Although I (thankfully!!!) have a gold security rating lock, I recently caught a couple of scumbags in Bridgwater (huh, where else!?) trying to steal my valuable machine. The experiance has made me consider so called bike registration schemes (such as Bike Register, and Immobilise.com). These are schemes that claim to aid police in the event of bike theft, to track, trace and recover your stolen bike.
They sound like a great idea, especially in these dark times when bike theiving scumbags are actually 'following home' expensive MTB owners from bike parks, and race events (this actually happened to my cousin last year, who foiled would be theives by recognising their car at a race event the day before!!).
But the whole point of such schemes is that they and the police, physically recover your bike to you. Are they effective?
What tales and experiances do other cyclists have of these schemes?
GBR.
So, no experiances or opinions folks?
Registered my sons bike the other day - to be honest I think a bit of t-cut would have the markings off in no time
My bikes are registered just as a last line of defence, including the frame number, details, identifying marks etc.
I suppose the Bike Register sticker might make them move on to the next bike.
Sorry for the delay in replying back guys...
Somerset & Avon police officers have now told me, that they DO NOT actively track or trace any bicycles registered with these schemes. Completely to the contrary of what the antitheft schemes claim!!
It now seems to me, that such schemes are a complete waste of time and money, as at the end of the day, what matters is that your local police force can GUARENTEE that they will trace and return your stolen bike. If police will not even bother to try and trace, as has been suggested to me, what is the point of such schemes? THeives are intelligent and ruthless... they will not be detered just because a sticker 'claims' a bike is chip protected!
What a very disappointing chame that yet again, police officers simply do not even bother to co-operate with antitheft schemes!!
Does nobody in power care about actually combatting cycle theft?
What about data tag?
Used on motorcycles a lot.
What is your understanding of how these schemes are supposed to work?
What a very disappointing chame that yet again, police officers simply do not even bother to co-operate with antitheft schemes!!
So let's clarify, are you disappointed because you've found that thieves will steal your bike even if it's got a sticker on it? Or are you disappointed because some private profit making company is making claims that are false? Or are you disappointed because the Police are not actively engaging with a private company who are making these wild claims?
You've said it yourself that these schemes are a waste of money because thieves are intelligent and ruthless, yet you then say [i]yet again[/i] Police Officers simply do not bother... Also, why [i]yet again[/i]?
I'm a Police Officer & a cyclist - I've never even heard of these schemes, so how can I check them? Furthermore, put this in perspective; houses, sheds, cars etc. Often have alarms. Does this stop the thief? No. Do you think a sticker will? They don't give a shit if the item can be traced - they don't generally steal them for their own use, they steal them to sell, so what do they care if the item can later be traced?
These schemes are only of any use if the item is actually found. They are designed to trace the [i]owner[/i] if the property is subsequently found. That is, if I found/seized a load of stolen gear I would then try to match it up with our records of stolen items. These schemes just make it a bit easier (if you know they exist and then have access to them).
Throughout my years as a bobby, the only companies who have invested in their product by providing the Police with the necessary skills, equipment and data access are Tracker & Smar****er. Funnily enough, with the exception of datatag, these are also two of the longer lasting companies out there. Others come and go...
What is my understanding of how these schemes work?
Simply that when you register your bike with them, and purchase an electronic chip card pack (which you then fit internally to the bike somewhere.... presumably a difficult to reach spot inside the frame), that in the event of a theft, this will enable it to be traced with the assistance of "your local police force". In other words, in much the same way as tracing a stolen mobile phone/sim card etc.
Please don't shoot the messenger!!! This is exactly what I have directly been told 'should' be the case, and the whole point, of using these schemes.
Yet police have directly told me, words to the effect of we do not trace bicycles ever, so don't bother with such schemes.
Personally, I have lost interest in such schemes, and will prefer using simple old fashion methods... high quality gold level lock, and chase the buggers away if I catch them tempering with my machine!!
(as has happened twice recently!)
Maybe just keep a personal log of the frame number and kit and some photos, so if anything did happen you could hand the details over to the police completely bypassing the need for the above services and you know the police have the details and don't need to go searching for them.
Having said that, I need to update mine...
I think "Anti Theft" is a bit of an unfair name for these schemes, or is at least false advertising.
They don't stop theft at all.
And police wont take notice of what a random website says. If they find your bike, then the report you filed when it was first stolen should be enough to get it back to you.
Waste of money, imo.
Simply that when you register your bike with them, and purchase an electronic chip card pack (which you then fit internally to the bike somewhere.... presumably a difficult to reach spot inside the frame), that in the event of a theft, this will enable it to be traced with the assistance of "your local police force". In other words, in much the same way as tracing a stolen mobile phone/sim card etc.
Those chips aren't like a tracker that signals it's position. They're like, if not identical to, the chips you stick in your dog - that can be read by the right sort of scanner if the bike is found or recovered.
(Phones/SIMs, if in use, can be traced to the nearest phone mast, but there are significant criteria that must be met before the police can get this information from the phone companies).
I just had a look at these company websites, and although they do claim it makes your property less desirable to steal (which I think is bunkum), they don't actually suggest anywhere that the Police will be out there actively tracking your item. It's fairly clear that these schemes exist to help trace the owner of stolen/found property.
When you say "I've directly been told should be the case" & "it's beens suggested to me" & "words to the effect of" [i]we do not trace bikes ever[/i] etc. Really? Who said this? Are you certain you understood them correctly? You also ask "what is the point of such schemes?". When a private company is charging you £1.99 per item just to register it on a very basic database... Do you need to ask? Really?
No, the Police will not indiscriminately stop every cyclist they see and check to see if their bike is stolen, but yes, if a stolen item comes into Police hands, they will try and trace its owner. Check my history - you'll see I've posted on here trying to trace owners of a couple of bikes over the past year or so.
Also, you would be astounded as to how many folk have no record whatsoever of their frame number. [i]yet again[/i] owner fails to take basic precautionary steps to track/trace/safeguard their own property. Daft isn't it? But it's very common (I've never been given a frame number for any bike recorded as stolen).
Not to mention the risk of security flaws like this one... [url= http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30686697 ]Immobilise[/url]
I use Immobilise for bikes, electronic stuff, jewellery and the like. I've bought some of the basic serial number stickers as a visible warning and additional unique ID (in conjunction with the frame or serial numbers).
Very disappointing to hear that the police interaction may not be a close as they claim, but if nothing else its a free, reliable database of possessions details and proof of ownership should the worst happen.
Possibly more trouble than they're worth.
I recently registered my Five with Bike Register (A&S were promoting this & at £5 I thought "why not?").
Very soon after, my garage got done over (again) and the registered bike was the only one (of 7 in there) that was taken. They left the frame; stripped everything else off it. Don't know if that was due to the sticker/markings or the beefy lock though.
Frankly, it would have been easier if the entire bike had gone; sorting out the insurance for a "partial" theft has dragged on for a couple of months.
Is the timing of the theft a coincidence? I hope so. Would be very annoying to find that a list of registered bikes & addresses had fallen into the wrong hands...
pdV6 - can't remember where I saw it (might have been teletext) - one of the database companies (might have been Immobilise) have just fixed a flaw in their website that apprently would allow people to access other peoples details.
Doesn't exactly inspire you with confidence....
Yep, it was Immobilise - saw the article on The Register earlier (damned if I can find it again though!)
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30686697 ]Info re Immobilise security cock up.[/url]
I registered a bike after it was stolen. When the police searched a property (someone else spotted someone selling their stolen bike on ebay) they found my bike and were able to trace it back to me via Bike Register using the frame number.
When I went to pick it up it was in a room rammed with wheels, frames and other bits, many of which will never find their way back to the rightful owners.
So it didn't prevent the theft, but it was still worth the £2.70 (or whatever it cost).
FWIW my local force [url= http://www.northumbria.police.uk/advice_and_information/crime_prevention/Home_Security/property/register_property/ ]Northumbria Police actively recommend using Immobilise.com[/url]
My bikes and phones are on there. It's free so I figured it couldn't do any harm.
I look at it as, if some scum bag wants you bike they prob get it.
if you lucky some police forces might use "the info" to trace the bike if they find it.
BUT as above it could be more of a way to prove the bike is YOURS!
Bike gets nicked,
you see you bike 2 weeks later other side of town. (OR ON EBAY)
"Oi thats my bike"
"no it's not"
Police turn up, "prove it is your bike"
"er don't know how! there a scratch on the top tube?"
if you lucky you have frame number (thou they can file it down) or if you got smar****er or datatag ( the pro kit has dots to cover wheels, forks, groupset)
you can PROVE it is yours.
As above more a case to prove its yours not to stop it getting nicked.