pallen

So, this is no live GPS tracking or anything, but it could help identify your bike as yours if its every lost and recovered. Of course, if this gets popular, thieves will start looking for the tags and removing them.

If you are unfamiliar with the tags, they are small RFID-like chips with a coil antenna. They can be written to and read with any NFC enabled smart phone. This includes most high end Android, Windows Phones, and Blackberrys. The latest iPhone 6/6+ has added NFC, but last I read it was locked to tap and pay only. That may have changed, or may change in the future.

So, here's a tag (on the left)
You can get these for less than $2 each, maybe cheaper on Amazon. Be aware, if you are going to stick one to metal (any metal, not just ferrous) you need to get special tags for that. They are slightly thicker.


I put one on my shifter


I glued another to the underside of my Brooks saddle. The leather is thin enough I can read through it. Padded saddles will probably be too thick. I have also been able to put them under the rubber grips on my mountain bike and read through that. I had to use the metal compatible tags for that.

Reading the tag...
https://i.imgur.com/SeLMVpo.jpg

I created html files for each bike with the bike year, model, serial number, photos and contact info. I put these files on some web space I have and wrote the URL to the tag. You can also write vcard contact cards, text files and other content types. Some types can be read by any phone, some content types can only be read by apps that know how to read them. You could also make an image with all your data and write a link to the picture.

kv501

Oh my god, those hoods...

pallen

Yeah, they're a little ratty, but I have new ones to replace them when I get around to restringing cables.

pallen

..

rangerdavid

wut

pallen

Also, I had to use the tags for metal when sticking them to carbon fiber also.

Leinster

Could they be read through metal? Could you stick one to the inside of your BB/head tube or some other internal part of the frame and still pick up the signal from outside the bike?

bt

in lame mans terms since I don't feel like clicking, what good r they?

znomit

For those of us with 100 bikes in the shed it helps to find the one we want to ride today.

pallen

They can't be read from inside a metal tube.

The point is to prove that you own the bike. I have heard of cases where someone found their bike and called the police, but we're unable to prove it was their bike. If this become popular enough, it could also work like a chip in your pet. The problem being that thrives would learn to look for them.

banerjek

I have a lower tech method. Just keep something that identifies the bike up in the handlebars. Knowing the serial numbers for non custom bikes doesn't hurt either.

You can always engrave info into the frame

pallen

That also works. I'm not crazy about engraving since bikes can change hands, contact info changes, etc. With the tag, the info can be easily updated and you can include as much info as you want.

Definitely get all your serial numbers recorded somewhere if you do nothing else.

Raiden

This is pretty cool! I like that they're so nondescript, I doubt most thieves would notice them. Your thief is more likely to accidentally discard them while changing those ratty hoods

If you weren't feeling quite so high-tech, you could also generate a barcode/QR code and attach it (tape, glue, paint) to your bike somewhere too. It would be a little more obvious than the NFC tag, but not as obvious as your name and address, and bar codes are so common they might get looked over.

Personally, I want a GPS tracker powered by a generator hub. Or in the far future, a bike with integrated lights and trackable gps info powered by integrated solar panels (or a lightweight hub generator). With electronic shifting, of course.

PaulRivers

The biggest issue with trackable gps is that there's a monthly cost in order to connect to a cell network to tell you where your bike is. Maybe one day they'll bring the cost down to reasonable levels, but it's a bit expensive right now. I mean a one-time cost is one thing, but pay $30/$20/$10 month just to try your bike starts to really add up.

kv501

If you were so deadset on making your bike identifiable couldn't you just hit the end of your seatpost wih some red spray paint or something, or maybe one wrap of green electrical tape under your bar tape, and when the cops ask you to prove it's yours show them that? This just seems like a pound of solution for an ounce of problem.

Doug28450

Is there an AFC tag available? My biking friend is a Miami Dolphins fan. I think he might like that.

Raiden

Hey, that's a good idea too. Though these digital solutions can be used without touching the bicycle, you just have to be close.

Raiden

Honestly, I did expect this to be a joke thread about football.

rpecot

Very cool. Looking into this whole NFC thing, you could put one on your GPS mount and program the tag to fire up your bluetooth and launch Garmin Connect on your smartphone. It would only save you a couple finger swipes, but your bike-geek-cred would skyrocket.

bianchi10

That's a great idea!

rpecot

Mind is starting to wander.... you could put one on your helmet to text your wife when you arrive at work (I'm an occasional bike commuter). Tap your phone to your head, text sent! This could get silly very quick...

pallen

Its a $2 tag and 10 seconds to write a URL. Its not really that elaborate.

kv501

I understand it's not that elaborate; it just doesn't have a useful purpose. It doesn't help you find the bike, and once (if) you do find it there are so many permanent ways to mark/identify your bike that cost nothing and don't require a smartphone. If you're a gadget person I can see why you'd like playing around with it, but as far as utility compared to other methods of identifying your bike it's just a toy.

pallen

That's just it, I don't necessarily want to permanently mark the bike. I like this method because it can contain as much info as I want and its very easily updatable. As for requiring a smartphone, not really an issue since there's pretty much always a smartphone around, including mine. Yes, other methods work just fine, but IMO this one is better.

RaleighSport

Not to derail but I've been following this thread from the get go, I had been wondering if the OP had been using something like a trackR which seems much more effective for the purpose of finding your bike (has some serious limitations too though) those of you looking for that route rather than simply identifying your bike after being found may also want to look into those as well. Supposedly the signal can be picked up at 100ft distance IIRC and will be tagged onto the devices network with the rough location of the device which if used how I would, would mean your bike is there. The NFC tag thing seems like a great idea for a bike hoarder but I personally only have about 13 bikes and don't need that to find which one I want to ride... yet.