Datatag<\/a> is a simple idea, combined with a few technically effective ways of reducing theft and improving the chances of recovering your valuable item. \u00a0In my case, the item was my new bike. \u00a0The kit supplied by the Bike Leasing Company<\/a> which came from Datatag included some simple, easy-to-use gubbins:<\/p>\n 1. A highly visible big sticker<\/strong> which is adhered using strong resin-based glue, making the bike less attractive to thieves; On top of this lot, a registration form is needed which the Datatag people use to get your details – and your bike’s – onto their database. \u00a0They give the police 24-hour access to this database so that they can trace you in the event of picking your bike up from some thieving scumbag, or purchaser of your lovely bike after it’s been fenced. \u00a0If the stickers are vandalised, the transponder will still work and it can be triggered using a hand-held reader, very much like the things used for cats & dogs, if you’ve ever seen one of those.<\/p>\n All in all, I reckon the process took me about half an hour. \u00a0I simply wiped down the areas where I was going to attach the stickers & microdot solution to make sure they’d adhere properly, then got to work. \u00a0You can see from the photos how they look.<\/p>\n\n\t\t
\n2. A few stickers with a clearly identifiable registration number<\/strong>, which are designed to fall apart if any attempt to alter them is made;
\n3. A bunch of microdots in a clear glue solution<\/strong>, which can be painted onto inconspicuous bit of your frame or parts and which the police can read using magnifiers;
\n4. A rice-grain sized transponder<\/strong> to place inside your bike somewhere, which the police can scan to identify you on the database which Datatag shares with them.<\/p>\nHow Did I Do The Datatag Thing?<\/h2>\n