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The Bike Spike, Onstar for Bicycles

Written by Saris Mercanti
19 Comments
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Having a bike stolen is a gut wrenching experience. That’s why Chicago based started up Bike Spike has created a big brother style solution to tackling bike theft.

The company is integrating the “world’s smallest GPS chipset with a built-in antenna, an on-board accelerometer, and a connection to a global cellular network” to help keep tabs on your two wheeled transportation. The beacon interfaces with your phone and can be used to track down the location of your stolen bicycle or provide additional data about how fast and far you’ve ridden.

Head past the break for more info..

The module containing the GPS chip set and battery mounts directly to your frame via the water bottle mounts. A custom  holder allows you to tote some precious hydration and carefully camouflages the hardware.

A special tool will be required to mount the beacon and a notification will be sent if the accelerometer determines the device is being tampered with.

The data is fed to your android or iphone device but an open API will allow outside developers to access the data and create additional functionality. In the future you’ll be able to share rides, monitor your children’s rides, share stats, and more.

A special adapter will allow you to plug the your BikeSpike into an auxiliary battery source, so you can monitor your motorcycle without plugging into the wall.

Interested? Head over to kickstarter to back the new project. They have 21 days to reach their goal of 150k. A pledge of $150 nets you a BikeSpike and a 12 month plan.

The major downside to this project is the required monthly cellular plan. The company does not currently list any details regarding the eventual cost of the cell phone plan after the initial plan runs out.

Via Kickstarter
Saris Mercanti
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David Lewis
David Lewis
11 years ago

This seems to do the same thing as the SpyBike: . The latter has the advantage, though, that it is hidden in the stem, making it much less conspicuous.

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David Lewis
David Lewis
11 years ago

SpyBike web site is http://www.pegtech.com/products/gps-bicycle-tracking/spybike/product-information

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Harvey
Harvey
11 years ago

Actually David, the BikeSpike has many features that the Spybike does not.
– Truly active monitoring of your bike’s location on a map using your phone or computer
– Grant temporary access to local law enforcement, helping increase the chances of recovery. WITHOUT the lag time of an SMS based product.
– Digitally “lock” your bike and receive a notification if your bike moves from it’s geo-fenced location or if someone even tampers with it.
– Collision detection system can alert key members of your contact list and share the location of an accident. This is made possible because the BikeSpike has an accelerometer and the SpyBike does not.
– Share your stats (distance, speed, and courses…) with friends, coaches and spectators as they are created.
– Monitor your children and get notified if they ride out of their safe zone.
– open API allows developers to create gaming and fitness apps that you can download and use with the device or use the data created from the BikeSpike to integrate with the existing apps you already love.
PLUS you can connect it to a motorcycle or other on-board batteries for a continual charge.
To say there they same doesn’t really make any sense at all. They are both designed to recover a stolen bike, but the BikeSpike can do so much more.
Hope this clears up any confusion about the two different products.

http://kck.st/ZQsqgd

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Jake
Jake
11 years ago

I wish my ‘SPOT” was more concealable, It’s about the same size. It messages through satellite radio not cell towers so I can be tracked win I’m off of the grid. It has an emergency button so I can call for help anywhere in the world, not just near a cell tower. $150 a year

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Matthew
Matthew
11 years ago

Sounds like a great idea… until you realize that bike thieves aren’t stupid, and will recognize your transponder. Once they do, looks like all they have to do is break out their trusty hex or torx key set and discard the transponder in a local dumpster.

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Unravelled
Unravelled
11 years ago

Even if it is installed using security bits then the thieves will just drill off the heads or smash it with a hammer.. What happens when you lose cell coverage?

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Bob Goatse
Bob Goatse
11 years ago

The one thing my wife complains about the most with respect to my cycling habit is not knowing if I’m lying dead in a ditch in the middle of nowhere. The ability of this device to send a message if a collision is detected, not the purported antitheft capabilities, sold me. The Spike along with my RoadID will provide some peace of mind should the unthinkable occur.

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Vectorbug
Vectorbug
11 years ago

It would be great if it came with a pair of cages so its not as obvious what’s going on with the one that has a black box attached to it while the other doesn’t.

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Jim
Jim
11 years ago

“Sounds like a great idea… until you realize that bike thieves aren’t stupid”

Most of them really, really are. Clearly identifying stuff is left on tons of bikes. We often see people spraying over all of the accessories… that they could have taken off and sold for as much as the now-clearly-stolen bike. There are clever thieves, and then there are the other 90% of people stealing bikes… total, complete idiots.

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iperov
iperov
11 years ago

stealers have GPS / GSM jammer . So metal lock still better.

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Bikehoarder6
Bikehoarder6
11 years ago

How about a “Bike Spike” that launches a large metal spike out of the seat right up the bike thief’s ass
when they steal your bike. Law enforcement just looks for the screaming castrated perp
curled up in the fetal position. Problem solved.

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Mike Hunt
Mike Hunt
11 years ago

” Bikehoarder6 – 03/20/13 – 5:57am
How about a “Bike Spike” that launches a large metal spike out of the seat right up the bike thief’s ass
when they steal your bike. Law enforcement just looks for the screaming castrated perp
curled up in the fetal position. Problem solved ”

I am down with Bikehoarders idea as well. Seriously though I would buy this in a minute if the transponder could be mounted in the steerer tube or seat tube. we have stupid bike thieves in Toronto BUT we have smart ones too especially when they target your bike. Very similiar technology to Viper smart start car alarms with the geo fenced portion and Viper charges $60 per year for the service side of things.

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Ryan
Ryan
11 years ago

I 3rd the seat post spike up the thieves ass.

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Ripnshread
Ripnshread
11 years ago

Don’t quite understand why this wasn’t designed to be hidden better. I mean, its on the outside of the bike, easy to see if you know what you are looking for. It even has the logo molded in on the outside to advertise to thieves exactly what it is.

Sure, the dirt bag stealing your $800 commuter probably wont know what it is. But are you gonna pay the price plus the price to keep the cellular plan up for an $800 bike? Probably not. The super dirt bag stealling $5000 bikes knows what he is looking for because he is going to strip it for its parts and sell them seperately so they cant be tracked. That guys will know what it is and rip it off before he even removes your lock.

All the extra features are nice but I wouldn’t buy this for its intended purpose of keeping my bike from being stolen.

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Johnny Doe
Johnny Doe
11 years ago

Agreed that it’ll be better if it can be contained in a post/stem/steerer/bar end (fancy bar end plug perhaps) but this is a product in nascency. I dig the concept, I dig where it’s going, and I’ll dig it more when it gets there. Props for the features and development.

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Chinarello
Chinarello
11 years ago

It is a nice initiative, but I could manage with a simple WiFi connected motion alarm that sends me an email if any of my bikes are touched. Any bike deemed valuable should be held in closed quarters anyway.

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Tamas
Tamas
11 years ago

Harvey, you got something really wrong about the SpyBike. While bolstering your own product, you’re misleading the readers. Let me debunk your allegiations…

“Actually David, the BikeSpike has many features that the Spybike does not.”

The BikeSpike has a bunch of features that are not even necessary. Of course they are not in SpyBike. How do I know? Because I’ve been using SpyBikes for more than a year to bust actual criminals with bait bikes. Over 22 of them just last year.

“- Truly active monitoring of your bike’s location on a map using your phone or computer”

This is _exactly_ what SpyBike does. It plots a line on a map in real time, so you can follow your bike.

“- Grant temporary access to local law enforcement, helping increase the chances of recovery. WITHOUT the lag time of an SMS based product.”

There, you’re deliberately misleading people. SpyBike does not communicate in SMS with you. Of course it can, as an emergency measure (which BikeSpike, on the other hand, can not do) but it’s actually sending data to a server via GPRS, and in real time, no lags.

“- Digitally “lock” your bike and receive a notification if your bike moves from it’s geo-fenced location or if someone even tampers with it.”

Come on, this is _exactly_ what SpyBike does. Although the alarm is triggered by a vibration detector, not geo-fence detection. Actually if your thing does that, it means it is constantly scanning for GPS positions, which also means – very short battery time. So in fact your competition is not SpyBike but those dirt cheap Chinese trackers.

“- Collision detection system can alert key members of your contact list and share the location of an accident. This is made possible because the BikeSpike has an accelerometer and the SpyBike does not.”

Indeed, because it’s an anti-theft system. It also can’t make coffee. However, brace yourself. SpyBike _does_ have an accelerometer.

“- Share your stats (distance, speed, and courses…) with friends, coaches and spectators as they are created.”

Aww, wonderful, now I can sit back and watch as my friend bikes through the city! In fact it’s way too imprecise to use as an actual measurement, but still…

“- Monitor your children and get notified if they ride out of their safe zone.”

Good, be a good Nazi parent and get your kids accustomed with the fact that they are constantly under surveillance. In fact you can do the same with the SpyBike if you’re really that much into it.

“- open API allows developers to create gaming and fitness apps that you can download and use with the device or use the data created from the BikeSpike to integrate with the existing apps you already love.
PLUS you can connect it to a motorcycle or other on-board batteries for a continual charge.”

Can’t wait to see a game controlled by a bicycle-mounted GPS. I am sure it will revolutionize the game market. Well, in case you didn’t know, there are smartphones around, which are much more suitable for this purpose. Almost everyone has one now.

“To say there they same doesn’t really make any sense at all. They are both designed to recover a stolen bike, but the BikeSpike can do so much more.”

This is what they call “blinding the peasants” in my country.

“Hope this clears up any confusion about the two different products.”

Yeah. One is well-designed, working well and tested in live-fire situations, the other is just a plan, and its designers are already trying to mislead the public. BikeSpike, huh? At least make up some original name. Also, will you tell the public why have you purchased a SpyBike some time before you announced your project on Kickstarter? I happen to know that.

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Ray
Ray
11 years ago

I think it is great that they are trying to improve upon spybike’s product,but the location of their device seems too easy to knock off or break.I have the spybike topcap and you can’t even tell there is a tracker on my bike.

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John
John
9 years ago

So is this thing officially dead? Great initial feedback/crowdfunding campaign all moot? Website doesn’t exist anymore…

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