Bicycle theft is trendy: according to crime statistics, theft of bikes increased by a whopping 14 percent in 2022. According to this, a total of 266,000 bicycle thefts were reported to the police, but the number of unreported cases is likely to be higher. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as 100% protection, because every lock can be picked. The crucial question is how long it takes a thief to do this.
For additional protection, you can secure your bike with an Airtag. Via the “Where is” function on iPhone, iPad or Mac, the Bluetooth tracker shows exactly where your bike is. If it’s been stolen, that helps the police catch the thief. Only the hidden mounting of the Airtag on the bike is tricky. That’s why there are special Airtag mounts for the bike.
Although hiding might not make much sense. A thief who sees the Airtag attached to the bike and can’t get it removed should think twice about stealing the bike anyway. Accordingly, the most important criterion of the Airtag holder is that the Bluetooth tracker cannot be easily removed. Of course, you play it safe when you pair a visible Airtag with a hidden one. One is for deterrence and the other for retrieval. Incidentally, the button battery of the Airtag lasts a maximum of one year.
Enough theory, let’s take a closer look at the mounts. One model is the Airbell bell. It looks like a normal bike bell, but offers the possibility to hide an Airtag under it. To do this, the bell hammer is removed using the tool provided, which means that the bell of the bell can be removed with a twisting movement in order to place the Airtag in a compartment underneath.
To remove the bell, thieves would have to either unscrew it or open the bell hammer mechanism. For this you need either a suitable screwdriver or a flat pointed object like a knife for the mechanism of the bell hammer. In the case of a theft in affect, however, there is a high probability that the bell will be overlooked or that an Airtag will not be expected.
You are treading a slightly different path with the Airtag Bike Holder. This is a small bracket that you attach to the frame of the bike, in the exact same brackets where you mount top tube bags or cup holders. Of course you can mount the bike holder under a cup holder. The Airtag is sealed opaque, but potential thieves can already see that there is a foreign object hidden under the cup holder. If the criminal discovers the Airtag holder, he needs the appropriate wrench to remove it. And that costs valuable time in the event of theft.
Nicedack’s Airtag mount offers an even better hiding place. This is an Airtag mount for the fork of the bicycle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit every bike. If your bike is one of the compatible ones, you can be happy. There is probably no better and more inconspicuous hiding place than in the fork. According to the manufacturer, the holder protects against splashing water. That’s nice, but doubly so, because the Airtag itself offers protection certification IP 67 and is therefore protected against splash water and dust.
Alternatively, you can also place the Airtag in the handlebar head with the Supmega AirTag bike mount. Again, it should be noted that not every bike is compatible with the mount. So before you buy, check if this is the case for you. As with the Airtag holder for the fork, the hiding place in the handlebar head is particularly inconspicuous.
Another option is to attach the Airtag to the bike with an adhesive sleeve. This is possible with these adhesive and, according to the manufacturer, waterproof Airtag covers. A suitable position would be under the saddle, for example. Of course you can also position the Airtag visibly as a deterrent. By the way: According to the manufacturer, the adhesive used is 3M VHB adhesive. Once attached, the Airtag should not be easy to tear off. This also costs the thief valuable time.
BeeMyBox became known through “The Lion’s Den”. This is a lockable bicycle box that you attach to the holders of your bike. The box was convincing in the star test because it is attached and screwed in such a way that thieves find it very difficult to crack or remove it. And that’s exactly what makes them the perfect storage place for a small airtag. At a price of 30 euros, it is around ten euros more expensive than other Airtag holders, but it offers significantly more space to stow away sunglasses or a small bike tool. The box is also interesting for Android users who rely on one of the numerous Airtag alternatives. Because you can of course also put the GPS trackers from Chipolo or Samsung in the BeeMyBox.
Sources: gdv.de
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