'I’m terribly sorry, but that’s my bicycle' - How a $30 gadget helped this journalist recover his stolen bike
The story of how a tiny tracking device helped a victim of bike theft track down and reclaim his stolen bike
Apple AirTags were launched back in 2021. The small circular gadgets from Apple use Bluetooth and the Apple Find My Phone network (sorry, Android users) to help you locate whatever item the AirTag is attached to. Long story short, they are small, affordable GPS trackers for your stuff.
This makes them perfect for cyclists who are regularly travelling with bikes and kit, like my colleague Graham, whose bags recently went missing, an example of someone who would have benefited from having an AirTag in his luggage.
Bike theft is also a huge problem, especially in certain major cities across the world, and the prospect of having a bike stolen fills any cyclist with dread.
As previously reported by Cycling Weekly, a UK-based journalist managed to relocate his stolen, and rather expensive, cargo bike using an Apple AirTag he had hidden in the frame.
Without it, he likely wouldn't have seen his bike ever again.
With the Metropolitan Police in London unable to help straight away, Jim Waterson, who runs the London Centric, ended up turning his crime-fighting experience into a true story piece for his website.
Waterson describes on his website how he managed to track down his stolen bike to a certain location and, luckily, found it being transferred to a car and reclaimed it. The one caveat to make here is that if you aren't sure about the situation you're heading into to re-take your pride and joy, err on the side of caution and alert the authorities.
Of his ordeal and ultimate triumph, Waterson had the following to say:
"Ten minutes after I left the building, the bike was on the move. First, the AirTag pinged at another block of flats the other side of a park. I ran over there but was unable to find anything. Then it pinged one final time, a further 500 metres away.
"The signal was weak, but it was all I had to go on. I sprinted down the road, into a dark car park, and saw my family's bicycle leaning against a wall. Next to it was a man, dressed all in black with his face covered in a ski mask, standing by a black hatchback car with the boot open. He appeared to be getting ready to load the bicycle into the boot.
"High on adrenaline and shaken by the situation, I blurted out the words: 'I’m terribly sorry, but that’s my bicycle.'"
Thankfully, the person in possession of the bike handed it over without issue and man and machine were reunited. A win for the humble AirTag.
It's a true-life example of how useful an AirTag can be, being able to pinpoint your lost or stolen items is something that would have been scarcely believable a few years ago.
For less than $30 / £30, you can keep tabs on your bike at all times.
With Amazon Prime Day currently in full swing, there are a few ways of getting an AirTag at a discounted price.
For USA readers, the AirTag is only currently available as a single unit, although the deal is so good at the time of writing that even if you were to buy four of them, you're still getting a better price than UK buyers buying the discounted multipack.
For UK readers, this multipack of four AirTags is great for those with a knack for losing stuff. Whether it's your keys, the dog's collar, your bike, suitcase, wallet, or other, there's no end to the things you can track.
Also in the UK, the single pack is down by a more modest saving to £28.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
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