placed inside the frame and signal is pretty much gone.
I bought a pack of four and sprayed the top of each with dark grey Plasti Dip to make them less conspicuous. I then put a small blob of silicon on the underside of each saddle and 'glued' them on. They've been on for 3 months and not moved. Because they're dark you really can't see them. Being outside the frame the signal is decent.
Is it perfect? No. Is it better than not having them? I feel they are.
I bought a pack of four and sprayed the top of each with dark grey Plasti Dip to make them less conspicuous. I then put a small blob of silicon on the underside of each saddle and 'glued' them on. They've been on for 3 months and not moved. Because they're dark you really can't see them. Being outside the frame the signal is decent.
Is it perfect? No. Is it better than not having them? I feel they are.
The way I see it, they are so darn cheap, what is the worst that can happen? They steal your bike and pitch the tag or they steal you bike and do not touch your tag. Either way, your bike is stolen. I do not see that tags prevent a thief from taking your bike. A lock would do that better than a tag. Hiding or camouflaging the tag is something I would do.
I just think it will be odd with the unlawful search laws in the USA that you could call the police and say 'My bike is inside that building!' With just the proof of this tag, is that enough to kick open the door? Would you really knock on the door and ask if you can have your bike back? Would you wait until you saw it and then steal it back?
I just think it will be odd with the unlawful search laws in the USA that you could call the police and say 'My bike is inside that building!' With just the proof of this tag, is that enough to kick open the door? Would you really knock on the door and ask if you can have your bike back? Would you wait until you saw it and then steal it back?
It's a fair point on retrieval Butcher. Maybe I have too much faith in the British police, but I feel if I'd had a break in, bikes gone missing, police come round to do forensics and the likes and I tell them I know where the bikes are, I feel there's a reasonable chance they'd listen. Maybe/probably I'm naive.
But either way, the AirTags are inconspicuous and they make me feel more secure. Falsely or otherwise.
But either way, the AirTags are inconspicuous and they make me feel more secure. Falsely or otherwise.
I've tried this on my bike and on a friends bike. On my bike (a giant TCR) I put it inside the frame's top tube just behind the steerer. In my friends bike (an SL7) input it inside the seatpost.
Both of us have had the same issue- the phone only occasionally picks up the AirTag, and on a ride loses it and reports it lost. The AirTag on my keys hasn't given me a piece of trouble.
Has anyone had similar experiences and solved this? I find it hard to see what could be blocking the signal. Would carbon fibre really block the Bluetooth signal?
Both of us have had the same issue- the phone only occasionally picks up the AirTag, and on a ride loses it and reports it lost. The AirTag on my keys hasn't given me a piece of trouble.
Has anyone had similar experiences and solved this? I find it hard to see what could be blocking the signal. Would carbon fibre really block the Bluetooth signal?
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I put mine in an adhesive pouch inside my Madone’s DT (accessed via a door underneath the bottle cage.) If my phone is on the other end of the house and I jostle the bike after several hours, then the AirTag will chirp.
It's a nice idea and I bought one for my bike which we decided to instead attach to our dog harness in case he went on a run and hid somewhere.
I felt it wasn't worth trying to hide too much on a bike. If stolen that bike isn't staying anywhere long and presumably a pro would have an iPhone to receive the alert of a hidden tag tracking them.
Either use a proper GPS tracker and stash it in a BB if it has signal, otherwise it's fingers crossed, insurance and don't lock outside. With the price of these bikes it's not too hard an ask to buy a proper 2g GPS tracker rather than something not really fit for purpose.
I felt it wasn't worth trying to hide too much on a bike. If stolen that bike isn't staying anywhere long and presumably a pro would have an iPhone to receive the alert of a hidden tag tracking them.
Either use a proper GPS tracker and stash it in a BB if it has signal, otherwise it's fingers crossed, insurance and don't lock outside. With the price of these bikes it's not too hard an ask to buy a proper 2g GPS tracker rather than something not really fit for purpose.
I have Airtags on most of my bikes. I had a bike stolen from a train and could luckily recover it ( http://konstantinkleine.de/essays/2020/ ... road-bike/ ), for those situations it might be helpful. If not, I don't treat the bikes differently just because there is an airtag on them now. On my Gravel bike it is screwed in with the top tube bag, on the road bike disguised in a piece of old inner tube and ziptied to the seatpost cradle
Muc off hides the Airtag inside the (tubeless) tyre:
https://eu.muc-off.com/products/tubeless-tag-holder
https://eu.muc-off.com/products/tubeless-tag-holder
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kervelo wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 6:06 amMuc off hides the Airtag inside the (tubeless) tyre:
https://eu.muc-off.com/products/tubeless-tag-holder
Okay so AirTags are actually pretty huge and this obviously won't work with road tires. The minimum recommended tire width is 38mm, and I still wouldn't run one of these. Low pressures plus rocks, roots, drops, etc. = bottoming out the tire. If you flat, you break your fancy AirTag holder and there is an elevated risk of damaging your rim.