Anti theft GPS

My goodness I've spent a lot of time researching GPS Tracking options to add to my bike.

Spybike - seems like the best option. However, they very rarely ever seem to have stock (Maybe that means its good?). I like the seatpost version (larger battery capacity). I'll probably buy it when it is in stock.
http://www.spybike.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=51

Sherlock Bike. Looks very good. Currently not available in Canada although they say it will be in 2018.
https://www.sherlock.bike/en/

Trojabike. Looks awesome. I love the way it slides into the frame then locks itself in place. Recent kickstarter, doesn't ship until 2018. I'd probably buy if it were available now.
http://www.trojabike.com/

Boomerange Bike. Great if you have water bottle holder mounts available. Unfortunately a lot of ebikes use them for the battery. I do not like the solution to use the Gorilla Bike Clip.. Like seriously, what thief won't just cut the zip ties and toss the thing off to the side before riding away with your bike??
https://boomerangbike.com/

Kiss My Bike. Love the looks of this, but no word on when, where, how it will be sold. Reached out to them to find out - no response.
http://www.kissmy.bike/en/index.php#contact

Trackimo. Great if it could be hidden somewhere. I don't think under the seat is a very good place. It's pretty important in my mind for a GPS tracker to be very well hidden or tamper proof. I've thought about the idea of wiring it up to a light port on my Bosch motor and hiding it under the motor cover or something - but decided against looking into it further (Not sure if this is even possible to do so). Decided to just wait on the Spybike instead.
https://trackimo.com/

DanTracker. Looks pretty good, but sounds like it is very expensive. Non removable / replaceable battery - but apparently lasts about 10 years.
https://www.dantracker.com/en/

Velocate. Looks decent, can hardwire to ebike. A little light on details and no idea where to buy.
https://velocate.com/en/

Cheap Chinese trackers from various places. Don't bother, they are s*it, and the apps are s*it. Some people have even claimed the apps (which request a lot of phone permissions) were used to access peoples phone numbers and lot of expensive calls were placed. Not sure how true that is, but I'm pretty wary if side loading Chinese apps that requested every level of permission possible on my device.. so take that for what it's worth. I tried a GPS305 (Spybike headset knockoff), and it stopped working after a week. When it worked, it didn't work well. Highly unreliable.
 
itsaulgoodman said:
My goodness I've spent a lot of time researching GPS Tracking options to add to my bike.

Spybike - seems like the best option. However, they very rarely ever seem to have stock (Maybe that means its good?). I like the seatpost version (larger battery capacity). I'll probably buy it when it is in stock.
http://www.spybike.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=51

Sherlock Bike. Looks very good. Currently not available in Canada although they say it will be in 2018.
https://www.sherlock.bike/en/

Trojabike. Looks awesome. I love the way it slides into the frame then locks itself in place. Recent kickstarter, doesn't ship until 2018. I'd probably buy if it were available now.
http://www.trojabike.com/

Boomerange Bike. Great if you have water bottle holder mounts available. Unfortunately a lot of ebikes use them for the battery. I do not like the solution to use the Gorilla Bike Clip.. Like seriously, what thief won't just cut the zip ties and toss the thing off to the side before riding away with your bike??
https://boomerangbike.com/

Kiss My Bike. Love the looks of this, but no word on when, where, how it will be sold. Reached out to them to find out - no response.
http://www.kissmy.bike/en/index.php#contact

Trackimo. Great if it could be hidden somewhere. I don't think under the seat is a very good place. It's pretty important in my mind for a GPS tracker to be very well hidden or tamper proof. I've thought about the idea of wiring it up to a light port on my Bosch motor and hiding it under the motor cover or something - but decided against looking into it further (Not sure if this is even possible to do so). Decided to just wait on the Spybike instead.
https://trackimo.com/

DanTracker. Looks pretty good, but sounds like it is very expensive. Non removable / replaceable battery - but apparently lasts about 10 years.
https://www.dantracker.com/en/

Velocate. Looks decent, can hardwire to ebike. A little light on details and no idea where to buy.
https://velocate.com/en/

Cheap Chinese trackers from various places. Don't bother, they are s*it, and the apps are s*it. Some people have even claimed the apps (which request a lot of phone permissions) were used to access peoples phone numbers and lot of expensive calls were placed. Not sure how true that is, but I'm pretty wary if side loading Chinese apps that requested every level of permission possible on my device.. so take that for what it's worth. I tried a GPS305 (Spybike headset knockoff), and it stopped working after a week. When it worked, it didn't work well. Highly unreliable.
Click to expand...



Which one did you end up buying?
 
Jeff Backes said:
The thing I like about the boomerang is the visual blinking lights and the movement alarm. I feel that blinking and beeping at thieves helps deter them.

My wife does not like the iPhone app, she would like a more pronounced "Your Bike Is Being Stolen" indicator that fires no mater the state of the iPhone.

jeff
Click to expand...
People thought the same thing about car alarms but how many people run to stop a car theft when they hear an alarm go off? They are just ignored. This is good for the gps aspect though.
 
Last edited:
itsaulgoodman said:
None, yet. Still waiting on the Spybike seatpost, it's been unavailable for a very long time. My bike's been sitting in the basement for the winter.
Click to expand...

I still have mine that I couldn't get to work. If you want it you can have it for free, just pay shipping. Its in the original box with all the parts. It's been sitting for over a year so you might need a new battery and you'll need a sim card. Let me know by replying to this reply.
 
Robert W Green said:
I still have mine that I couldn't get to work. If you want it you can have it for free, just pay shipping. Its in the original box with all the parts. It's been sitting for over a year so you might need a new battery and you'll need a sim card. Let me know by replying to this reply.
Click to expand...

You have the seatpost version? If so, yeah I'm interested. Thanks!

Shoot me a PM with your location so I can look into shipping costs.
 
Chicagoland Ebikes said:
Protecting our awesome and value electric bikes is always an issue so I wanted to share this info. There is a pretty cool device by a UK company available for direct purchase online called Spybike: http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/Spybike.jsp

Spybike cost $150-160 and comes in either a seat post installation, a taillight, or top cap in the handle bars. I have pasted info below on the handlebar version.

The Skybike is cool in that you can use you own SIM card with a pay as you go fee (not a monthly fee…as it is unlikely to use much data)

There is also a start-up out of Chicago (where I am from) called BikeSpike. It is a similar concept but looks like a water bottle cage….and with the BikeSpike you have a monthly fee for tracking….which can add up ($5 a month I think, but unit costs $129) (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

If theft is a concern for you…like in downtown Chi-town…you may want to consider one. I live in the burbs, and have accidentally left my garage open all night a few times without issue :)

Whenever I am in the city however I am totally paranoid because I know bike theft there is a big problem.

HERE IS THE INFO ON SPYBIKE:

What is it

Spybike is a covert tracking device that is hidden inside your bicycle steerer tube. The device is disguised to look like a normal head set cap to avoid suspicion. If someone steals your bike, you can use SpyBike to track their movements online and on your mobile

Free Online Tracking Service

Should your bicycle be stolen, this vibration activated tracker will begin uploading its coordinates to our free online service. You can log into the Tracking page and see where your bicycle was taken

Cheap to run

Install a pay-as-you-go SIM from your country. We do not charge for our tracking service. It is free to use.
The tracker does not send an SMS each time it uploads. Tracking is very cheap with only a small amount of data being sent during tracking

Anti-theft key

Spybike comes with a special installation key. This lets you install and remove the tracker

Vibration armed

When you lock your bicycle up, you can arm the tracker with your arming keyring. Should the bicycle then detect movement, it will send you an SMS to alert you. It will then automatically start uploading its position. You can then logon and track your bike.

GSM fallback

Should your bicycle be inside a building it may not be able to obtain a GPS lock. In this case it will fall back to GSM positioning. This is less accurate but will give you an indication of where your bicycle is until it can obtain a better lock

Battery

The tracker contains a rechargable lithium battery and comes with a charger. The tracker can go for months between charges so long as you remember to disarm the tracker before riding your bike

Covert

The trackers main defence is disguise. It is designed to look inconspicuous. It appears as a regular headset cap.

Configuration

Initial configuration is done by sending the unit SMS text messages. Once it is installed, you should not need to send it SMS messages again. It is armed and disarmed with your Spybike Keyring

SIM

Your tracker requires a SIM card. Since it will use very little credit it is usually most cost effective to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM and just top it up occasionally

Fitting

The Spybike tracker fits inside the steerer tube of your bicycle. You bike must have an "AHeadset" (it has a cap similar to the above photo). The tracker has a diameter of 23.5mm which fits steel, aluminiumm and most carbon fibre steerers. The tracker is 110mm long. This typically means your steerer must be minium 250mm long.
Click to expand...
Good info and there is another method you might try. Use a cheap flip phone with a minuets data card and a "find my phone" app. It is hooked to google maps. (see utube, DIY tracker for cheap). The only cost is the monthly data cost. The whole package is bigger than an "in the tube" type so hiding it takes thought- how about mounting it in the battery box with a charger from battery? Check out video!
 
I understand that Boomerang Cyclotrack is coming out with a new version. @Court had a review of the new version on Youtube (which I can't find) which is much less expensive and seems to address a lot of the issues that the V1 model had. So stay tuned.
 
Chicagoland Ebikes said:
Protecting our awesome and value electric bikes is always an issue so I wanted to share this info. There is a pretty cool device by a UK company available for direct purchase online called Spybike: http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/Spybike.jsp

Spybike cost $150-160 and comes in either a seat post installation, a taillight, or top cap in the handle bars. I have pasted info below on the handlebar version.

The Skybike is cool in that you can use you own SIM card with a pay as you go fee (not a monthly fee…as it is unlikely to use much data)

There is also a start-up out of Chicago (where I am from) called BikeSpike. It is a similar concept but looks like a water bottle cage….and with the BikeSpike you have a monthly fee for tracking….which can add up ($5 a month I think, but unit costs $129) (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

If theft is a concern for you…like in downtown Chi-town…you may want to consider one. I live in the burbs, and have accidentally left my garage open all night a few times without issue :)

Whenever I am in the city however I am totally paranoid because I know bike theft there is a big problem.

HERE IS THE INFO ON SPYBIKE:

What is it

Spybike is a covert tracking device that is hidden inside your bicycle steerer tube. The device is disguised to look like a normal head set cap to avoid suspicion. If someone steals your bike, you can use SpyBike to track their movements online and on your mobile

Free Online Tracking Service

Should your bicycle be stolen, this vibration activated tracker will begin uploading its coordinates to our free online service. You can log into the Tracking page and see where your bicycle was taken

Cheap to run

Install a pay-as-you-go SIM from your country. We do not charge for our tracking service. It is free to use.
The tracker does not send an SMS each time it uploads. Tracking is very cheap with only a small amount of data being sent during tracking

Anti-theft key

Spybike comes with a special installation key. This lets you install and remove the tracker

Vibration armed

When you lock your bicycle up, you can arm the tracker with your arming keyring. Should the bicycle then detect movement, it will send you an SMS to alert you. It will then automatically start uploading its position. You can then logon and track your bike.

GSM fallback

Should your bicycle be inside a building it may not be able to obtain a GPS lock. In this case it will fall back to GSM positioning. This is less accurate but will give you an indication of where your bicycle is until it can obtain a better lock

Battery

The tracker contains a rechargable lithium battery and comes with a charger. The tracker can go for months between charges so long as you remember to disarm the tracker before riding your bike

Covert

The trackers main defence is disguise. It is designed to look inconspicuous. It appears as a regular headset cap.

Configuration

Initial configuration is done by sending the unit SMS text messages. Once it is installed, you should not need to send it SMS messages again. It is armed and disarmed with your Spybike Keyring

SIM

Your tracker requires a SIM card. Since it will use very little credit it is usually most cost effective to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM and just top it up occasionally

Fitting

The Spybike tracker fits inside the steerer tube of your bicycle. You bike must have an "AHeadset" (it has a cap similar to the above photo). The tracker has a diameter of 23.5mm which fits steel, aluminiumm and most carbon fibre steerers. The tracker is 110mm long. This typically means your steerer must be minium 250mm long.
Click to expand...

I don’t know what this is all about, but .....

The start-up out of Chicago you’re promoting, BikeSpike, disappeared after a Kickstarter campaign years ago. I was supposed to do some beta-testing of the product on a (mechanical) bike tour back in 2014, I believe. They claimed some technical issues and then just vaporized. I was not an investor, just someone interested in the technology at the time.
 
A
dblhelix said:
I don’t know what this is all about, but .....

The start-up out of Chicago you’re promoting, BikeSpike, disappeared after a Kickstarter campaign years ago. I was supposed to do some beta-testing of the product on a (mechanical) bike tour back in 2014, I believe. They claimed some technical issues and then just vaporized. I was not an investor, just someone interested in the technology at the time.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see the date on the OP’s post. Only moments before they vanished, really.
 
I have two of the older Boomerang version and had some issues with it not reporting consistently on the Verizon network. It would drop hours or days at a time. Usually, a hard reset at the device would wake it up; but, you wouldn't know it wasn't reporting until you checked with the smartphone app.

The smartphone app didn't have a lot of features and you couldn't start/stop a trip manually. The app could count the time on a vehicle bike rack as part of the trip or break trips up if you are stuck at a stop light too long when riding. The smartphone app for version 1 was only good for arming/disarming or using the map to find your bike.

There was also a web based app but you could only view your current bike location and previous trip data. You couldn't arm/disarm or get alerts with web app.

Sent an email to Boomerang for two free updated replacements since I own the older version. Hopefully, they improved the GPS tracker over the last version.
 
I too wasn't particularly happy with how the apps worked. One of my biggest complaints is that if you really needed to find your bike you had to paste the location from the web site into google maps.

It seemed from @Court's review (why can't I find it) that they fixed at least some of the issues. I also like the other secure mounting options they provide so if you don't have a set of bidons free you can still use the gadget.
 
Mr. Coffee said:
I too wasn't particularly happy with how the apps worked. One of my biggest complaints is that if you really needed to find your bike you had to paste the location from the web site into google maps.

It seemed from @Court's review (why can't I find it) that they fixed at least some of the issues. I also like the other secure mounting options they provide so if you don't have a set of bidons free you can still use the gadget.
Click to expand...

This popped on my Social media feed as an Ad.

https://shop.boomerangbike.com/
Do you think it's worth it? Is it working well?
 
Ravi Kempaiah said:
This popped on my Social media feed as an Ad.

https://shop.boomerangbike.com/
Do you think it's worth it? Is it working well?
Click to expand...

Yes, it does work.

Like I said I'd like to see some improvements in the app and website but it does work.

Next month when there isn't four feet of snow on the ground I'll likely update the software and see how much it has improved.
 
Does anybody know if the Sherlock gps tracker is going out of business ? Their sales page says “Sherlock shop is temporarily unavailable” and also receive a cryptic auto-response message when i email or facebook them requesting status. Thx
 
Here's what I found as of August 2020. I did my research on this topic, but there is not a single solution that satisfies me (only TailIt, but it's too expensive, maybe Sherlock in case I had compatible handlebars). Here's current "state of the art" I found. I haven't either bought or tested any of them.

More or less worth consideration:
https://www.tailit.com/bike/ - one of the most interesting, but subscription is expensive, 8 weeks on battery, 30 days to test the product (^^)
https://www.sherlock.bike/ - interesting, not for every bike (measure handlebars' diameter), 2 year subscription in price, 7 days on battery, not good, not bad
https://boomerangbike.com/ - only one day on battery, visible, another philosophy
https://velocate.com/shop/gps-ortun...-tracker-fuer-fahrraeder-und-e-bikes-lifetime - in light, pretty expensive
https://back2you.com/products/guardian-bike-light-tracker - in light
https://www.paj-gps.com/ - they offer several different trackers, battery time differs depending on the model. Subscription plan (5 GBP per month), works in 170+ countries*.
https://www.dantracker.com/en/ - rather expensive, they also started with Chinese stuff but now they claim they use their own hardware
https://us.americaloc.com/gl300w.html - tracking plan pricey as hell

Americocentric:
Amcrest - US/Canada/Mexico only, 2G (soon going to be incompatible in some countries or incompatible now)
Invoxia - US only (?) - not only, see TomD's post below
Spytec - 25 USD/month and only USA

Available for preorder only:
https://shield.bike/pl/# - interesting project:
seesense.cc

See.Sense Knowhere GPS Bike Tracker - Pre Order

Pre Orders Are Currently Out Of Stock(Formerly known as See.Sense AIR) A TOTALLY NEW WAY TO PROTECT AND LOCATE YOUR BIKE. With Knowhere, we’ve taken everything we’ve learned across everything we’ve done to create a clever little device to help you rest easy, knowing where your bike is anytime...
seesense.cc seesense.cc

Troja Bike | Preorder

www.trojabike.com www.trojabike.com

Bluetooth only (no GPS):
thetileapp.com
http://smrtgrips.com/
https://notione.com/


There is also Swisstrack, but I would not recommend it for a lot of reasons I pointed out in the topic below:
electricbikereview.com

Swisstrack© GPS Bike Tracker

I did my research on this, and the answer I was looking for: Swisstrack--concealed, small, tracking app. A SIM card from Things Mobile is next. No monthly subscription fee. Pay as you go. Cheap. Should work good, can update later once it's up and running...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com


*Thanks to Una for finding this one.
 
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