Security is a headache for cyclists. All too frequently, you return to find either an empty space or a pile of wreckage where your pride and joy had been sitting only minutes before. A major transformation in the attitudes and behaviour of society is the only real answer, so we might have to make do with protection for a wee bit longer.
The Shadow alarm is produced by Evnatech, a small company in Wales, and it’s a brave attempt to solve the problem by making a bicycle too hot to touch, hopefully eliminating vandalism as well as theft. Once upon a time, alarms were relatively hefty devices, but the Shadow is a small cylindrical tube that you shove in the handlebar and forget.To turn the alarm on and off, you insert a small ‘key’ (actually a coded jack-plug) through a small hole in the handlebar grip.This produces a variety of interesting noises – removing it again results in silence if the alarm is deactivated, or a sort of ‘grmmph’ when it’s ready for business. From now on, any movement of the bike will result in a piercing warble, loud enough to give even the most persistent thief a collywobble.
Of course, alarms are not the be-all and end-all of security, as any house-owner or motorist will testify.The exponential growth of the alarm industry has resulted in a world where we no longer take any notice, and false alarms can cause a great deal of annoyance to innocent passers-by. For example, it would be nice to alarm a folding bike on the train, giving protection should someone try to walk off with it. But the Shadow is too sensitive for that sort of environment – it would probably go off if an innocent cyclist tried locking their bike to the same rack too.
That aside, the Shadow is an effective little device. It’s small enough and light enough (40g, or 10g lighter than claimed) to fit and forget, and a welcome deterrent against theft, vandalism or plain fiddling, on those occasions when you pop into a cafe for a cup of tea and a cream scone. It’s also a practical overnight alarm too.With the alarmed bike parked in a garden shed or garage, you’ve effectively alarmed the whole premises.
The bad news (there had to be some, didn’t there?) is that the Shadow only fits tubes with an inside diameter of 17-19mm.Tackling the random sample of bicycles in our workshop, it will fit older Brompton handlebars with an outside diameter of 23.5mm and Pashley Micros, but it won’t fit post-1995 Bromptons, our Giant Lafree, or the new Dahon Vitesse. If in doubt, it would be wise to get advice – the Shadow will fit most mountain bikes or hybrids, provided they have empty, straight handlebars.
Evnatech has been listening to these grumbles, and is working on a version for drop – and other curly – handlebars, including those of smaller diameter, which should deal with our unusual collection. Production is expected to commence in a month or two.
Shadow Bicycle Alarm .Weight 40g . Price £30 . Manufacturer Evnatech Cymru Cyf tel 01545 580128 mail sales@evnatech.com web www.evnatech.com
