More and more muscle bikes and electric bikes are being equipped with a GPS chip or a Bluetooth beacon. A little extra that can change everything when your mount is stolen. Several manufacturers have in fact communicated their recovery rate to us: the results are edifying.
The theft of muscle bikes and electric bikes is legion in France. Every year, more than 300,000 cycles are stolen, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior – via The world. The proliferation of VAEs, the value of which is much higher than a traditional cycle, further encourages people to take action.
Faced with this scourge, several solutions exist: in addition to identifying and registering your bike on the Bycicode platform, GPS chips and Bluetooth beacons can be an excellent solution against theft. Of course, they won’t help deter a thief from stealing your mount, but they will make it easier to find.
Very high recovery rates
Three electric bike manufacturers have provided us with interesting figures on this subject: the recovery rate of their products equipped with a GPS chip. The trio in question is called Decathlon, Cowboy and Gaya.
During our various press trips to the BTWIN Village in Lille, the French brand did not hesitate to communicate its recovery rate, which reached 91%. The brand also explained to us that the police – both French and Belgian – were very inclined to intervene quickly as soon as a bicycle was located. It’s a bit of a blessing: you just have to go to the indicated location.
For its part, Cowboy has recently been transparent on the issue. In a press release sent to the editorial staff where a new security function was presented, the Belgian brand indicates a recovery rate of 94%. It’s simply huge. In the case of a stolen Cowboy bike, you have more than 9 out of 10 chances of finding it.
A young company specializing in electric longtails, Gaya, which has its own store in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, tells us of a recovery rate of 75%. Which remains more than honorable. We finally contacted Mustache to collect more figures, and are awaiting a response.
The power of Bluetooth beacons
It is clear that GPS chips have a real use in the face of bicycle theft. However, we must not forget the Bluetooth beacons, which are also very practical for locating your property using the various signals emitted by our devices. Among them, we can cite the Apple AirTag and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag.
This type of small accessory has the particularity of being easily concealable. Some accessories makers are even showing ingenuity, like the Airbell Bike bell capable of hiding an AirTag in its heart. Hiding it under a saddle is also an alternative.
More generally, some good reflexes should be taken when you lock up your bike in the street: here are our little tips after a smart guy tried to steal an e-bike from us in September 2021. And if you are looking for a reassuring lock, here is a ranking of the best models according to the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB).