Top 5 Best Bicycle GPS Trackers For All Budgets 2021 Reviews

Having your bicycle stolen is a truly horrible experience. It not just the value of the bike that hurts, but usually, more importantly, it’s the lost memories and connection with our bikes that are a much more significant loss.

A bike tracker won’t necessarily prevent theft, but it will help massively in increasing the odds of you getting it back! These days there are plenty of options to choose from. Plus, happily, the best bicycle GPS tracker for you and your bike doesn’t need to cost a fortune.

Our list of the best five bike trackers will help you narrow down your search. So, let’s get to it and find the perfect bike tracker for you…

Top 5 Best Bicycle GPS Trackers For All Budgets 2021 Reviews

1 Invoxia Cellular GPS Tracker – Best Bicycle GPS Tracker with Most Affordable Subscription

The Inoxia tracker leaves you with a few options in terms of placement.

The first is to place it under your saddle. This is not a bad choice as it’s long and thin, so it will be relatively discreet. The second option is to place it on your saddlebag or panniers if you’re on a tour. The last, and ideal place, would be to conceal it inside your frame.

Where exactly?

The seat tube would be the obvious choice for frame placement as most bikes will have broad enough tubing. Another advantage of placing it here is that it’s easy to access when needed. You only need to take the seat post out.

The tracker will give you 24/7 monitoring. Depending on the frequency you wish to track your bike with, you can get up to four months of battery life from a single charge. This is if you use the tracker within the range of your smartphone. This makes it perfect for cyclists who choose to conceal it inside the frame. Happily, recharging also takes just an hour.

How does it work?

The device links to your mobile phone to provide you with data and data alerts in the case of suspicious movement or if your bike moves out of pre-programmed geographical limits.

However, one of the features we particularly like about this tracker is that you get a two years subscription included in the price. Even better, come time for renewal, the plan is payable on a very inexpensive yearly basis. The fact is that this has the lowest annual subscription of any of the trackers in our review.

2 LandAirSea 54 GPS Tracker – USA Manufactured – Best Budget Bicycle GPS Tracker

The LandAirSea tracker is round with a diameter of just 2.25″ and a depth of only 0.8″. This makes it ideal for putting under your seat. A second option would be to put it in your seat post saddlebag.

The device itself is a budget option…

This is the least expensive tracker on our list. However, you will be hit with a potentially costly data plan despite its low initial purchase price. If you take out a monthly payment plan, it’s expensive. We, therefore, recommend you bite the bullet and pay for a year upfront. The saving will be well worth it.

The tracker links to your mobile, and you can choose to set live tracking from between three seconds to one-minute updates. If you opt for one-minute updates, it will substantially increase the battery life. You can then expect to go for two weeks without needing to be recharged.

Is it easy enough to recharge?

Yes, the good news is that when a recharge is needed, it can be easily done, in situ, if you choose to place it under your saddle.

The tracker will work in any country in the world. Once installed, regardless of where you live, it can be set to place geographic limits to where your bike can be taken. If it moves outside of these limits, you then receive an immediate alert, via text, to warn you.

Built for the long ride…

Finally, it’s a well built and durable tracker. Although it’s not fully waterproof, it is weatherproof, and we think that is enough. If it is positioned under the seat, it will have plenty of protection from the rain in any case.

3 TKSTAR GPS Tracker for Vehicles 3G Car Tracker Device – Bicycle Value GPS Tracker

The TKSTAR GPS Tracker is another device that is more than probably destined for either under your saddle or in a seat post bag. Alternatively, if you’re on tour, it could be hidden away in one of your panniers. It is magnetic, but that’s unlikely to be of very much help for most cyclists.

The tracker’s price falls in the middle of the pack, which given the quality, seems a good deal. However, where this tracker shines is in regards to the monthly subscription plan. If you don’t want to pay yearly, it’s by far the most affordable for all the options in our review.

Overall, great value…

The fact is that it’s also the best deal we’ve come across with any subscription for a tracking device. If you’re a budget-conscious shopper, this could very well be the best GPS tracker for your bike.

Set on standby, you can get 90 days of battery life. Under normal conditions, switched on, and depending on the frequency of tracking, you can expect the battery to give you up to three weeks before needing a recharge.

Putting it right up there with the best of the best…

The unit is waterproof, rugged, and durable. Whatever type of cycling you are doing, you can be sure that the TKSTAR GPS Tracker will be up to the task and won’t let you down.

It’s an accurate tracker and can detect your bike within just a five to ten meters distance when you’re outside. Inside, like all trackers, things are not quite as good. In this circumstance, you can expect an accuracy level of between 100 to 1,000 meters.

4 Hidden Magnetic GPS Tracker Car Tracking Device with Software – Best Premium Bicycle GPS Tracker

This is the largest tracker on our list. It measures a not inconsiderable 2.56″ x 1.97″ x 4.72″. The upshot is that it’s the most difficult to conceal. Even if you choose to place it under your bike seat, if it will fit, it’s still likely to be rather obtrusive. In our opinion, the only realistic option, if you choose this tracker, is to hide it in your saddlebag or bike’s luggage.

Ok, what about battery life?

Here, things are much more positive. You can achieve a whopping two months of battery life if you set the frequency of tracking intervals to the maximum. Plus, in standby mode, you get an even more impressive four months.

The tracker has all the features you’d expect from a quality unit. It can track worldwide; it is accurate to within five meters when your bicycle is outdoors, you can set up geofencing and alerts, plus, it can even record and store a full twelve months of user history.

Other premium features…

Even though this is one of the more expensive units, we appreciate that they provide a monthly subscription plan that does not require a fixed contract. This allows you to use it if and when the occasion demands. If you only need a tracker when going on tour, for example, this could prove to be an excellent option.

As far as the GPS unit itself is concerned, there’s no doubt that this is one of, if not the toughest, most durable on our list. This is a very well-made device indeed.

5 Family1st Mini GPS Tracker Device – Best Mini Bicycle GPS Tracker

This GPS tracker from Family1st is a small and lightweight unit that lends itself to being easily concealed. It measures just 2.75″ x 1.8″ x 1.1″. This means that under your saddle or in your seat post bag, it can be easily hidden.

Is it worth its weight?

It’s a mid-priced tracker that comes with a mid-priced subscription plan that offers plenty of options. You can pay yearly, which is the least expensive plan, or monthly, which will cost more. Alternatively, and our favorite choice, you can opt for a month-by-month payment with no commitment to an extended subscription plan.

Battery life is reasonable for a standard GPS tracker but outstanding for a mini tracker.

Let us explain…

The battery life can be easily extended if you decrease the frequency of the intervals between tracks. These can be set anywhere between three seconds to a minute. If you set tracking intervals to a minute, you can expect to get a battery life of around 14 days.

Family1st claim that these are the longest lasting batteries of any portable mini GPS tracker. We are not entirely sure if this is true or not, but we can agree that its battery life is excellent for a mini tracker.

What about the other features?

Even though this is a small device, you still get all of a much larger unit’s features. It can locate the position of the tracker, via your smartphone, to within just a few meters when you’re outside. It can also find the position of the tracker indoors too. Though not as accurately.

Geo-fencing, alerts, and movement data are also readily available.

If you need a mini-tracker, this is hard to beat.

Best Bicycle GPS Tracker FAQs

Can I use my GPS tracker anywhere other than on my bike?

Yes, you can. For the purpose of this roundup, all of the trackers in our review are suitable for being used on a bicycle. They are all strong, durable, and water-resistant enough to endure whatever your rides can throw at them.

However, the trackers can also be used elsewhere if they’re not needed on your bike. The fact is that they can be placed in or on just about any vehicle. Plus, the smaller trackers can easily be concealed in a bag and be used to keep a watch over your children or vulnerable elderly relatives.

Where is the best place to put a GPS tracker on a bike?

There’s no doubt that the ideal place to put a bike tracker is either in the handlebars or seat post tube. Unfortunately, not all of the trackers in our review are small enough to be positioned in either. However, suitable alternatives are either under the saddle or in your saddlebag or panniers.

Should I worry about it being seen?

Although a tracker may be partially visible when placed under a saddle, it’s not likely to draw much attention from a potential thief as it is unlikely to be something they’re looking for. Additionally, any would-be-thief that recognizes it will probably move on and look elsewhere. This is because they will know that it will almost certainly be fitted with a motion and alert detector.

Can you track a stolen bike?

Yes, you can.

You can track your bicycle at any time, providing that your batteries are charged. You will be able to track your stolen bike via either a mobile phone or on your desktop. We’d strongly recommend that you then pass this information onto the law enforcement authorities and don’t risk trying to take back the bike yourself.

Tracking accuracy, when the bike is outside, is down to just a few meters. If your bike is taken inside, the exact location is much more difficult to pinpoint. In this circumstance, its position may be erroneous by as much as a thousand meters at worst.

What do thieves do with stolen bikes?

Most commonly, they sell them on. Less commonly, they will keep them to use for themselves. Very occasionally, they might even strip them down for the parts.

Bike thieves are the absolute scum of the earth, and you should try to do everything in your power to keep hold of your bike and make it as difficult as possible for these low-life excuses for human beings.

How do you do that?

Try to make sure your bike is always in sight or secured with a high-quality lock. If this is not possible, putting a tracker on your bike is another great addition to improving the chances of not having your bike stolen and getting it returned if it is.

How do I set up my bike tracker?

Trackers are simple to set up.

When you buy a tracker, you will typically need to download an app onto your phone. This then allows your mobile and tracker to freely talk with each other and share information.

Modern-day units are very much a plug and play affair. If you can use your mobile phone, you’ll have no problem setting up a tracker. If you run into difficulties, your five years old nieces or nephews should be able to help!

Are GPS bike trackers expensive?

No, they are not.

The price of trackers is surprisingly low. However, in our experience, you need to pay close attention to the cost of the subscriptions that go with it. Sometimes, manufacturers give incredible deals on the tracker but then quickly claw back any losses via an expensive yearly subscription.

Therefore, it’s worth working out subscription costs as well as the cost of the tracker itself when you’re trying to decide which one to buy.

Is this the Best Bicycle Accessory?

Well, it’s easily one of them, but we’ve got loads more to show you! So check out our of the Best Bike Computers, the Best Bike Camera, the Best Bicycle Tool Kit, the Best Bike Helmets, and the Best Cycling Sunglasses currently on the market.

Or how about the Best Bike Racks, the Best Trunk Mount Bike Racks, the Best Bike Lights, the Best Bike Repair Stands, the Best Bike Travel Cases, and the Best Bike Rollers for your money in 2021!

Back to the best GPS trackers for bicycles…

So, what is the Best Bicycle GPS Tracker?

There you have it. There’s no doubt that having a bike tracker will significantly increase the chances of you getting your bicycle back if it is stolen. As an addition to basic security measures, which include using quality locks when your bike is out of sight, trackers are a great idea.

We’d be happy to use any of the trackers in the review. However, if we had to choose just one, it would be the…

Invoxia Cellular GPS Tracker

We think it’s the best because it’s the easiest to conceal and gives you the option of placing it inside your seat post. Additionally, it has a long battery life with a quick recharge time. Plus, it has an inexpensive subscription plan when compared with most of the competition.

Enjoy your rides, and remember to always take care of your bike!