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Bike alarm

April 6, 2018

The bike is our best friend in many ways. It’s there with us on weekends, it’s with us when the sun’s coming up, and is waiting patiently for us while we’re fueling up with a cappuccino. We understand how disconcerting it is when someone sinister tries to steal your baby. Sorry, your bike. This is where a bike alarm comes in handy.

Bike Alarm Loop

Preventing bike theft: a bike alarm as a deterrent

According to the Office for National Statistics in the UK, in recent years around 2 in 100 bicycle-owning households have been victims of bicycle theft – roughly 290,000 offences that were reported to police. The National Bike Registry estimate that 1.5 million bikes are stolen in the US every year. That’s a lot of bikes.

Some countries jokingly refer to bike theft as a part of life. The Netherlands is notorious for bikes being stolen daily – around 300 per day, according to ANWB – though we’re guessing that these bikes used for commuting aren’t BMC Teammachines.

Among the many features of the Fly CE Series – Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS), 1080p recording at 60 frames per second, ANT+ connectivity – the integrated bike alarm is an important feature. No need to fit another device on your bike – the Fly CE has one built-in. Using the sensors within, the Fly CE can detect when it’s being moved, and sound an alert. If you’re within Bluetooth range, your mobile phone will also sound a notification saying your device has been moved.

The alarm – included in both the Fly6 CE and Fly12 CE – is a great way to ensure peace of mind when leaving your bicycle on its own. Most times when we’re away from our bikes, they are momentarily – whether a bathroom break or grabbing a drink after a ride.

Toggle Bike Alarm On and Off

So how does the bike alarm work? We decided what better way to show you than to test it ourselves. The benefits of having an alarm on your Fly CE device are numerous. Here are just a few.

Nevertheless, the best reason for the alarm is setting it when you’ve left your bike somewhere – whether you’re popping in to a café to grab a coffee after cycling, using the bathroom or taking a photo just off of the road.

Setting up your bike alarm

By connecting to your CE device via the CycliqPlus smartphone app (for Android or iOS), you are able to turn on the alarm feature of your bike camera remotely. Using it as a short-term anti-theft security system, the integrated bike alarm is an added feature to ensure the person stealing your bike doesn’t do so very quietly.

Open the CycliqPlus mobile app on your smartphone. Once connected to your Fly CE, simply press the ‘Alarm’ button.

Sound the alarm, get notified on your smartphone

Once activated, if your Fly CE is moved (including if your bike is moved while the camera is attached), it will sound an audible alarm and the lights will begin to flash – and the camera will start recording. If you’re within Bluetooth range (10 metres) you will receive an alert notification on your smartphone telling you that the camera has been moved – though chances are you would hear it as well.

To turn off, simply press the ‘Alarm’ button to toggle off the alarm on the main menu. That’s it!

While there’s no room on the CE devices to install any oil slicks, the alarm is a step towards preventing bicycle theft.

Fly12 success story

Back in January of 2017, there was an incident of a thief stealing a bike outside of a coffee – all caught on a Fly12. A couple riding their bikes in Alamo, California, stopped off at a coffee shop – leaving their bikes outside. In the video you can watch the suspicious character check the surroundings before bolting off with one of the bikes – all while the Fly12 captures the entire thing. Realising that the couple had passed the exact vehicle the thief was dropped off from, a licence plate was found, and reported to police.

Have a similar story you’d like to share? Let us know.