GPS Tracker Bike: Test Check 2023

A GPS anti-theft device for your bike or e-bike is indispensable nowadays. In the best case, it alerts you immediately to theft on your smartphone and allows you to track the location of your bike in real time. This way, you and the police have a trace to the bike instead of a broken lock. But beware: not every GPS tracker is suitable for bike tracking. Are you looking for a bike GPS tracker and wondering how to find the right one? We take a close look at selected products with you.

In this GPS tracker e-bike test, you will learn how to recognise dubious internet tests, how different GPS tracker models differ and which is the best choice for you to secure your bike or e-bike via GPS.

“GPS Tracker Bike Test Winner – We Found It For You!”

With headlines like these, serious sites suggest at first glance that they have carried out an extensive GPS tracker bicycle comparison. In fact, however, they have only compiled the most prominent GPS tracker offers from the internet and incorporated them with affiliate links into a text on the topic of bicycle GPS trackers.

Affiliate marketing translates as “referral marketing”. If you click on an affiliate link and later buy this product, the page on which this link is displayed receives a commission for the sale of the product – in our case a bicycle GPS tracker.

According to the test portal Stiftung Warentest, you can recognise dubious GPS bike tracker tests by these characteristics:

Subtle differences: Why GPS trackers are not the same as bike GPS trackers

A bike tracker for e-bikes and organic bikes is very different from a GPS tracker for cars. A reputable test portal such as Stiftung Warentest in Germany or the Austrian test magazine Konsument would therefore publish a test for car GPS trackers AND a test for e-bike or bicycle GPS trackers respectively. So why are there test portals that lump all devices together and compare them?

“GPS tracker car test” and “GPS tracker bike test” together have a higher Google search volume than just “GPS tracker bike test”. However, sites that publish bike GPS tracker tests and other tests want to bring as many visitors as possible to their site to make more money. Therefore, the tests are more general in order to increase the search volume and thus the number of potential site visitors.

But enough of dubious tests. Let’s get started with must-have features of a GPS tracker for bikes and e-bikes.

Anti-theft protection: These 3 features a GPS tracker should definitely have

In recent years, the number of bicycle thefts has decreased slightly in many places. This was also due to the fact that during the Corona pandemic fewer people parked their bikes or e-bikes unattended outside. Instead, thieves are increasingly concentrating on particularly expensive e-bikes, racing bikes and mountain bikes. They are often professionals who load larger quantities of bikes into a van and make their getaway with them.

They will not be stopped by a lock, no matter how expensive. The situation is different with a tracker for the bicycle. With the BikeTrax GPS tracker, the police can track your stolen bike and thus also the van in real time. This way, the thieves’ escape often ends after a short time.

First of all, you should know that a real bike GPS tracker needs to be connected to at least three satellites in space for accurate tracking (you can read the theoretical part in detail here). The GPS signal to the satellites can already be strongly influenced by weather conditions (cloudy, fog, etc.). However, metal has the strongest effect.

Where I place the bike tracker therefore plays an important role in two respects:

Therefore, where the GPS device is placed plays an important role in two ways:

1. The thief should not discover the device on the bike.
2. The GPS signal should be impaired as little as possible.

A lot of energy is needed to connect to the satellites. You might know it from your smartphone: from the moment you switch on GPS, the battery drains faster. A very good battery life is therefore a basic requirement for good GPS devices.

With older GPS tracker models, communication worked via SMS. For example, live coordinates were retrieved via SMS. This is no longer up-to-date. Therefore, make sure you have a functioning smartphone app that is permanently connected to the GPS module.

Comparison of popular bike GPS trackers: Here you can hide them!

Important: The bike GPS tracker should be placed in the bike, not on it. If it is attached to the bike, the thief can remove or destroy it in two quick steps.

But what options do you have here with common devices for bicycles and e-bikes in comparison?

PAJ GPS Allround Finder – too big and bulky

The PAJ GPS Allround Finder, which is praised in many tests, is unfortunately the wrong choice for securing your bike. This is because the PAJ GPS Allround Finder is the size and shape of a cigarette pack. This also means: If the PAJ Allround Finder is part of a GPS tracker comparison or is recommended in a bicycle GPS tracker test, this indicates a dubious test. This does not mean that the Allround Finder by PAJ GPS is bad. It is simply not suitable as a bicycle tracker due to its size and shape.

So why is the Allround Finder still advertised as a bike GPS tracker? It’s simple: PAJ GPS is busy marketing it, especially on Amazon.

Details of the PAJ GPS Allround Finder:

• Price: 29,99 Euro

Functions:

• approx. 20 days battery, up to 60 days in standby mode
• SOS emergency button and various alarms
• splash-proof according to IP64

Mini GPS tracker for bicycles – no sufficient signal

Even a so-called mini GPS tracker is not suitable as a bicycle anti-theft device:

• If the device is small enough to fit inside the frame of the bike, then aluminium, carbon or steel will shield the GPS signal.
• If it is attached to the outside of the bicycle, even a mini GPS tracker is quickly detected by the thief and removed from the bicycle or destroyed.

Details of mini GPS trackers:

• Price: between approx. 25 and 55 euros, depending on the model.
• Functions depending on model

Velocate rear light GPS theft protection– acceptable solution for bicycles and e-bikes

Velocate is a German GPS tracker manufacturer. Its product vclone is a device disguised as a bike light. Such light is an acceptable solution for anti-theft protection of non-motorized bicycles and is definitely better than placing an uncamouflaged GPS tracker outside the bike.

Details of the Velocate rear light GPS anti-theft vclone:

• Price: one-time 199 Euro

Functions:

• Europe-wide tracking
• Automatic recharging
• Permanently installed SIM card

Bicycle GPS tracker hidden in the handlebars – recommended

Most bicycle handlebars have a standardized tube diameter. Such a handlebar is exactly 22.2 mm and is spacious enough to place a specially designed GPS tracker. Additionally, the end of the tube is open. Bicycle GPS trackers specially developed for this application have radio antennas on the outside or camouflaged as tube end caps. Because the antennas are located at the end of the tube, the GPS tracker’s signals are only slightly affected.

Thus, several criteria are fulfilled by this position:

• The protection device is hidden and camouflaged.
• The signal is not shielded too much.

GPS tracker for the bicycle seat post – still a thing of the future

Caution! There is no working GPS tracker solution for the bicycle seat post or seat tube on the market (as of 2021). Such offers and crowdfunding campaigns are circulating on the internet, but they are rather unserious.

The reason is as follows:

A GPS tracker mounted in the bicycle seat tube, or seat post is completely surrounded by metal. However, metal completely shields GPS signals. Even unique antenna technology cannot prevent this. Successful real-time tracking is thus impossible.

Details of BikeFlare Visio:

• Price: one-off 141 euros plus from 69.12 euros annually, depending on the term.

Functions:

• Alarm on the smartphone in case of movement
• Possibility to set up geofence zones and set arrival and departure notifications
• Real-time tracking with good network coverage

GPS trackers for e-bikes like BikeTrax – well hidden in the motor housing

Pedelecs are in vogue. In the future, most bikes will probably be motorised. However, the average value of an e-bike is many times higher than that of a bicycle without drive. Theft is correspondingly lucrative. No wonder that thieves are increasingly specialising in precisely this category of bike.

The good news: e-bikes have a big advantage over a normal bike: the motor housing of the bikes is made of plastic and offers enough space to mount a GPS tracker hidden. Currently, the most effective anti-theft device for e-bikes is BikeTrax. The BikeTrax GPS tracker is also mounted in the engine compartment and is powered by the e-bike’s electricity. The tracker is connected to the PowUnity app, which displays the live location of your e-bike in real time.

Details of the BikeTrax GPS tracker

• Price: one-off €199.90, GPS data flat rate included in 1st year, thereafter GPS data transfer in annual subscription for €39.50

Functions:

• Europe-wide live tracking
• Alarm to mobile phone app in case of unauthorised movement
• Automatic recharging via e-bike thanks to additional rechargeable battery
• Permanently installed SIM card

The right battery for your bike GPS tracker

Having to charge the tracker for the bike every day is tedious, and the bike would be unsecured during this time. Therefore, every bike tracker manufacturer aims to combine a long battery life with small battery size.

The best GPS bike device has its battery hidden in the bicycle together with the tracker and rarely to never needs to be changed.

How does this work?

Save power by using the standby mode of a tracking device

The best GPS bike trackers have an accelerometer (vibration pickup) that automatically puts bikes into standby mode:

1. When the accelerometer senses no movement, the sleep mode is activated.
2. If the cycle is no longer moving, no further GPS coordinates are received, stored, or transmitted for tracking.

BikeTrax by PowUnity and most other high-quality bike GPS trackers have a motion sensor and use less than 2 milliamps (mA) of power in standby mode. So the battery is conserved when the bike is not moving. As soon as someone uses the bike again, the motion sensor detects this movement and wakes up the tracking device. The coordinates are received again, stored, and transmitted for tracking.

Not too long and not too short – transmission interval of a bike GPS tracker.

Also important in terms of battery life is the transmission interval. There are two aspects to consider.

• A bike tracker that sends a signal every 5 minutes requires less energy than a bike tracker that transmits the location every 10 seconds.
• However, to successfully detect a stolen bike, a real-time location with a 10-second interval is necessary.

Incidentally, a Bluetooth tracker such as the Apple AirTag is not suitable for theft protection. This is because it only locates a stolen e-bike selectively when it passes another person with a “Where is” app. Of course, this has nothing to do with live tracking.

Additional function: route diary

Apart from protection against thieves, the investment in a bike tracker is worthwhile due to valuable additional functions.

Reputable e-bike GPS trackers offer the option of tracking all ridden routes live via smartphone app and viewing them later.

Apart from protection against thieves, the investment in a bike tracker is worthwhile due to valuable additional functions.

A route diary automatically records the ridden routes in the app. You can view and manage the routes and export them to other apps like Strava or Komoot. Recording functions are convenient if you want to retrace specific routes at later times or are interested in your biking statistics.

How such an export works in Komoot is explained by Youtuber Björn Kübler in this video.

You can track your routes right away via Strava or Komoot. However, for this, the smartphone must always be with you, and you must not forget to press the start and stop button. On the other hand, a GPS tracker bike with an accelerometer automatically starts and stops recording.

Again, the higher the real-time transmission interval, the more accurate the route diary. Additional route functions like the diary only work if the bike tracker battery has enough power. However, only a dynamo-powered bike tracker (rear light) or a GPS tracker linked to the electric bike can supply the battery with energy.

Mobile app: alarm in case of unauthorized movement and other essential functions

Here’s how the tracker works:

1. You activate the alert via the mobile app.
2. If a bike thief then moves your bike, this triggers an audible and visual warning.

Important: For this function, a tracker for the bike also needs an accelerometer.

A GPS tracker’s sensitivity is set perfectly if a gust of wind does not trigger an alarm. On the other hand, a continuous slight movement, such as when trying to pick the mechanical lock, will trigger a warning on the owner’s cell phone.

Tracker for the bike: additional functions

If a thief steals your bike, then quick action is crucial to successfully regain it. The prerequisites are the following:

1. You are reliably alerted as soon as your bike is moved.
2. You have stored your bike data (frame number, proof of purchase, photo …) properly.
3. The police react quickly.

Besides the already described real-time tracking and the smart alert when your bike is moved, two additional features prevent a successful theft.

You must provide the police with these and other data when filling a complaint. If you have already saved those details digitally, the police can act more quickly. However, many bicycle owners do not think about the “emergency” and search diligently for this data. As a result, valuable minutes are lost in searching.

Therefore, if your bike tracker is operated via an app, this app must have a bike pass function. In the bike pass, you store all the necessary data for a theft report to prove that this is your bike.

It is also helpful if the data stored in the bike pass and the theft details can be summarized in a report and sent to the police as a PDF, without having to write an email or fill out a form on site. Relevant data about the theft are:

• Where is the bike’s location (current live location)?
• When was it stolen?
• Where was it stolen?

The best bike GPS tracker app has a theft reporting feature in addition to the bike pass feature. An app that is equipped with these features in addition to the live location and motion alert increases the chances of success in the event of theft.

Bike GPS tracker: with or without SIM card?

Per SIM card ex-factory #1:
The high transmission quality and roaming

The accuracy of the live location is determined, among other things, by the communication quality between the bike GPS tracker and the smartphone. The communication quality depends on the network strength on the one hand and the roaming quality of the network provider on the other hand. By roaming, we mean switching to other mobile networks by changing location.

GPS tracker manufacturers that offer a SIM card ex-works have usually dealt with these factors in great detail and present the best possible SIM card or network provider for the corresponding application – in our case, for a GPS tracker for the bike.

Per SIM card ex-works #2:
No unexpected costs

If you integrate your own SIM card into a bike tracker, it can be expensive. If your stolen bike is shipped to Switzerland or another third country, for example, you may incur very high international roaming costs. The situation is similar when you go on vacation with your bike.

For a bike GPS tracker with a pre-installed SIM card, reputable providers charge a monthly subscription fee of about 4 euros or 40 euros per year to cover the SIM card. cost These costs are manageable, and you are protected from unwelcome surprises. It also ensures that you can safely track your bike abroad.

Some GPS tracker manufacturers even give you the cost of the first year for free. Another argument for choosing a GPS tracker bike with an integrated SIM card.

Per SIM card ex-works #3:
High system quality and customer support

The GPS tracker hardware makes up the visible 20 percent of the iceberg. The software, firmware, and back-end system are the remaining invisible 80 percent. Yet, they are responsible for making sure the bike tracker is reliable.

Additionally, it builds trust if you have access to proper customer support. A proper SIM card management system, such as Jasper of Tele 2, improves the overall system and customer support quality.

Per SIM card from factory #4:
GPS tracker form and function

If a soldered-on SIM card or an e-SIM card is used, the additional slot for the card is eliminated. This saves space and helps make the tracker even slimmer.

A good GPS bike tracker is also dust and water-resistant. This function is an important plus point, especially for a bike that is ridden in all weather conditions. A GPS bike tracker is sealed accordingly in order to achieve the “dust and water-resistant” approval seal in the first place. Sealed also means that it is impossible to change the SIM card later.

GPS Bike Trackers: Test and Comparison Summary

A GPS tracker for bicycles in combination with a good app is ideal for protecting high-quality bicycles or e-bikes from theft. While premium locks, even with a bicycle alarm, quickly fall to their knees in front of the right tools, even professional thieves can be apprehended thanks to GPS positioning.

But not all GPS trackers are the same. When choosing, it is important not to be misled by affiliate marketing or the PR department of the device manufacturer. The PAJ GPS Allround Finder, for example, is not a good choice. You need a good bike tracker if you want to effectively protect your bike from bike theft. Then monthly costs are worthwhile and your expensive bike is really safe.

That doesn’t mean you have to consult an IT consultant before buying.

To find the best GPS tracker for you, pay special attention to the following points:

• the right place (well hidden, without shielding the signal too much)
• a stand-by mode that is automatically triggered by an acceleration sensor
• a good transmission interval
• a SIM card integrated in the unit
• additional functions such as a route diary
• a mobile phone app with a bike passport and theft report

Note: 20% of the total package is represented by the visible hardware, 80% by the invisible software, firmware and backend. If these three areas are not developed to an appropriate level, there will be gross disadvantages for the bike owner. Disadvantages that also affect the accuracy of the tracking.

Finally, when doing a bike GPS tracker review for bikes on the internet, look for signs that GPS tracker comparison has been done seriously. Affiliate partnerships in particular often lead to dubious test results.

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