GPS anti-theft tracker

[EMTBSEAN]

I’m after getting an anti-theft GPS tracker for my bike and as per usual there’s so many out there on the market and some wild prices too.
I’m limited to where I could fit one as I have Revgrips so one fitted in the handlebars is a none starter, just wondering if anyone can offer some advice on which one I could buy, any help very much appreciated please

 

[Levo Laland]

I've just fitted a Tile Sticker, not GPS but a bluetooth device. It has a 2 year battery and no monthly subscription for a data SIM and it can't be seen by non-paired devices. It's tiny and can be properly hidden as you don't need access for regular charging. Not perfect, but nothing is, I'm sure that I would be able to locate the bike eventually after it's been sold on or when comes out of hiding.

 

[Semmelrocc]

I use an Apple AirTag, which is a similar technique to the Tile. It's hidden in a 3D printed case under the saddle (like this one here). Cost is about € 30 and a CR2032 battery every few years. If it is stolen, it can only be tracked when there is someone with an iPhone nearby - the chances of that not being too bad.

 

[Levo Laland]

The problem is Apple AirTags cannot covertly track someone who has an iPhone. If the criminal has an iPhone then the Airtag will alert them of it's presence and warn them that they may be being tracked, giving the game away.

There is also now an Apple Android app "Tracker Detect" that can tell Android phone users if they are being followed by an AirTag, so the criminals can find and disable an AirTag on a stolen bike from more or less any mobile phone.

 

[Semmelrocc]

True. The alert sound is not very loud though. Around here in central Europe your typical bike thief throws your bike into a van together with dozens of other bikes; chances are they might not notice the AirTag pinging (certainly not once the bike is in the car).

 

[EMTBSEAN]

I’ve been looking at the Sherlock device but it’d have to be fitted somewhere else as I have Revgrips and I’ve also looked at seesense air but that’s not been released yet, thanks for the other suggestions, the apple air tag looked good until I too looked at the down sides to it, I suppose I’ll have to carry on searching unless someone comes up with something before I find another device and buy it

 

[Kermit]

The problem is Apple AirTags cannot covertly track someone who has an iPhone. If the criminal has an iPhone then the Airtag will alert them of it's presence and warn them that they may be being tracked, giving the game away.

There's a number of guides on Youtube on how to disable the tiny speaker in the AirTag

 

[Mikerb]

The best one in terms of concept I have seen is Biketrax. It is wired into whatever motor you have together with a standby battery so once installed you can just forget it. Upfront cost is quite high but includes 12 months subscription and thereafter the monthly cost is a bout the same as other GPS trackers. Being inside the motor covers means you do not have to think where you can hide a tracker and a thief is unlikely to find it without ( on most motors) removing a crank and the motor cover.

I held back because I wanted to get more feedback before commiting to that cost, plus I am really happy both with the reliability and customer service of my existing tracker which is actually designed for a dog!! It is called Tractive and costs a bout £40. It is battery operated and the battery on mine lasts a bout a month. You just have to find somewhere to hide it and that varies depending what bike you have.

Having recently had a bike snatched off me it would have been a great help...........except it was on my other bike!!

The brands really should now be building GPS trackers into the motors and giving owners the option via LBS software hook up to enable the device and sign up for the tracker suscription.........or not. It would add very little to the cost and if integrated on the PCB of the motor it could not be easilly removed by a thief. It would of course require the battery to be switch on to power it but as per the Biketrax a standby bettery also charged when the bike is switched on should give the owner a couple of weeks to track the bike if stolen.

 

[BackPedal]

I’m after getting an anti-theft GPS tracker for my bike and as per usual there’s so many out there on the market and some wild prices too.
I’m limited to where I could fit one as I have Revgrips so one fitted in the handlebars is a none starter, just wondering if anyone can offer some advice on which one I could buy, any help very much appreciated please

I just signed up here after talking with a E-Mountain bike supplier who pointed me to a thread on this forum. I have quite a lot of knowledge from doing absolutely loads of research (I recently co-founded a business in the UK called backpedal.co related specifically to this but I'm not going to do a sell on that, I just want to try and provide some useful insight on trackers). In short there are 100s of possible "hacks" using various trackers out there, but none really give a satisfactory solution (especially given how valuable some e-bikes are). From what I have seen the overall issue with hacks is that 1) most hardware is not suitable in terms of physical size or connectivity to e-bike electronic integration 2) the associated software is generic so poor interface. There is quite a bit of work going on by OEMs, but that's only going to be on some models. Retail over the counter retrofit trackers for e-bikes are thin on the ground in most countries. Partly because of the challenge of a product that fits a wide variety of e-bikes. In general though, if you have a mid-drive motor, retrofit is very doable. Now on to some solutions. PowUnity has already been mentioned - I've tested it an it isn't bad. It uses 2G which is old communications hardware but that doesn't matter too much. The app is simple, but intuitive and you get 1 yr data in purchase. BikeFinder is a Nordic company literally just entering the UK market (it fits in the handlebars, but it's much better than Sherlock). It claims to last 8 weeks but my experience is it is less - still not bad, but not integrated into the power supply. SenseAir, they keep pushing back on release date - but regardless, it's not very well hidden under the seat! I'm sure it'll be OK for some. Airtag is a decent hack, but far from perfect, particularly in rural areas, or if you don't have an iphone! Also, most 3D printed attachments are not particularly hidden (although one enables you to put it in a reflector). Unsurprisingly Netherlands and Germany are leading the way with some other tech, but not yet on the UK market. We are now talking to retailers about bringing a better product to the UK market (which is what signposted me here). Ultimately where we are going is to offer a full solution (tracking, recovery and insurance). We are working to bring the pieces of the puzzle together.

 

[Mikerb]

I just signed up here after talking with a E-Mountain bike supplier who pointed me to a thread on this forum. I have quite a lot of knowledge from doing absolutely loads of research (I recently co-founded a business in the UK called backpedal.co related specifically to this but I'm not going to do a sell on that, I just want to try and provide some useful insight on trackers). In short there are 100s of possible "hacks" using various trackers out there, but none really give a satisfactory solution (especially given how valuable some e-bikes are). From what I have seen the overall issue with hacks is that 1) most hardware is not suitable in terms of physical size or connectivity to e-bike electronic integration 2) the associated software is generic so poor interface. There is quite a bit of work going on by OEMs, but that's only going to be on some models. Retail over the counter retrofit trackers for e-bikes are thin on the ground in most countries. Partly because of the challenge of a product that fits a wide variety of e-bikes. In general though, if you have a mid-drive motor, retrofit is very doable. Now on to some solutions. PowUnity has already been mentioned - I've tested it an it isn't bad. It uses 2G which is old communications hardware but that doesn't matter too much. The app is simple, but intuitive and you get 1 yr data in purchase. BikeFinder is a Nordic company literally just entering the UK market (it fits in the handlebars, but it's much better than Sherlock). It claims to last 8 weeks but my experience is it is less - still not bad, but not integrated into the power supply. SenseAir, they keep pushing back on release date - but regardless, it's not very well hidden under the seat! I'm sure it'll be OK for some. Airtag is a decent hack, but far from perfect, particularly in rural areas, or if you don't have an iphone! Also, most 3D printed attachments are not particularly hidden (although one enables you to put it in a reflector). Unsurprisingly Netherlands and Germany are leading the way with some other tech, but not yet on the UK market. We are now talking to retailers about bringing a better product to the UK market (which is what signposted me here). Ultimately where we are going is to offer a full solution (tracking, recovery and insurance). We are working to bring the pieces of the puzzle together.

As an existing customer of Tractive I asked them if they had considered expanding from the pet market into other areas such as E bikes. They have a successful business which combines robust GPS trackers with an effective and reliable app and I suggested to them that all they would need to do as a first step is to repackage their tracker to a size and shape more suited to integration into a bike frame. OK , if they did that the device would still be limited in terms of battery life but it would be a good first step.

I think the ultimate solution is either a tracker device that is made as an integral part of a bike component or fully integrated into the PCB within the motor..............the latter would have to be an OEM solution. The former would need to be a suitable aftermarket component such as a crank, stem or bars, headset, saddle.

I read an interesting article on Pinkbike which showed that both brand new bikes stolen from shops and used bikes stolen from owners in one area of the USA, were found in significant numbers on a facebook page in Mexico advertising a Bike company.
Very few high end bikes stolen in the UK ever seem to get found suggesting the same sort of "trade" is going on here. Bikes quickly put on containers for export to another country. Large scale use of trackers could identify the routes taken and countries of destination.

 

[Wootism]

The best option for me is the Apple AirTag.
I disabled the speaker that's in it, and hid it in the frame where you can't get to it without disassembling the front fork.

If the thief gets the notification on his iPhone that he is being tracked by an AirTag he will probably leave the bike behind. So I see that as more of an advantage than a disadvantage.

In addition, they cost €25 to buy, you don't need a subscription and the battery lasts more than a year.

 

[NULevo]

I have a few devices on/in the bike at the moment:

1 - AlterLock first line of defence, alarm goes off and sends message to phone if the bike is moved, then tracks if you confirm the bike is missing. It also sends a ping at intervals to the app so you can check where it is.

2 - Apple Air Tag, cheap and easy to hide in the bike, okay, the scrote might hear and find it. If they do, hopefully think thats all there is in addition to the Alterlock.

3 - Tile in the frame

4 - Tile on the battery, hopefully by the time they find the others, they wouldn't think of checking the battery too.

The hope of all being that by time the scrote discovers them all I know where the bike is and have let the police know its stolen and where it is.

I know the Air Tag and Tiles work well as I recently tracked the bike to the dealership after collection and could check it stayed there. The AlterLock has been on a week and appears to be working as it should. It beeps on the bike and sends a message if moved once, if you don't reset it on the app, the siren goes off and it starts to track the bike.

Thankfully, all these items were birthday presents last year and the AlterLock Christmas this year, so I've just got the annual sub to pay after a months trial.

Also the battery is kept in the house away from the bike. All this along with a ground anchor and heavy chain, I'm not sure there's much else that can be done.

I do think the bike companies could do more to make the bikes secure, being able to lock and disable the bike through the app for example.

 

[Wootism]

I have a few devices on/in the bike at the moment:

1 - AlterLock first line of defence, alarm goes off and sends message to phone if the bike is moved, then tracks if you confirm the bike is missing. It also sends a ping at intervals to the app so you can check where it is.

2 - Apple Air Tag, cheap and easy to hide in the bike, okay, the scrote might hear and find it. If they do, hopefully think thats all there is in addition to the Alterlock.

3 - Tile in the frame

4 - Tile on the battery, hopefully by the time they find the others, they wouldn't think of checking the battery too.

The hope of all being that by time the scrote discovers them all I know where the bike is and have let the police know its stolen and where it is.

I know the Air Tag and Tiles work well as I recently tracked the bike to the dealership after collection and could check it stayed there. The AlterLock has been on a week and appears to be working as it should. It beeps on the bike and sends a message if moved once, if you don't reset it on the app, the siren goes off and it starts to track the bike.

Thankfully, all these items were birthday presents last year and the AlterLock Christmas this year, so I've just got the annual sub to pay after a months trial.

Also the battery is kept in the house away from the bike. All this along with a ground anchor and heavy chain, I'm not sure there's much else that can be done.

I do think the bike companies could do more to make the bikes secure, being able to lock and disable the bike through the app for example.

4 trackers and a ground anchor, you must be living in a very nice neighborhood

 

[NULevo]

4 trackers and a ground anchor, you must be living in a very nice neighborhood

I live on the edge of a small rural village with very little crime, but I'm paranoid having lived in big cities before moving here.

 

[Tim1023]

As an existing customer of Tractive I asked them if they had considered expanding from the pet market into other areas such as E bikes. They have a successful business which combines robust GPS trackers with an effective and reliable app and I suggested to them that all they would need to do as a first step is to repackage their tracker to a size and shape more suited to integration into a bike frame. OK , if they did that the device would still be limited in terms of battery life but it would be a good first step.

Nice idea. However, I have two cats with tractive trackers on them. I'm frankly unimpressed on many levels (and I'm trying to be as realistic as possible with my expectations). Battery management doesn't work very well, despite claims of various techniques to improve battery life, and we end up charging the collars every day. This would be the killer argument about using their technology for bikes.

 

[steve_sordy]

I wonder how much money is being spent on anti-theft devices, trackers and the like? As the replacement cost of bikes continues to rise and the number of bikes rises even faster, then the spend will multiply. There must come a point where the bike makers wake up and think to themselves "hmm, that's a lot of money, we could have some of that!"

 

[Mikerb]

Nice idea. However, I have two cats with tractive trackers on them. I'm frankly unimpressed on many levels (and I'm trying to be as realistic as possible with my expectations). Battery management doesn't work very well, despite claims of various techniques to improve battery life, and we end up charging the collars every day. This would be the killer argument about using their technology for bikes.

battery life depends on the model. My first Tractive a few years ago was only about 50mm square and 20mm thick and the battery in that lasted about a week. I changed that for a model they called the XL ( for dogs...too heavy for a cat) and the battery in that lasts a month.
Battery is used most when the Tractive is moving and outside the security zone set, so if you fit it to a pet fulltime and the pet is constantly on the move then the battery will not last as long. When you use it on a bike very little battery is used until the bike is ridden so there is a lot more down time. The same thing applies to any battery operated GPS device.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

Wow guys, I didn’t think my post would spark so much response but that’s great, thank you to everyone for your replies, I must admit I too am very paranoid about my bike getting stolen by some scrote plus my bike is kept in a very secure building with an alarm, ground anchor, very heavy duty chain but in addition to all that I have fitted a booby trap that is aimed just below the top tube of my bike that will cause serious injury but I’m willing to accept that I’d get into trouble with the police if anyone did get into the building and try to steal my bike

 

[steve_sordy]

Wow guys, I didn’t think my post would spark so much response but that’s great, thank you to everyone for your replies, I must admit I too am very paranoid about my bike getting stolen by something that slithers rather than walks and my bike is kept in a very secure building with alarm, ground anchor, very heavy duty chain but in addition to all that I have fitted a booby trap that is aimed at my bike that will cause serious injury and some but I’m willing to accept that I’d get into a lot of trouble with the police if anyone did get into the building and try to steal my bike

I sure hope you don't forget about the booby trap one day!

To protect yourself from the attentions of the Police, maybe you might consider posting a warning on the access door. Although I suspect it won't stop the thief from taking legal action against you if they get injured.

It is always worthwhile making sure that the house next door is less well protected (and looks it) than yours.

 

[Zimmerframe]

It is always worthwhile making sure that the house next door is less well protected (and looks it) than yours.

I'm not sure it's really correct to go and break your neighbours doors, windows, gates just to make your house look like a more formidable fortress ?

Or is this Steve's 2022 approach to everything in life ??

Worried about the Milkman having an affair with your wife ? Pay for the neighbour's Mrs's boob job to reduce the chances...

 

[EMTBSEAN]

I’ve already forgotten Steve, when I first fitted it I forgot to disarm it, there was a quite a big hole in the wall which served as a reminder to me to switch off the sensor before entering the building but luckily it was right back just after I’d finished building my bike store/man cave and before I got my bike and luckily I hadn’t completely decided on it’s finished position, I haven’t told my misses about coz I think she’d make me remove it

 

[Stevewild31]

I’ve already forgotten Steve, when I first fitted it I forgot to disarm it, there was a nasty dent in the wall to remind me in the future to switch off the sensor, luckily it was right back just after I’d finished building my bike store/man cave and before I got my bike and luckily I hadn’t completely decided on it’s finished position, I haven’t told my misses about coz I think she’d make me remove it

Intreaged as to what your 'deterent' might be? (but understand if you don't want to post details).

 

[steve_sordy]

Intreaged as to what your 'deterent' might be? (but understand if you don't want to post details).

A simple crossbow, catapult or 12-bore shotgun cartridge powered device. Even blank cartridges going off inside a garage will scare the literal crap out of a burglar.

Poacher Alarm Game Bags & Accessories | William Powell | William Powell

The shotgun cartridge when it explodes next to you is a trouser soiling noise, not the damp squib you hear in the video, next.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

Nope you’re probably right Levo19, this probably goes on on a few forums.
Steve isn’t far away but I’m sorry mate I’m not going into detail about it

 

[EMTBSEAN]

After reading the replies and looking at the various trackers on the market I think I’m going to go for the Powunity Biketrax, fit and forget is probably the best thing for me, just need to check out one or two things about it before I buy it thanks again for all your feedback guys

 

[Stevewild31]

In

Nope you’re probably right Levo19, this probably goes on on a few forums.
Steve isn’t far away but I’m sorry mate I’m not going into detail about it

Np, not even got my Cube yet but paranoid already!

 

[Hamina]

some bike thieves are probably on this forum trolling articles (not commenting on forums just reading) to see what people are doing about anti-theft

Sounds a bit too sophisticated. If they would be that clever I guess they would be doing something more rewarding like robbing banks. At least I would because the bike is robbing me every day.

 

[Mikerb]

For thefts from domestic premises one question that needs to be answered is how the thief knows there is a bike to be stolen. I know nothing is foolproof but some things that could make your garage/shed etc a target include
a) not setting a privacy zone on Strava
b) be seen leaving and returning
c) posting pics on social media ( where the location can be identified)
d) having windows in the storage location such that delivery drivers etc visiting the property can see the contents.

I have a privacy zone on Strava and rarely ride the bike anywhere near my home anyway.........it is usually loaded into my van to go for a ride.

 

[Semmelrocc]

Thanks for your ideas. I don't use Strava, but Komoot, and they also support privacy zones (which I didn't know). Set it up straight away. Thanks again!

 

[EMTBSEAN]

Don’t buy it. It sucks. I wasted money on it.

Nice one mate, thanks for the heads up