Knog Scout

£49.99 Stealthy bike alarm and tracker

ALONGSIDE A TOUGH, HIGHLYrated lock or two, you may want to add a security tracker to your bike to help deter thieves. One option is to add an Apple AirTag to your bike, and the likes of MucOff offer discreet holders. Knog, however, has taken things a step further with its own tag that has a loud alarm as well as app support for tracking and arming the system.

The 35.7g unit (including cover and hardware) is designed to fit on your bike’s bottle cage bosses and comes with long bolts so you can fit a bottle cage on top. This is the stealth option as the matt-black lozenge shape looks like the base of a composite cage. Or you can use it alone with the supplied security bolts, special tool and hi-viz yellow rubber cover for a more obvious deterrent.

The Scout charges from a USB-C power source and battery life is a claimed six months. After testing it for three months, the battery is showing 60% (on the app).

The Scout is activated via Knog’s Mobile app and, once paired with your iPhone, the

Scout is recognised as a device in Apple’s Find My app. The Scout sends out a Bluetooth signal so it can tie in with other devices on the ‘Find My’ network (iPhone, iWatch, iPad) to help locate your bike, similar to how AirTags work.

Knog’s app also allows you to arm and disarm the Scout’s alarm remotely plus set the device’s sensitivity to being moved and alarm settings (tone and volume). When I tested the 85dB alarm at a crowded railway station cycle stand, it definitely got people’s attention!

If your bike’s moved, you’ll get an alert via text to your phone, then you can track the bike’s movements via the Find My app. I fitted the Scout to my partner’s folding bike and was able to track her and her bike travelling to her office, a 40-minute train journey and three-mile ride, proving it worked with a range of around 75 miles.

A stand-alone AirTag is £35 and MucOff’s holder another £29.99 (and an AirTag doesn’t come with an alarm), so the £49.99 price tag seems fair. If you’re concerned about leaving your bike (who isn’t?), I’d recommend the Scout for giving you an extra layer of security in the constant fight against thieves. But only, of course, if you’re an iPhone user.

“When I tested the 85dB alarm at a crowded railway station cycle stand, it definitely got people’s attention!”