TRACKING YOUR BIKE ON THE PLAYA

papabear · Post by **papabear** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 1:10 pm

Hey folks... I had my bike and GPS stolen this year and well... i don't want it happening again to me or the others i have seen posting losing their bikes. So, i have been researching Radio frequency Tacking devices like they use for animals. I pose a question. Would people be into doing this at Burning man next year. There are some cost involved. But I would be willing to head it up. The more people that would go into it would give us the ability to track more bikes at one time. Maybe even offer a method of renting (or using for trade) them out there and returning them at the end of the event.

let me know folks.

papabear

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 1:18 pm

I appreciate your enthusiasm and community spirit, but I think there is a very inexpensive, low tech solution to this problem - Bike Locks.

On the other hand a tracking device might have a use. We set up a "bait bike" , let the thief come and steal it and then track the bike back to his/her camp and then publish their Photograph along with their address and crime in the next issue of Piss Clear.

papabear · Post by **papabear** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 1:34 pm

Well, the short of it is... I was using a bike lock. I had just unlocked it, literally... and walked 10 feet away in our camp to grab a screwdriver and by the time i turned around... (not more than 15-20 seconds) it was gone... that fast and that premeditaded.

Not much else i could have done. I was prepared, just not enough. Next year i will be able to track. Just want to see if folks are into getting in on some security will they play on the playa.

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Sep 19, 2003 4:02 pm

In addition to a radio location transmitter, a good addition to the bait bikes would be one of those purple dye markers that they put inside briefcases full of stolen bank money. Mount it at groin level. They're safe, but fucking impossible to wash off.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 5:35 pm

a good addition to the bait bikes would be one of those purple dye markers that they put inside briefcases full of stolen bank money. Mount it at groin level. They're safe, but fucking impossible to wash off.

Sounds like you have some personal experience with the stuff? [/quote]

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 7:42 pm

The animal ones arent expensive, putting one in my dog only cost $10!

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Sep 19, 2003 8:08 pm

Chai Guy wrote:Sounds like you have some personal experience with the stuff?

After my Dad sold his beer distributorship he bought some banks. We used to play with all the cool bank hardware. The best, of course, is the vault. You just can't help loving a good vault.

Atomic Gardener · Post by **Atomic Gardener** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:54 pm

Most certainly a fun idea...and could work nicely with my Thievery Camp idea (see new camp idea thread)....we could even take a series of candid pictures of the person being caught/harassed/etc. (all in a fun way, after all....vengence can be expensive might I remind you) that could be posted in Center Camp or at Thievery Camp......let the Baiting Begin!

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:05 pm

A little Crazy Glue between ass and seat works like a charm.

Cha-ching!!!! Badger, where's my fucking gift???

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:50 pm

a buddy of mine has had three bikes with loocks stolen in three years. So he built a bike for the 2007 Burn, Its a bait bike, and he is going to leave it all over and watch it carefully.

The best part is that it is wired in both grips, and the seat with a taser on an RC plane remote. He is going to let the perp get a ways and then shock the hell out of him - I told him to be careful for liability, his response - "The fucker stole a bike, who is he complaining too?"

I thought it was funny, and sick at the sme time. so we'll see.

later all

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:08 am

There's a company that microchips horse tack, you can insert it into your $3500 Western Pleasure or dressage saddle and police can track it with the same reader that they use for animals.

It doesn't exactly work on the same way you're thinking, it's more like an electronic anti-theft engraving. If the police ever recover your wayward property (saddle, horse, dog, bike), you can say "It's got a microchip in it, this is the number [yackety-smack]"; they check it with the chip reader, "Ah yes indeed, we found your saddle/horse/dog/bike, sir!"

Good thought, though. I do like the RC taser idea

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:34 pm

I would like to hear about any tracking ideas.
Triple barb fishhooks work great, but on the playa very often bikes need to be shifted by someone that isn't stealing.
Any place you can use them, be sure they are attached to something in a permanent way on strong line.
If anyone wants cutproof chain, it's available.
It's overkill for me, but it works for all but torches and highspeed cutters.
Very reasonable for generators and in camp.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:50 pm

I'm considering ways to attach a "safety" to a bike. Like a hand break lever that instead of making the bike break, moves a bar out of the spokes, allowing you to ride it. So you could just drop your bike anywhere and anyone trying to ride it will find that they cannot. Sure, if they fiddled with it long enough they could but that would detour the accidental theft, the "need a ride and too drunk/high to know better" theft, and the, "I'm going to grab this bike real quick" theft, which is probably most of it.

I haven't made it yet so there are considerations to be made. For example if letting go sticks a bar through the spokes, suddenly letting go for any reason while riding would be bad. So if you decide to implement something like this keep in mind this is still in the thought stages.

Zhust · Post by **Zhust** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:51 am

MikeVDS wrote:I'm considering ways to attach a "safety" to a bike. Like a hand break lever that instead of making the bike break, moves a bar out of the spokes, allowing you to ride it.

Do you mean like Cycle Cuff, a bike lock that simply immobilizes the wheels but doesn't tie the frame to anything?

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 8:46 am

Similar, except that mine doesn't use a key and anyone who knows how to "unlock" it can easily take the bike away. It's more of security through obscurity rather than security through not having the tools to remove the lock (a key or lock cutters). Same idea but different method used to unlock.

My main thing is not having to worry about a key on the playa while still being confident that my bike will stick around. I've never locked in the oast but my brother had his bike swiped last year so I figure I'll do something.