National Bicycle Registry: Waste O' Money?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
National Bicycle Registry: Waste O' Money?
So is signing up for NBR worth it? They give you a "permanent" sticker but what's their actual success stat on average?
Any development on affordable GPS trackers yet? That seems more realistic to me...
Yours,
Jaded
Any development on affordable GPS trackers yet? That seems more realistic to me...
Yours,
Jaded
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 3,040
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, Strada
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
A bigger problem with the trackers is probably keeping the battery charged until the one time you actually need it to work. That, and depending on how they work, paying the monthly access fee (either to the company that made it or the cellular company that provided the sim card in it) month after month after month -- at some point, you'll have paid more for that than you did for the bike if you're good about how and where you lock the bike, and the bike is not overly expensive.
Probably the easiest thing you can do is to keep track of the serial number of your bike, and use it when you file a police report on your bike if it is stolen. You'd be amazed at how many people have their bike stolen and don't know the serial number ...
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My perception is that those stats are pretty low too, bleh. With these multi-city migrating pros, who stands a chance really? I do like what I hear about those bicycle stings...
#4
Faster than yesterday
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 1,510
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I do like what I hear about those bicycle stings...
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Naptown
Posts: 1,133
Bikes: NWT 24sp DD; Brompton M6R
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
1 Post
It's easier to replace a saddle than a BB, after all.
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Wait a minute... if dogs can be tagged, why can't bikes?? Or a credit card smart chip scanning enabled ID system thing?
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 164
Bikes: Diamondback
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Your talking like a microchip? In a bike? But then that would require a scanner to read for such a chip and that would take decades to implement.
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
huh? I can't take my dog's chip tech and tape it inside the tube, scan it and it'll have my address? =) And atbman, what is this system you speak of... enlighten us. Long live the Queen!
#11
Banned
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Pasadena, CA(for now)
Posts: 1,101
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yes, they are. They'll most likely do NOTHING to help you get your bike back, when/if stolen. Waste of money.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Leeds UK
Posts: 2,085
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
And Krypton have introduced: https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/...evolution.aspx
Always happy to give you ex-colonials the wisdom of the mother country
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The UK one is on https://www.immobilise.com/view.php?...ry=1&product=2 And thank you for your good wishes for our noble Queen's longevity, altho' given the fact that her mother lived to 101 and she is 80 something already, such wishes may be a tad redundant
And Krypton have introduced: https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/...evolution.aspx
Always happy to give you ex-colonials the wisdom of the mother country
And Krypton have introduced: https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/...evolution.aspx
Always happy to give you ex-colonials the wisdom of the mother country
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 3,040
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, Strada
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
That way, when the police find a bike they think might be stolen, they look up this serial number (it's stamped, so it doesn't require a special reader) and run it through a possible database of known stolen bikes, see if there's a match.
I realize it's crazy, that it would never happen ... but it's so crazy, it could work!
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Stephenville TX
Posts: 3,697
Bikes: 2010 Trek 7100
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 697 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Use https://www.bikeregistry.com instead; no fee for registering, cheap stickers, and if you report the bike stolen they release the identifying information on it to everybody, so anybody who wants to run the bike they found on Craigslist or whatever can check it, rather than you having to just hope it eventually ends up being checked by cops who bother to run the serial number.
NBR doesn't make a whole lot of sense, really; only the police can check the list, and unless your bike happens to be found among a pile of stolen merchandise, they're not likely to ever run the number. With BR, clubs, LBSs, honest flippers or anyone else can get an up-to-date hotlist with photos for their area, and keep an eye on the racks and garage sales, giving you a much better chance of someone finding and reporting your bike.
When you sign up, at the top of your listing page there's a link for an equipment checklist. It's a good idea to fill one of these out for each bike, keep them current, and make copies to attach to any police report along with a (fairly) recent photo of the bike. I like to make sure I get a new photo any time I make a significant change, and update the sheet with all the current info.
NBR doesn't make a whole lot of sense, really; only the police can check the list, and unless your bike happens to be found among a pile of stolen merchandise, they're not likely to ever run the number. With BR, clubs, LBSs, honest flippers or anyone else can get an up-to-date hotlist with photos for their area, and keep an eye on the racks and garage sales, giving you a much better chance of someone finding and reporting your bike.
When you sign up, at the top of your listing page there's a link for an equipment checklist. It's a good idea to fill one of these out for each bike, keep them current, and make copies to attach to any police report along with a (fairly) recent photo of the bike. I like to make sure I get a new photo any time I make a significant change, and update the sheet with all the current info.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Leeds UK
Posts: 2,085
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
AAA HAAAAA!!!!!!! (<-- George Constanza) Not so into sticker systems but looks like the seat tube tag has a chance, and at only $25 not bad! What's the success rate do you know? Does it work? I can see the police having a fixed radius sensor that will alert them if a nearby "item" has been reported stolen via these tags. Too big brother? =7
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 378
Bikes: Trek 600 Series, Miyata 610, Palo Alto Touring, Schwinn Paramountain
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
All those microchips do is hold a number. You could do the same thing with a bike -- give each bike a unique number, stamp it somewhere consistent. Perhaps at the bottom of the bottom bracket? You could give it a good name ... perhaps something like a "serial number" ?
That way, when the police find a bike they think might be stolen, they look up this serial number (it's stamped, so it doesn't require a special reader) and run it through a possible database of known stolen bikes, see if there's a match.
I realize it's crazy, that it would never happen ... but it's so crazy, it could work!
That way, when the police find a bike they think might be stolen, they look up this serial number (it's stamped, so it doesn't require a special reader) and run it through a possible database of known stolen bikes, see if there's a match.
I realize it's crazy, that it would never happen ... but it's so crazy, it could work!
To add, one of the ways crime was dealt with in NYC was paying attention to the little crimes (subway toll jumping, graffiti, etc.) so police should pay attention to bike theft as a solution to bigger problems rather than seeing it as "petty".
Last edited by Soma Roark; 08-27-11 at 04:10 PM.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 3,040
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, Strada
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
That's the problem with sticker systems, it's nothing more than a fancy serial number, which you obviously already have. The tag system does something difference in that there is a potential for random scanning... (beat cop walking by a bike and getting an alert perhaps).
Now, if a bicycle had a serial number or something similar in a RFID that could be read from many feet away, that might make a difference. Perhaps if you had a scanner that could scan the code for every bicycle in a 20 foot radius (and point to a specific code of interest to help the cop find an interesting bike) and they could just walk down the street with that and scan everything -- but the civil libertarians would have a serious problem with that.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ceelint
General Cycling Discussion
52
12-05-15 03:27 AM