I was wondering what people thought about using a motion sensing alarm for securing their unicycles?
I’m kind of thinking in relation to leaving a schlumpf wheel padlocked up somewhere or should I go to Unicon 21.
We have this great little device attached to our Tern GSD cargo bike:
It’s great for the price as it includes Apple’s Airtag tracking functionality too - but the alarm that can be enabled by its companion app. It attaches to a bike via special bolts to the bottle cage mounts.
For a unicycle of course we don’t have those mounts and in some senses the wheel can easily be taken off the frame. But of course the alarm is there to deter people from moving it or being able to tamper with things.
Another less neat option I saw is this:
ABUS 82364 Alarmbox Alarm Box, Blue, one Size Amazon.co.uk
You can attach it to anything and it then becomes a motion sensing alarm but has no tracking option. But with this item you can use it for any wheel.
Whereas the Knog Scout to my mind is something you’d want to buy per unicycle as it has the tracking feature too and seems more compact. I guess you could bury in a saddle somehow?!?
I like the idea both routes really. Per unicycle alarm and tracker or the option of one alarm you move with you to whatever wheel you’re padlocking up.
Pretty cool tech. And maybe it is just where I am at geographically in the world (remote region and not to mention I’m frequently on remote trails), but I am not all that worried about theft. Quite frankly, I don’t think most people would even know what to do with the thing if they did get their hands on it. Now, bikes on the other hand are obviously a different story.
But, peace of mind is worth that small price tag. For example, I did a MUni-packing trip last November, and was on a trail that wasn’t completely remote. It would be terrible to wake up to find gear gone. We had one MUni and one bike, and we brought a cable and lock. Got lazy and never used it
I guess at this point with unicycles I’m betting that any potential thief would move on to easier, more understandable rides OR be weirded out and afraid of whatever was riding that thing out in the woods.
You can find some less common bolts for the bearingcaps. I know security torx with dimensions that work exist for sure, but I’m sure there could be something even more obscure to use.
I was considering doing that for my muni (my golden hope brake isn’t exactly inconspicuous and it’s fairly common to know what those cost), but it’s actually small enough that I can take it into most places without any pushback, so I think not being able to use common tools is too big of a downside for me. If I had an expensive unicycle that I’d lock in public more commonly, I’d probably do it.
That’s a great idea. The Knog Scout even comes with a special key for the bolts it uses. Be great to fine some that use that key for the bearing mounts.
I have never worried about my previous / current unicycles, as I just aim to take them with me. But with a shiny G36er that clearly looks something of value even to the untrained eye - I like the idea of an alarm that deters with even the aspect of the wheel being tracked.
I’d probably make a small stretch out banner linked to the padlock I’d use, and the banner would say:
Unicycle is Alarmed and Tracked
It’s just to deter and would probably work fairly well. No one enjoys an 85db siren going off when trying to cut even a cheap padlock.
The alarm would work great, there’s also security bolts my hex lox, it’s expensive to do the whole uni but if you have 1 for each bearing cap and 1 or 2 for the saddle it would be pretty cost effective. There also gotta be some way to use a water bottle mount on the frame and throw some security bolts on it too.
Very doable with adapters and stuff to reduce theft possibilities
I just stumbled upon this old thread and saw your post about securing unicycles. Using a motion sensing alarm sounds like a great idea. The Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Finder seems pretty cool, especially with the added tracking functionality. It’s a nifty option for keeping your unicycles safe. And hey, have you heard about Vivint home security? They offer some options for securing your belongings. Just thought I’d mention it.
So a very interesting question and idea on using an Apple AirTag for piece of mind, and being able to find unicycle, which can easily be Misplaced.
Has anyone come up with an idea of where they put a airtag on their immunity or standard unicycle?
I was wondering about pulling back the seat cover and sticking it under the foam of the saddle?
Depending on your saddle, there might be a groove in the middle which could be a good spot to stash an airtag. There are also mounts for airtags that go into tubeless tire valve stems, if you run tubeless, but that might cause an imbalance in the wheel.
An Apple Air Tag is 1.26 inches in diameter. Interestingly, so is the down tube of a Nimbus Oracle. Other unicycles may be similar enough.
Using Scotch brand exterior double-sided Extreme Mounting tape might be one way to attach an Air Tag to the bottom of the unicycle downtube, in the space above the tire.
