The Knog Scout is a bike alarm and tracker, designed to catch a would-be thief in the act, and help you track down your pride and joy should it go on an unexpected walkabout.
Not too dissimilar to an AirTag, the Knog Scout broadcasts a low-latency Bluetooth signal and takes advantage of Apple’s Find My network. Basically, if the Scout pings an Apple device, it piggybacks the GPS chip to figure out where it is, offering a rough location which can be accessed through the iPhone app. Sorry Android users, you won’t be able to take advantage of this feature for now.
With that, it has almost all the same abilities as an AirTag, including the Lost Mode feature, which will send you a notification every time it pings an Apple device. It doesn’t have the Ultra Wideband transmitter that essentially turns your phone into a compass when you get up close. Instead, it takes you to Apple Maps, where it will give you directions to a pin.
The Find My app can also give you an alert if your bike moves, and when in lost mode can share your contact details with the person who found it — that last one is an optional feature.
The device itself is black, measuring 107 x 25 x 8mm and weighs 23g. To the untrained eye, it will just look like the base of a bottle cage; Knog also includes a yellow silicon cover which the brand says could serve as a deterrent — though we’re not sure the thief would have any idea what they are looking at. The cover isn’t required, and the Scout is rated IP66, so it will survive rain and bike washes.
Knog includes a special set of security bolts that require a two-pronged tool to turn. While it appears versions of this tool are available from Bunnings, these fasteners are far less common than the Torx security bolts that often come along with these types of devices. On the other hand, if one comes loose on a ride and starts rattling, it’s not something you’ll have in a multi-tool, so you’ll be SOL until you get home.
Packing an 85db alarm, it’s loud and will definitely draw the attention of any passers-by that something is amiss, but it’s not like a car alarm that will make your ears ring.
There is a button on the side that can arm the alarm, or this can be done through the Knog companion app. Once set, if your bike moves, the Scout starts yelling.
Through the app, you can also set the motion sensitivity, volume and other parameters, and it’s also how you shut the thing up when it starts squawking.
It charges using a USB-C cable, though Knog doesn’t include one, and the claimed battery life is six months on a full charge.
Knog’s Scout is not a foolproof deterrent or method for retrieving a stolen bike. It’s definitely a product tipped more towards the commuter crowd, but given the cost of a modern mountain bike, a bit of peace of mind isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
We’re also big fans of the plastic-free packaging, well done, Knog!
