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KNOG looks out for your bike with Scout, their new light weight bike alarm & tracking device!

Knog Scout, bike alarm and finderYellow = outright "don't touch my bike" mode.
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Recently, we’ve seen more ways of attaching an Apple Air Tag to your bike for tracking purposes. Now, KNOG is launching their own apple-compatible tracking system and it includes a built-in bike alarm!

Knog's Scout bike alarm and finder
Photo c. KNOG

Knog claims that their new Scout is both a “super loud bike alarm and highly accurate bike finder”.

Leaving a bike completely unattended can be risky, if not foolish… especially in an urban setting. Knog claims to understand that and is why they designed the Scout. The Scout is said to be loud, lightweight, rechargeable, waterproof, and will last a long time.

Knog's Scout bike alarm and finder
Black = Stealth mode
Knog Scout, bike alarm and finder
Yellow = outright “don’t touch my bike” mode.

The Scout has been in development for 3 years, taking some time to develop a dual-function bike alarm and tracer. It really looks to be a pretty good idea! Knog says it uses a secure Bluetooth signal to connect the alarm and finder system in the Scout.

Knog's Scout

As of this post, the Scout is only available to the Apple iPhone using the “Find My Network” feature…allowing the user the luxury of knowing the status of their bike and making sure it is safe and secure. Knog co-founder and designer Hugo Davidson says “we genuinely believe that Scout represents the future of bike security.”

Knog's Scout bike alarm and finder

The Scout Bike Alarm & Finder mounts to the bike frame using the water bottle mounts and the provided tamper-proof security screws. It weighs less than 1 ounce… I haven’t weighed it, so we have to take Knog’s word for it. Knog also says that the battery life of the rechargeable unit is an impressive 6 months! With the waterproof rating of IP67, you can apparently use it in all types of weather conditions like, rain, snow, and Knog claims even a rigorous bike washing.

Knog's Scout bike alarm and finder

After you park your bike, Knog says you can simply arm Scout using the KNOG App on your Apple device… or on the Scout itself. The multi-functioning LED’s on the unit allow the cyclist to see if/when the Scout is armed as well as if the unit has been paired and what the battery status is.

Once the unit is armed, Knog claims that any movement of the bike will trigger what they say is an “impossible-to-ignore alarm of 85 decibels”. The Scout will then send a text alert to your iPhone notifying you and giving the user the ability to track your steeds location by using Apple’s ‘Find My’ app. hopefully helping the user to recover their bike faster. Once it’s found the user then decides what to do with the bike thief…

The Scout will retail for $59.95 USD, and will be available to consumers later this Summer.

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18 Comments
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Sevo
Sevo
2 years ago

Great idea and great price point.

keville
keville
2 years ago

Interesting upside-down bottle cage on the Hunter…

James
James
2 years ago
Reply to  keville

I second that. ::smh::

mrvthomas@hotmail.com
mrvthomas@hotmail.com
2 years ago
Reply to  keville

That’s the bagel cage

Con G
Con G
2 years ago

Why not just make a bottle cage with the tracker inside it so it sits closer to the frame as is even less obvious?

pistafox
2 years ago
Reply to  Con G

Why not make a bottle cage bolt with tracker inside it so it sits closerer to the frame as is even lesserer obvious?

Bonus: one could affix as many “bolttrackers” as there braze-ons on the frame.

Eric
Eric
2 years ago

It sends a text alert? That suggests it has cellular connectivity. I assume that is the case.

pistafox
2 years ago
Reply to  Eric

Just from reading this article and having no other knowledge of the product, I think it piggybacks on Apple’s FindMy network and functions like an AirTag. AirTags transmit via low power, ultra-wideband (UWB) pulses sent every other nanosecond, meaning they have a fairly short range, use little power, and offer real-time tracking. Knog apparently licenses use of the FindMy network, which allows Apple devices (made since ~2019), to detect the the UWB signal. It’s sort of a crowdsourced network that relies on the ubiquity of iPhones and Apple Watches to relay the signal (which is fully encrypted as defined by the UWB protocol) and send the location to Apple. Using the FindMy app, the registered owner of the tracker can obtain an extremely accurate location. I think a similar UWB spec is used by the auto industry to locate cars. AirTags can be easily hidden in or on a bike, but the stalking concerns raised by AirTags has largely been addressed by informing Apple and Android users that a tracking device not registered to them is nearby and providing a deactivation option. Further, AirTags emit an audible alert after ~30–90 minutes (Apple wisely doesn’t specify this exactly) upon being near an Apple or Android phone/device to which it’s not registered. Presumably, the Knog tracker would provide thieves neither electronic nor audible alerts. Again, presumably, the Knog form factor must have been considered by Apple to be large enough to render it “safe” with respect to stalking concerns.

TypeVertigo
TypeVertigo
2 years ago

Any plans to get this to cater to Android phone users too? I like how stealthy it is, and the on-paper implementation seems pretty solid.

Linus Huxley
Linus Huxley
2 years ago

looks like a revamped version of this https://boomerangbike.com/bicycle-anti-theft-gps-products/

Cat
Cat
2 years ago
Reply to  Linus Huxley

These things are not very useful. Professional bike thieves know about these things and will remove it and then the tracker is worthless for recovering your bike. A good bike lock with a bicycle replacement guarantee is money much better spent, at least they will reimburse you for your bike, which this and nearly all similar “bike alarm” will not provide because they know their product is basically worthless as far as theft protection and recovery. Common thieves are usually deterred by just a big beefy well made lock(like kryptonite, even professional bike thieves usually pass on bikes secured with a kryptonite lock because they’re so dang difficult to open, requiring several cuts, making your bike significantly harder for them to snatch quickly)

pistafox
2 years ago
Reply to  Cat

This is an interesting product and I’d consider using it, but I agree with you completely that bike thieves know how to locate and circumvent, well, everything. There’s an understandable but inaccurate perception of bike thieves as basic street-level, opportunistic, unskilled thugs. Some are. A true bike thief is usually incredibly smart, innovative, deliberate, and highly-skilled. They’re able to bypass any deterrent given the opportunity. Any. That’s not to say they’d choose to, but outside your home you should never think you’re bike is secure. Instead, use good locks and ask yourself if you feel like it’s secure enough, given your risk tolerance and accounting for factors like amount of time the bike will be locked and not within your line of site, time of day, etc. It’s easy to fall prey to fallacy that an upscale/safe neighborhood is more secure when, in fact, it could be the opposite. Bike thieves play a long game, developing and trading on their reputation, honing skills and tactics, and most importantly, never getting caught. I’ve had beloved, irreplaceable bikes stolen. I’m not angry (that’s wasted energy and isn’t going to bring them back), though I miss the bikes sometimes. Hopefully they ended with people who appreciate them. I have a healthy, if begrudging, respect for bike thieves. It’s kind of hard not to admire their skill and creativity. From their perspective it’s business, so when in doubt, consider that there are professionals who want to protect and grow that business.

Zac
Zac
2 years ago
Reply to  Cat

I’d disagree as once once uses T7 security bolts…which no thief’s carry. It’s all about reduction: good lock, placed in a highly visible area with a little added insurance. I found my bike using a Tile that I had glued underneath my seat. It’s a worthwhile investment

John
John
2 years ago

Where is the android version

pistafox
2 years ago
Reply to  John

I think Samsung is working on a product similar to Apple’s AirTag. They’ve been adding the sensors to their phones for a couple years. Until that’s deployed I don’t think you’ll see Android implementation for this, and even then I’m not sure if it would limited to Samsung. I could be completely, or at least partially, wrong. Basically, I don’t think it’s a situation of Android implementation lagging. Rather, Knog seems to be relying on Apple’s FindMy infrastructure.

DMH
DMH
2 years ago
Reply to  pistafox

There were Android devices for tracking and recovering your belongings way before airbags came out. Tile for one.

DMH
DMH
2 years ago
Reply to  pistafox

Airtags not airbags though they have been around for a long time too

Scott
Scott
2 years ago

Thief with a pair of pliers!! Your bike is gone!!

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