Despite your disappointment with this suggestion and the impracticality for some riders, it is an extremely valid method of protecting a bike.
Some might claim the only method.
It's not that people "don't realize how impractical this is", it's just the only option that really works.

What is impractical for me, is having the disposable income to replace a stolen or stripped Cervelo R5 Di2 bike.

Getting back to the subject of the thread.

As a last-ditch effort.
I use an Apple Airtag on the bike. It is very well hidden and has the speaker disabled.
My hope is that a thief is notified of the tracker and being unable to find it quickly, dumps the bike beside the road.

Barry

What what about for people who don't have apple or iPhones

There's an App for that !
:)

Barry

EDIT: The Apple Android app only notifies you if you are being followed by an Airtag.
It does not appear to permit you to find your own airtag.

I guess you have to use a different device. Maybe a Tile.?.?

okay

I know what you're saying... but would you rather us lie? Things have changed. Locks that were quite secure 25 years ago are no longer, with attack tools that are low cost, concealable, and effective. In the long past, thieves who would steal a bike for a couple hundred dollars profit, now, there are thieves who would steal a bike (or anything) to trade for $10-20 in drugs, NOW. I think it would be wrong to be optimistic, with the high likelihood of them walking out to find their bike gone, and with no immediate monetary resources to replace it.

I do EVERYTHING on my bike, because parking is scarce and expensive in my city, and for my health. But if I can't bring the bike in with me, and I am able, I WALK. I get motion-sickness on the city buses, very badly. I am immensely lucky that all the businesses I frequent, from goodwill to my food store to even Target (who now has over-the-counter meds, shaving stuff, anything small, all locked behind clear plexiglass to combat massive shoplifting starting during the pandemic, and you need to press a button to summon sales help, which is quick to come), Target lets me wheel my bike through, panniers and all. If I were still employed, I would *definitely* do everything I could to accommodate employees who biked, including indoor locked storage.

The biggest in to an employer is saying, "Biking lowers health care costs, and premiums paid, if you work with the health care company about it."

It's like telling someone to invest in an IRA or 401K. You can say, "You can't afford not to put money in," and you will be right. But it doesn't help a person without the money. Some people struggle to pay the rent and buy food.

This is a huge problem. Personally, I am in the "don't leave it unattended" camp. Luckily for me, my workplace allows me to bring my folding bike into our department. There are bike racks outside the building in full public view, and I'm aware of several bikes being stolen or stripped over the years. When I'm out on my road bike, I do not leave it unattended except to use the Port-a-Potty at an organized ride (pretty safe, because there are lots of people and other, nicer, bikes around), or I will bring it inside without asking permission. ("It is easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.")
I would probably trust a *good* lock for a dash into a store, on the assumption that a potential thief would have to "case" the situation and not act immediately. But leaving any bike, nice or not (as Duragrouch has discussed), unattended for the length of a work shift involves accepting the possibility of its being stolen, stripped or vandalized. (I wonder if a bike is locked too securely to be stolen, it's more likely to be damaged out of spite by a potential thief.)
I have a lot of sympathy for people for whom the bike is their sole mode of transport, and I wish there were more public secure bike parking facilities in places where bikes are not allowed inside workplaces or businesses. The public "bike share" systems in some urban areas might help ameliorate this problem by permitting someone to leave their personal bike in a safer location, then use the bike share to get into the danger zone.
Better minds than mine will have to find the solution, if one is possible.

My employer thinks it looks bad and makes a company look bad for having a bicycle in a training area
They actually took my hours away and we're ready to fire me on the spot if I didn't start putting it in the back away from new employees

I might be wrong but I think the Knog Scout is only airtag compatible, so not sure it works on android?

I have one. It’s excellent. I don’t bother with the alarm bit the tracker is very reassuring.

Also it goes outside the frame hidden under the bottle cage so all the faraday cage talk doesn’t apply.

What is “in the back”?


I’m lucky, we have a dedicated secure bike storage area in the basement with racks for about 100 bikes. It was overflowing yesterday. Sunny day combined with a Tube workers strike.

There are some locks that work decently well against angle grinders. Enough to slow a thief down to the point they won’t risk it for a dirt cheap bike.

No, that's a bit different. This problem is more like what I encountered in my employment in the 1990s:
Me: We need to solve this problem.
Them: That costs money.
Me: But a recall is cheaper? What about losing customers due to quality?

Now, thankfully, due to class-action lawsuits and bankrupt companies, it's an easier sell to engineer things right, up-front.

Now, applied to the problem at hand: This person relies on their bike for primary transportation. If their bike is stolen, they need to spend money to replace it, and this person has stated that on some days, $10 is a challenge. So, discounting the possibility of theft, which is now a MUCH higher probability than in the past, is a false economy. Remember, the drug-addicted will steal anything for as little as a $10 trade, that was not the case with bike theft decades ago.

The employer sounds pretty bad, and foolish; Biking lowers health care costs. Having bicycles visible, reinforces that it is something good, and acceptable. After the pandemic, we were in a labor shortage. In my opinion, this person needs to look for an employer that values them more than the current employer.

China used to be bicycle paradise. Then bikeshare programs went a bit too far, capitalist competition and the streets had a glut of bikes left without care and thought. Those were swept up and moved to vast fields so large, the bikes can be seen from space. Why? Because the government then did everything it could to discourage bike use, so people would need cars, to feed their burgeoning automobile industry. Very short-term thinking. Although, while pollution was bad, China is now leapfrogging everyone else with electric car adoption. People with no ability to charge an electric sit-scooter, can now do a fast battery swap, renting the battery usage. I read the other day that (I think in China), a small percentage of cars are set up to do the same, the car is pulled into a slot and it's done automatically in about the same time as filling a tank with liquid fuel. But that doesn't solve the issue of traffic jams.

Duragrouch be careful, as you might be assuming our hero has more choices than he does.

They're supposed to be making one for Android

I have a question for you then what's stopping someone from putting a nylon bag that will block the radio waves or if the dog is out of range from other people from Bluetooth tracking most people don't turn their Bluetooth off and what I've been told but the thief probably will and where there's no one around till they find it I'm trying to look for a sure way to make sure I get my bike back

Currently I am looking for an employer that will value me but I really have no education and I hate the idea of going back to school or college due to the fact that it burns me out I mean imagine doing something so bad to the point where it seems like it would be just easier if you put a 9 mm to head or you feel so depressed to the point where you're ready to give up just about anything or you can have medical issues just a rising from the thought of doing it it's kind of the state I'm in now autism is not something to be trifled with and it is hell anxiety is hell too I have extreme anxiety at work I will literally vomit from anxiety alone then they have to send me home but luckily for me I live in a state where you can't fire someone for disability even though they're trying to do that now

Please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you find yourself thinking along these lines.

What do you love doing? Find what you love doing and try and get some sort of job in that. You may not always do exactly what you love but being around things in the area of your interests will help.

I don't love all the aspects of owning a bike shop and working at a bike shop but I love bikes and for the most part I enjoy my job. I wouldn't want to leave it even through the rough spots there is so much good and fun I have.

However it is important to note work sometimes sucks and sucks hard and can feel soul crushing and defeating but you have to soldier forward (unless it is all day every day). A bad day just means that good day is going to be much better. Plus if you find a place that will treat you decently enough stick with it for a while. Get to know the people around you, learn more about what you do and get better at it and things can get better. That first initial period can be tough because new people, new tasks, new...and you just need time to get used to it all and get better. My first time in a bike shop was not so good but I stuck with it and now I got to the top and it was all the experiences good and bad along the way that allowed me to be able to actualize my dream (or at least a good portion of it, certainly my dream didn't have a business partner(s) and some of the products we carry and les starting capital then I wanted). If I had given up when it first got hard and the occasional times in that it got hard, I would probably be working a job I dislike.

Also like I said before in PMs ask around to see if there are state or local resources for folks with Autism they frequently have job placement opportunities and honestly one of my favorite employees came from one of those programs and in the period of his previous employment at the shop I worked at to owning my own his time away from us was miserable for him and sad for us but now he is always super excited to come in and it is his absolute happy place.

Also when working around others let them know more about you, obviously ADA rules always are in play but volunteering information to help people better interact with you and to help you better interact with them is nice. I had a co-worker who was partially deaf and while he wasn't legally required to disclose that information me not knowing meant I was angry at him constantly because he wouldn't pick up the damn phone and I am 3 customers deep at the register and he is standing around twiddling his thumbs and it wasn't till much later when I was getting transferred to another shop to manage that store that I found out and I was pissed because I would have helped accommodate him better. Not everyone knows how to work around different abilities and while it may suck to have to be the one to inform them it will help you out greatly. Certainly some less reputable places will use that info for bad but most people will do good with it and try and help you or at least make it easier to navigate.

Obviously none of this has anything to do with a bike tracker but I said my piece on that and enjoy helping people with different abilities when I can.

OK,
AirTags have the flaw where they inform a person with an iPhone (60% of the US population) that there is an AirTag near.

Milwaukee tools has a thing called the TICK. Like the AirTag it has an ap that shows you exactly where it is.

Unlike the AirTag, it doesn't alert people its near.

And, you can set the parameters to alert you if it is ever moved.

Bad news, it does take a battery.
Good news, its range is great.
Bad news, its a lil bulky,
good news, I've removed their shell and had them naked in a bottom bracket and under a seat.

OK, things are more clear now. I can see why you are under stress. I've seen this before. Your employer is intentionally doing anything they can to annoy you, hoping for you to quit. Even if it is easy, they will not do anything to make your life easier, like safe bike storage. It has nothing to do with what they said.

I've seen this before, after a person with 7 years excellent work history, then needed to take 3 weeks medical off for surgery (removal of an abdominal tumor) and recovery. On the last day of work before the medical leave, they pulled a surprise performance evaluation and put poor evaluations, then when they returned, did everything possible to criticize them at every turn, even though their performance was the same (great). This is because, at their age (50s), and finding one precancerous tumor, the likelihood is greater for a later tumor or disability. After a year, the manager intentionally did something outrageous, and when this person responded in the slightest bit angry, they were instantly fired. I've seen this all before.

Remain calm, follow instructions, do not show any anger at work, ever.

Recommendations:
- Keep a permanent (written) record of everything, with date, time, what was said, etc, in a place that your employer cannot access, like a notebook at your home. If a record in your home computer, regularly print out a backup paper copy. If you only have your phone, print it out at the library, in my city you get $1.50 in free printing per week. I can print via their wifi, or log onto their computer and print from my email.
- If there is a government agency in your city that helps the disabled find employment, pay them a visit if possible, or if not, send them an email from home, NOT through the computer or wifi at work. Don't use the phone at work for this, not even your own phone when you are there. If you don't have online access at home via internet access or via a phone data plan, do the email at a local library. Ask them about potential employers who are more friendly to your disability. Also ask them what training subjects would be good for your future; If you don't have the time or money for community college, you can do it via instruction videos on your phone or computer. I had great difficulty in school and college. I now realize that it all depends on the quality of instruction. There are now huge numbers of free instructional videos online, many much better than school lecturers, one notable series is the Kahn Academy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Academy

Free. As in FREE. No cost.

Because there is no transcipt like taking college classes, if you become competent at something after online training, there may be certification tests that can be taken, or a potential employer can just ask questions during an interview. (Which I did when interviewing people, it was amazing how people with a recent college degree, would forget things once a class was passed.)

Life is short, but can seem long when you are unhappy. My point being, you shouldn't suffer in a miserable job your whole life. If your current job looks like it will be better once you pass training, GREAT. But it never hurts to look at your options with someone who IS on your side, such as a government agency that helps the disabled. OH! Speaking of which...

I did SO bad in high school, they had me in "supportive learning" for my first year, learned totally NOTHING (same as every year in junior high, nothing), was just "warehoused", I didn't even have enough passing credits to graduate, that my music teacher gave me a project to do for the credit, that upon graduation, the state department of rehabilitation provided me a fully paid scholarship to attend a specialized trade school, 8 hours a day in residence for about 12 weeks I think. I got out and promptly got a job in that trade, only lasted a couple months, I knew the craft part but not the business aspect. So I went back to work I had vocational training in from high school (2 years metalworking), worked a couple years, hated it (mostly the working conditions), so I went back to school, starting at community college to learn what I should have learned in high school. A couple years later, I transfered to a local university. I couldn't handle a full course load, it was easier to work part time and go to school part time. Last 3 years I was working in the college machine shop, dream job, so clean you could eat off the floor there, quiet, I was smarter on the machines than the boss, he loved me, super nice guy, I could set my own hours, 24/7 access, I could go in there late to make bike parts! Took me 9 years to finish, Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Me, who was pitiful in math in high school. First job was in *exactly* the field I wanted to work, and piles of money, due to actually working in technical jobs in my final college years. My first patent was 4 years before graduation.

I also now realize that I had Asperger syndrome (now within the autism spectrum) all through high school and college, inability to sense the emotions of others. Evidently mine was not hardwired, as that aspect of me improved greatly after college, still present somewhat in my early career, got a LOT better 15-20 years later, working with a supervisor who was very smart socially and psychologically, I learned a great deal from them.

For any big undertaking or task, the hardest thing is just getting started. Procrastination. Negative thoughts. Once I jumped in and started, things started to fall into place and I was rolling. Always like this on big college tasks like a term paper. Had setbacks, failing a class, took the class again but with a better instructor. Just. Get. Started. You don't need a college degree to be desired by an employer, we now live in the "gig economy", the employer only cares if you can make them money. Even a little training online can do that.

Take the first step and talk to others who might be of help. (NOT at your current employer, even someone who seems friendly). Look at your options. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I'm a special education teacher. As a side job, I work with an autistic young man with learning disabilities on Saturdays, mentoring him in life skills. He is not as self-aware as you are. You can say that you are anxious. I'm not sure if my friend can say that, though you got me curious, and I'll start asking him about his emotions. I'm on my way to see him now.

You might be able to find a coach who can help you reach some goals. I know how scary the idea of going back to school is. I faced similar decisions a few years ago. I never finished college because I didn't think I could do it. Eventually, I wanted to change careers, into teaching. My friends and family gave me a lot of encouragement and repeated that I really could do it. I went back to college at the age of 58 and graduated at the age of 61. I had tutors and coaches to help me through. I got accommodations for my ADHD. I just finished graduate school with my MS in Special Education and started teaching full time in September. This journey was very hard, too hard to even describe. But I'm glad I did it. One of the best lessons I learned is that it's always possible to learn more stuff. Not only that, it's a good idea for one's happiness and health. Once we stop learning, we start dying. I'm pretty old to be starting a new career, at 65 years old. I figure it might help keep me young, even though the work is physically and mentally and emotionally demanding.

See what you can dream up. Maybe you'd like to help people with special needs. You might see what they need clearly. Discovering my ADHD late in life was my inspiration to be a special education teacher. I want to BE the help that I should have had when I was a kid.

Once you have a dream, people can help you make it happen.

I'm not so don't worry

Okay ty for the advice

???

The OP has enough "resources" to consider buying a tracker.

For those people who don't have the resources, I guess you'd recommend they do nothing? Or just stop riding?

If the person asking for help indicates they don't have the resources, any suggestions should take that into account.

The OP asked about trackers. That means people are going to talk about trackers.

What they choose to do is up to them. If a suggestion is "impractical", they can choose not to do it.

????

I've seen first hand reports where the cyclist tracked the stolen bike to a specific house. The cops wouldn't go in without a warrant. (I think he got a few big friends, a few days later, to take the bike back while it was out of the house.)

I'll deal with the cops I just need a tracker please