Datatag

[skip71]

Seeing past the 'if I ever see it again' doubts, is it worth getting our bikes data-tagged ? Its a cheap (in comparison) way of identifying your bike, but will they ever be found again ! Anyone's views are welcomed.

 

[PaulSecteur]

A chap I used to work with had it done, then sold it on at a much later date. A few years later the police turn up and tell him they have his bike. He tells them he sold it, but cant find the details of the chap he sold it to. They say you can either have it back or it will go to the auction or be disposed of.

+1 Rockhopper.

 

[Piemaster]

I've got the Planet X carbon datatagged. Dunno if it will ever do any good, but think it was worth trying. Maybe the sticker will prove as much a deterrent as anything.
The rest of family fleet are postcode engraved, something you can't do with a carbon frame. The road bike would tend to stand out amongst the local BSO and the shopping bike has an xtracycle conversion so really stands out anyway.

I was out a couple of weeks ago and saw a bike being given a good look over by a couple of PC's, upside down so must have been looking for the postcode. Guy may have been known to them or just looking 'wrong' on what looked like a newish bike. The PC's had stopped and actually got out of their car so they were trying,

 

[fossyant]

My MTB is data tagged. Got it done for free by the Police. I was commuting on it at the time.

 

[skip71]

A chap I used to work with had it done, then sold it on at a much later date. A few years later the police turn up and tell him they have his bike. He tells them he sold it, but cant find the details of the chap he sold it to. They say you can either have it back or it will go to the auction or be disposed of.

+1 Rockhopper.

That is a success story Makes me feel a bit more confident in it ! Thanks PaulSecteur

 

[vickster]

My bike was painted by police, but I never put the sticker on stupidly. It got stolen, never heard of again, insurance paid out. Bike was too big for me so I don't miss it

Worth getting it done though for free

 

[John the Monkey]

The last time GMP did a presentation to our bike group, they said Datatag tended to be less good than other sorts of marking and registration (they postcode mark, and recommend recording details on immobilise).

The problem they had with Datatag was that the readers weren't widely available within the force, and so it was harder to check details on the spot. I.e. you're relying on there being sufficient reason to take the bike from the thief, and taken to a station with a datatag reader available. (Whereas they all carried UV lights for checking for postcode marking, and could access immobilise to check frame numbers &c during a street stop). Things may have changed since then though.

I'd say go for Datatag if it's cheap enough, but mark the bike too, and record frame number on Immobilise. You could also ask the local force what they do - here in Crewe, there's been a big push to get people registered on Bikeregister.com (visible marking, and a website that records bike details).

 

[skip71]

Thanks John the Monkey. The Datatag I've been looking at has 4 UV stencils for the frame / forks, the tamper-proof sticker and they claim it is a Police Preferred Crime Prevention Product. Whatever that means !

 

[John the Monkey]

Thanks John the Monkey. The Datatag I've been looking at has 4 UV stencils for the frame / forks, the tamper-proof sticker and they claim it is a Police Preferred Crime Prevention Product. Whatever that means !

Could refer to the UV marking, for all we know Another thing - the old versions (Immobitag) were in a sort of star nut shaped thing that went in the seattube. They could be moved/broken by being over enthusiastic with lowering a seatpost, so if you have someone else working on the bikes, you had to let them know not to be surprised by an apparent blockage in the tube when moving the seatpost.

 

[fossyant]

Things with UV marking, I would have probably polished off the special paint in a week.... Whoops