Can This Tiny Device Really Save Your Bike?

The Apple Airtag is a tiny device designed to help you keep track of your belongings in case they go missing. In this video, Neil shows how it works, tests it in the most trying conditions, and finds some strategic locations to place it so it works properly on your bike...
This video is supported in part by: Surly Bikes - surlybikes.com/bikes/ghost_gr...
Outline:
Intro - 0:00
What is the AirTag? - 1:18
How might it work for bikepacking? - 4:16
Where to place it on your bike? - 6:30
Malicious Activity - 9:33
Final Thoughts - 10:04
Mentioned Links:
How To Secure Your Bike While Bikepacking: • How To Secure Your Bik...
Do you enjoy our videos, routes, and articles? Help sustain this resource by joining the Bikepacking Collective: bikepacking.com/join/?...
#bikepacking #pedalfurther #airtag
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Hosted by Neil Beltchenko ( / neil_beltchenko )
Music by Ben Weaver (benweaver.net)
More at bikepacking.com

[@dant.6364]

This channel and Path Less Pedaled make the most useful bike related content on YT IMO

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@evigvandrare]

Cycling About would like a word! They're my trio for cycling content. GCN/GMBN are great for the humour and docos though.

[@dant.6364]

@@evigvandrare yes, cycling about is great too.

[@tristanbogaard]

Moment makes some great AirTag concealers in fabric and carbon versions. They patch onto anything, like the inside of a frame bag, for less obvious placement!

[@shawnhoulihan7794]

It’s the best $30 I’ve ever spent on my bike. I don’t ever loose my bike and but I put this in my frame bag and just for peace of mind it’s absolutely worth it

[@derstadtbauer4766]

LILYGO® TTGO Meshtastic T-Beam WiFi GPS With OLED Display US $30.29

[@CheepSteal]

Great simple explanation, thanks Neil!

[@jp93309]

I wish Apple made them into a cylinder shape so they can be stuffed into a seatpost or handlebar. Plenty of battery options like triple A or those tiny coin batteries. Better yet, integrate them with a small flashlight that could be left in a frame bag that no one would suspect is actually an air tag.

[@timident]

Excellent video

[@2scoops624]

Dog River Tools makes a stem cap that holds an air tag securely. Credit to Berm Peak, saw it there.

[@cappaculla]

I've also seen GPS locators located under specially made stem caps...

[@Gromcan]

i didn’t think about the aluminum frame issue! I have already made 3d attachment for the inside of my fork… But thank you

[@JohnPilling25]

Welcome to the Keweenaw! Hope you stopped at Keweenaw brewing for a beer and had some pasties from one of the many bakeries

[@evan13]

Any thoughts on the Spot Trace as an alternative? It uses the same satellite technology as the Spot trackers which means it should locate your bike when there is no cell coverage. Of course, you'd need to reach coverage yourself to pull its location up on your phone. But ability to track in remote areas where there aren't many people around is a big selling point. The trace is a bit bigger so wouldn't be as easy to conceal. Actually looking at this more for a dual sport moto, as mine was recently stolen from a trailhead on NF land.

[@schadlarry]

The airtag is better than nothing but if the thief lives in a huge apartment complex.... well it's too easy to hide a bike. Also optimal if the thief has an iPhone running 14.5 or greater otherwise you are waiting for someone to walk by. I just put mine in my truck figuring it's too hard to hide a truck. Hopefully I can get to the chop shop before it's too late.

[@AndyLeeJordan]

Surprised you didn’t mention the deterrent nature of an obviously mounted AirTag with security screws. I put Muc-Off’s on my bike for a) peace of mind and b) to make mine the harder target than the bike next to it.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

I mean, I don't think it would take much to smash a visible airtag with a rock and leave the bike undamaged.

[@janseger1693]

Thanx for a educating video on airtags. however i am a android user. rocking a Google pixel. would know of anything like an airtag? Thanx again. keep up that great work.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Tile and Samsung make similar items for android.

[@janseger1693]

@@BIKEPACKINGcom does Samsung Smarttag 2 work on other android phones or only Samsung phones?

[@EmanresuThe]

Can an AirTag be set up, so it notifies your iPhone in case it is moved, so when you leave bike outside the store, but if it moves, AirTag will ping you? (AFAIK some garmin devices have this feature, but it might require an accelerometer)

[@slugrider]

there’s a “item left behind feature” where if you separate from an item you are normally with it will ping you but it isn’t the most reliable

[@EmanresuThe]

@@slugrider better than nothing. Thanks for your reply 👍🏻

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

I find that this feature is actually pretty accurate.

[@dorianjlp]

If a thief takes your bike with your airtag in it, the thief will be notified about a foreign airtag (yours) that is following them if they're driving away with it, or riding your bike for example. Wouldn't that render the airtag pretty much useless because the thief would find and disable it?

[@AwesomeRedKite]

on the flip side it might act as a deterrent. For example if they thief was trying to steal the bike in a public place and was wasn't able to rip the bike apart to look for it. There are a lot of quick thieves who cut through smaller cable locks during the day out in the open a smash and grab of sorts. If they saw it had a tag they might not want to deal with it as it would be too risky

[@cappaculla]

@@AwesomeRedKite Well you know what they say , locks (in this case Airtags) only stop honest people.

[@docouchi7929]

I through mine on my bicycle stem, looks like an apple stem cap now lol

[@bennetthasty7886]

I have one in a 3d printed bottle mount

[@Stevenblue703]

How about that omni-trkr from Kickstarter last year 🤙

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

I looked and saw you canceled it or else I would have reached out. :)

[@Stevenblue703]

@@BIKEPACKINGcom I know I joke! I wish it was on the market before all the others! I’ve got an extra one on my desk if you want it.

[@KenLecomte]

If the thief has an iPhone he’s going to be alerted about a foreign AirTag and go looking for it

[@susan53226]

Yes. Also, as I understand it, the tag might beep to alert the person that a foreign tag is traveling with them.

[@siuloung]

Just bought a ghost grappler after having my garage broken into and all my bikes stolen. I just ordered an apple AirTag for the gg to only watch this video and realize theres no where to hide it lol

[@chris4536]

Bottle cage mount for sure.

[@barrybogart5436]

Too bad I use Android. But for years I used a Spot Tracker under my saddle, after a bike was stolen. I never got to see if it would find a thief, unfortunately. But it's AAA batteries lasted about 6 months.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

I like that idea, good thing it was not tested!

[@JakeLuke308]

Android have anything similar to this product? I could have used this in my canoe bags 2 years ago when they were stolen on a portage.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Not that I know of, but you can download an app called "Tracker Detect" which is developed by Apple. This will help keep you aware of unwanted Airtags "following" you.

[@murf250]

Tile and Chipolo. But you have to get a plan and you're dependant on each brand's base of customers. I'm debating getting one for a 3 week tour in Europe. Not sure it will help if the bike gets stolen out of major cities, but could be peice of mind at the airport. I'm on fence.

[@mickrides615]

I find a small rape alarm works great. The thin small type which are activated by pulling out a pin. A bit of fishing line from pin to somewhere that will move (such as frame to bars), a bit of tension on the line will see any movement pull out the pin and activate the alarm. Great at less than $10. This and my helmet through spokes gives 2 types of protection when popping into a shop. Ride on

[@markmoreno7295]

Thanks! I am going to look into it.

[@TheOregonmccarthy]

Do you have a website you can share where I could find this product? Thanks.

[@mickrides615]

@@TheOregonmccarthy been a while. Just search rape alarm Aliexpress. About 1/4 the size a phone. Activated by a pin that’s supposed to hang of keys (I think)

[@davidalderson7761]

Seems like an extremely thin security device for an expensive bike. Maybe if the tag or a micro spot tracker is invented to be placed inside the tubes of the bike never to be seen again but still finds your bike.

[@markovich88]

Are there any Android solutions like this?

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Tile and Galaxy SmartTag, but the more I read, the less robust these are compared to the Airtag, but I have not tested them, so I can't say for certain. I'm sure others can chime in here.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

This video is supported in part by Surly Bikes. Check out the new Ghost Grappler here: surlybikes.com/bikes/ghost_grappler?.com&

[@kayzinti4452]

Track anything you want, or anyone you want...

[@derstadtbauer4766]

2009 TrackR 2012-12 TILE 2021-01 Samsung Smart Tag 2021-04 Apple Airtag - Apple has not opened up the API for the Airtag - it can also run on Android

[@benboo6351]

3:32 shan't recommend to show keys like that...

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

That’s how I do my keys.

[@susan53226]

Because someone could copy them?

[@benboo6351]

@@susan53226 yeah

[@MrSamucbr]

Do a giveaway of the sponsors bike 🤪

[@davejohn5876]

No I wouldn't use the Airtag. But I think this type of technology looks promising if it is more focused for bicycles.

[@markmoreno7295]

I have a much more expensive GPS tracker which was marketed to work in the frame- it DOES NOT. However I discovered that if I swap out my 31.6 mm aluminum seat tube for a carbon one it works fine- provided it is held in place within the seat tube using bubble wrap or foam. If I give the login info to say, my wife, she can see where I am going on the device web page. I also registered my bike on 529 garage. If the bike is found by police, you need to be able to prove it is yours. Thieves out there beware! Stay away from carbon bikes.

[@jazzechos1372]

I had to delete my comment because it was so negative. People should be aware though that that they could be tracked or anything can be tracked using one of these without their knowledge.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

So if the thief has an iPhone, he will figure out your bike is tagged as soon as he rides away?

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

It takes some time before it notifies other phones, and I have still yet to get that safety function to work, fwiw.

[@singletrackmania1]

What if, like most people in the world, you don't own an Apple device? Look into Tile

[@LarryRichelli]

I just got rid of my Surly midnight special....they are just too heavy! I know have a canyon, full carbon fat bike that weighs the same as my midnight special.

[@scotti_wan_kenobi]

You got rid of a bike because it was too heavy and replaced it with a bike that weighs the same as your old bike. Makes sense. 🤣

[@Owwliv]

Ahhhh. I so want to like this thing, but it's so problematic.

[@fpwi]

Bike thieves use AirTag sniffers…almost useless imo.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Not the opportunistic ones. I had a bike stolen once in a grocery store and the thief wouldn’t even begin to know what an AirTag was.

[@stephengauden-ing9304]

If they sniff an AirTag… Will they: a) waste time removing it b) find a softer target

[@outbackwack368]

I don't drink the Apple Kool-Aid... but I do own their stock, so thank you Apple users for making me money 🙂

[@reeceholmes8546]

that is almost useless, would not waste my money

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Oh, interesting.

[@arcoulant87]

Just more Apple tax ,

[@derstadtbauer4766]

a thief is not so stupid and steals a bike with an airtag, he will scan it beforehand. Android AirGuard the only thing is that you give Appel more money. Airtag are already too well known. You won't find a real gps tracker any time soon - LoRaWAN GPS Tracker

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

People surprise me every day.