The continued drop in costs associated with GPS technology has led to a host of bicycle related, tracking devices. Track your positioning on a map; navigate turn by turn via light signals; hide a tracking system in your steer-tube; track your training performance against friends and rivals — the list is nearly endless. New kid on the block, ShySpy has now thrown its hat into the ring by offering their own take on an anti-theft device. Spy what makes them unique, next…
With its primary function begin the physical tracking of a bike’s location, the ShySpy promises to track for five weeks on a single charge while hidden within your seatpost. But the ShySpy is no “uni-tasker” just weighing your bike down. The associated ShySpy software allows for full tracking of routes via GPX data that is compatible with existing sites like Strava or Endomondo.
Further anti-theft features include the ShySpy’s integrated motion detector that will alert you of any movement of your locked bike that may indicate illicit tampering. Additionally, ShySpy’s geo-fences can be setup to warn you of your bike’s removal from a predetermined area. All of these features can be accesses and managed from the ShySpy app on Android and iOS. For those of us who have refused to adopt smartphone technology (stand strong!) ShySpy is not a lost cause. All the above features can be managed on ShySpy’s desktop tracking software (Windows, OSX, Linux) and will utilize SMS texts to send alerts using Lat/Long coordinates and Google Map links.
ShySpy further sets themselves apart by offering a solution for those whom do not wish to commit to a monthly data plan. The GSM model uses cell tower triangulation to calculate the location of your bicycle. ShySpy does admit the GSM tracking technology is significantly less accurate than GPS tracking (just ask law enforcement) – accuracy dropping from 3m to 100-500m.
Future developments and applications of ShySpy are interesting to consider, primarily on the subject of city bikeshare programs. Read more on their Kickstarter site where they are handing out ShySpys for $55-$150 depending on model. They are gunning for £40,000 in funding by March 19th.
