Unfortunately, bicycles are often stolen, especially if they are electric. And because not all bicycles and e-bikes have a built-in tracker, we have listed the best ones. They cost a bit, but not nearly as much as a new bike.
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It can pay off to make your bike findable via a gadget. Recently, a woman from Utrecht was ‘world news’ because she found her stolen bicycle thanks to an Apple AirTag. And what about the increased costs of insuring your bicycle – if at all possible, because electric cargo bikes and fat bikes are falling out of favor with insurers. Whatever your situation: it is wise to equip your expensive bicycle with a tracker, after all, you never know. We think these are the best trackers for different purposes.
AirTag, Tile en SmartTag
These trackers are actually more intended for your bike key than for the bike itself, but don’t just write them off. These types of trackers have a number of clear advantages. Firstly, the price: a few tenners, and no subscription costs. Moreover, the button cell battery of these trackers lasts for months, after which you can replace it yourself. Furthermore, the use is simple and you can easily hide the trackers anywhere on your bike: in special bicycle bells, bicycle lights or bottle cages, for example.
The big disadvantage is that these trackers do not have their own GPS on board. They only have bluetooth, and pass on their location via phones that are nearby. For example, the AirTag reports its location every time an iPhone passes by – so it doesn’t have to be your own iPhone. Once that happens, you’ll know where your AirTag and its item are. But if there is no iPhone nearby, you will not receive a new location. That chance is already somewhat lower with Samsung Galaxy SmartTags and Tiles, because there are fewer devices in those search networks.
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Moreover, these types of trackers will eventually beep, and a thief will even receive a notification from the tracker on his phone. That’s to prevent stalking, which doesn’t make AirTags, Tiles, and Samsung SmartTag trackers ideal anyway. They are especially nice to find your bike in a busy parking, but for your very expensive electric cargo bike you better take some heavier guns.
An Apple AirTag costs 35 euros each, a Tile is available from 24 euros and the Samsung SmartTag is available from 50 euros.
Invoxia Bike Tracker
A GPS tracker made specifically for cycling. That starts with the appearance: the Invoxia looks like a normal rear light, and therefore does not stand out. The tracker has its own GPS on board, and also a mobile connection to always pass on that location.
The location of your bike is reported every five to ten minutes. The history is preserved, so you can see exactly what journey your bike has taken. There is also a motion sensor, so you can already receive a message if someone is messing with your bike. You can also set safe places, so that you don’t get such a message too often.
The battery lasts up to three months, and can then be recharged via USB in an hour and a half. The Invoxia Bike Tracker includes a 3-year subscription for receiving GPS reports. After those three years, renewal costs 24.95 euros per year.
Of Invoxia Bike Tracker costs 149 euros.
AlterLock
This GPS tracker is intended for inconspicuous mounting under the bottle cage and is therefore most aimed at racing bikes, although you can also hide the slim tracker in a cargo bike. The AlterLock only transmits the GPS location when it detects movement, so the battery lasts up to 1.5 months.
In addition, the AlterLock has its own sound alarm, which will also deter thieves. You will also be sent the location, but you will pay for that: after 1 free month 40 euros per year or 4 euros per month, for drawing via the Sigfox network.
BikeFinder
Another tracker that is easy to hide, this time in the handlebars of the bicycle. The BikeFinder is a long cylinder that you slide into the hollow tube of your handlebar. This also works with curved handles such as those of a racing bicycle, because the BikeFinder is partly flexible.
Due to the placement in the handlebars, the BikeFinder is quite large, so it can promise a battery life of up to 8 weeks. And this tracker also has a motion sensor, so you will receive a notification if your bike is moved. You can then track the location via GPS.
BikeFinder also only works with a subscription of 3.19 to 5.49 euros per month, depending on how long you take out. The BikeFinder itself costs 180 euros.
Monimoto 7
This tracker is mainly aimed at motorcycles and is somewhat larger: 9.4 by 6.1 centimeters. It will stand out more quickly under a bicycle saddle, but the Monimoto is also easy to mount in a cargo bike or fat bike. This device takes a slightly different approach: via an accompanying key ring.
Monimoto assumes the coast is clear as long as the keychain is nearby. The tracker only becomes active when it is out of Bluetooth range. That saves power, so that the battery can last up to 12 months, depending on how often you want GPS updates from the Monimoto. There are just two AA batteries in the Monimoto, which makes replacement easy.
Also the Monimoto 7 only works with a subscription. The first two months are included, after that you pay 39 euros per year. The Monimoto itself costs 149 euros.
Tracefy
Another step above the GPS tracker with subscription is the tracker including bike hunters. Tracefy offers such a service, whereby a team will look for your bicycle if it is stolen. They will also install the tracker in your bike themselves, so that you do not have to worry about it.
Tracefy’s basic functions are the same as the above GPS trackers. The location is therefore always passed on, so that you know where your bicycle is in the event of theft. However, Tracefy was primarily developed to be installed by bicycle shops. That is a bit more complicated, but also has advantages. In principle, you never have to charge the Tracefy, because it can hitch a ride on the battery of your electric bicycle. There is also a back-up battery that can last for about 2.5 weeks.
Tracefy also has two trump cards. The first: the bike hunters. Those people go on the hunt for your stolen e-bike, which is recovered in 90 percent of cases. Moreover, by installing the tracker you get a discount on bicycle insurance from ENRA, Kingpolis and the ANWB.
Of course, these things are not free: a subscription to Tracefy costs 89.95 euros for one year. Those who take out for 3 years pay 74.95 euros per year, with 5 years you pay 64.95 per year. The tracker itself costs 275 euros including installation, or 200 euros if you can connect it yourself.
Check out more gadgets we recommend: Bright Stuff.
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2023-08-25 20:28:58
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