New Bicycling Tech – Stealth Tag for Storing Apple Air Tag on Your Bike

Have you ever had your bike stolen (or anything else)? I’ve been lucky, I suppose. I have never been the victim of theft when it comes to my bike, although I’ve had my car broken into a few times. But it doesn’t matter, really because to have personal property stolen from you always feels like a personal violation.

But to have one’s bike stolen? That is like someone removing your legs while you weren’t paying attention. As cyclists, our bikes are often just extensions of ourselves. While there are myriad ways to protect your bike from theft available on the marketplace, what will you do if it actually still ends up being taken? Where will you look? Who will you call?

You can, of course, report the theft, but chances are high that your bike may not be recovered. That is why the company Stealth Tag designed its 3D printed product to hide an Apple air tag on your bike.

Bicycle Theft in the U.S. and Canada

Amazingly, in the United States, a bike is stolen every three minutes, according to this article over at The Best Bike Lock. That adds up to 175,200 bikes per year. But if you lump in Canada with the United States, that statistic jumps closer to 2 million bikes.

And once stolen, many cyclists don’t bother to report it. Why is that? Less than 5% are actually recovered. That could be because only 1 in 5 incidents are reported.

What Are Apple Air Tags and How Are They Used?

Air Tags are small, round devices that are only 1.26 inches big and weigh in at 0.39 ounces (11 grams for those metrically inclined). Once setup and connected to your iPhone or iPad, the device broadcasts a Bluetooth signal and can be used to track most anything, including bikes. Air tags appear in the Find My app installed on your phone or another Apple device.

Air tags are waterproof up to 30 meters. They have a built-in speaker and run on a CR2032 replaceable battery. The device encrypts your personal information so that only you have access to it. Find My will detect other air tags but only if they get separated from their owners.

How Does a Stealth Tag Work with an Air Tag?

Stealth Tag is a device that holds your air tag securely and allows you to attach it to your bike in one of three ways. It can be placed on the underside of the fork, on the underside of your saddle, or connected to the bottle cage mount.

Stealth Tags are made of PETG, a copolymer that resists heat, impact, and solvents. They are also made of TPU, thermoplastic polyurethane. The device is 3D printed in-house at the company’s headquarters.

Stealth Tags use “compression and friction compression and friction to stay securely in your steer tube. Stealth Tag Saddle uses the Specialized SWAT system bolts to securely mount under the saddle.” Depending on where you want to mount your stealth tag, costs range from $13.99 to $21.99.

Who Can Use Stealth Tags?

The company states that Stealth Tags work best when affixed to the underside of a mountain bike fork. However, since you can also attach it to your saddle or bottle cage mounts, I’m going to assume you could also easily attach it to a road bike.

Last Thoughts

Using Apple’s air tags to track your bike if one day it disappears out of your purview is one more step you can take to protect your bike from theft. In concert with a good-quality lock or a bike alarm, you may elude being the victim of unsavory behavior.

While the installation of a Stealth Tag or use of a bike lock and alarm all offer no guarantee your ride still won’t be lifted, at least you have a way to see where your bike might be or even who took it. With access to that information, you may feel more confident to report the theft. And you might even have your bike returned to you. So, for the cost of an Apple air tag at $29.00, that may be a positive possibility.