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TECH NEWS
tail it bike tracker.PNGTail It Technologies launch bendable bike GPS tracker that fits in your handlebar
The Norwegian startup Tail It have launched a GPS bike tracker that fits in your handlebar. It's 100% hidden behind your bar end, can bend so it fits any handlebar shape and weighs just 64g.
Tail It say: "in 2019 its totally unnecessary to lose the things you care about when a small piece of technology will give you its location within seconds"... and it's definitely among the smarter ideas we've seen when it comes to discreet and simple bike trackers. The low weight makes it a pretty much negligible addition even to a light weight road bike, and the eight week battery life plus USB recharging means you needn't have to think about removing or re-installing it once fitted (you can charge without removing it from your handlebar). The unit is also splashproof to an IP67 rating, and it's bendy so it can fit inside pretty much any size or shape of handlebar.
The position of the device is tracked using data collected from three GSM stations to accurately locate it from satellites, and it also has an advanced tool to track it without GPS coverage using base stations and WiFi instead. You track the device with the Tail It app, and with one click you can activate live tracking to help locate your bike if there's an emergency. This updates the GPS every two seconds, so in theory thieves shouldn't get very far with your pride and joy once you've noticed it's missing.
Tail It Bike is available to pre-order now for $99 for the unit, with an additional subscription required for the tracking of between $4.99 and $5.99 a month depending on how long you sign up for. Find out more on their website here.
Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story).
Latest Comments
- quiff 0 sec ago
I confess it is relatively new to me. It's psychologically hard to limit yourself to sidelights when everyone else is using headlights though - the...
- quiff 13 min 45 sec ago
I'm sure they'd ask Lime to do that too. Come and collect your bikes and my neighbour - they're in pieces.
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Ireland seems to have a lot of problems with their cycle lanes… Almost as many as England
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Fair point - I was restricting myself to pedal bikes. As I've never spent that kind of money on anything though (mortgage doesn't count), it's kind...
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- mdavidford 5 hours 8 min ago
I think you're missing an opportunity to pack even more tech into it - add accelerometers that can detect whether they're pedalling or stepping....
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12 comments
8 or 12 weeks on charge. Both referenced
Locks are so bad, and yet you use one to secure the tracker.
Also we all know we phone the local bobbies after tracking bike and they’ll be too busy to help with recovery.
Sorry I’m out, but good luck
Hi!
The charging time is 8 weeks, we'll make sure that's fixed.
We're not using a lock to secure the tracker, but a locking mechanism to make sure the tracker stays inside the handlebar without falling out.
Thanks for the feedback
This looks like it could be ideal. Low upfront cost plus subscription is always a good business model.
Appears to do passive and active tracking and using GSM towers is a good approach. One of the benefits of being designed/engineered in Trondheim I'd imagine where GPS coverage is really patchy (because fjords/latitude).
Really need a UK distro because shipping is an eye-watering $48 - I'd imagine I could get a flight to Oslo for not much more and have a decent weekender...
I guess it comes down to a question of whether you want your actual bike back because it will be more expensive overall than insurance, once you've paid for the monthly subscription (which appears to include the SIM card/data contract).
I do wonder about the ease of charging as well - from the pictures it looks like it needs to be partially removed from the bar. I think I was expecting a port on the end (like a Di2 junction box) but it appears to be tucked inside the bar. Perhaps the idea is to keep it stealthy to avoid detection by casual thieves.
Thanks for the feedback!
We're looking into cheaper shipping costs for Europe right now, since it is still under preorder, it is set to a flat rate across Europe. You should visit Oslo if you have a chance, it's a nice city.
The charging method has changed a bit, as we have changed the locking mechanism of the bike before production, so you will be able to charge it without taking it out of the handlebar. The Tail it Bike will use a micro-usb cable to charge.
You're completely correct with the point of it is being invisible. We feel that if the device is showing outside of the handlebar, then there is no point of having it at all.
I like the look of the Sherlock and seriously considered it but....
I don't like having to activate/deactivate it with my phone every time. I don't leave my bike at the station or chained to a lampost all day. I want something that just sits passively and wakes up when movement is detected (bike stolen by burglars, bike-jacking etc.).
Could this be the answer? Couldn't see on the website if you have to activate it every time you leave the bike.
Hi!
We're actually working on this type of logic, which we like to call "significant change". For the moment they are not installed, but this is something we will be able to update with later. To begin with, you have to activate it though. You can also put livetracking on, and use geo fences to get notified when the bike moves, but it will ofcourse drain the battery more.
You say eight weeks battery life, web site says up to 7 days...?
Hi! Where did you see this error? We will get it fixed right away.
forget about bike, i needed it for my cat, buying a new bike is easier than finding a lost cat
You can check out our Tail it Pet
We released a new line of GPS trackers for most things you need, with a tracker for your pets included. We're also working on a package prize for subscriptions, so theres that.
"is available to pre-order" oh yeah so it does not exist yet! No wonder why.
Hi Jerome!
They will be available very soon. We've been working on them since last summer, and we're now making the final adjustments to the locking mechanism before production starts, and these become available.