IN BRIEF
Pebblebee is launching the LÔC8, a 6 cm cylindrical tracker designed to disappear inside a handlebar tube rather than hang off a frame. It runs on either the Apple Find My network or Google Find Hub, with a replaceable battery rated for three years of life. The brand’s shop lists it at €42.05 per unit, and up to €126.16 for the four-pack. Its transparent shell, on the other hand, is not certified against direct exposure to water: it is intended for a recessed, protected installation.
| Price | €42.05 to €126.16 depending on the pack ($39.99 for the 1-pack in the United States) |
| Dimensions | 6 cm tall × 1.4 cm in diameter |
| Battery life | up to 3 years, replaceable non-rechargeable battery |
| Bluetooth range | up to 152 m |
| Networks | Apple Find My or Google Find Hub, your choice |
| Water resistance | designed for a recessed installation; not certified against direct exposure to water |
| Warranty | 1 year |
The problem with the anti-theft bike tracker comes down to one sentence: whatever can be seen can be removed. Pebblebee offers a literal answer with the LÔC8, a six-centimetre cylinder that, according to the brand, fits inside a tube.
The Pebblebee LÔC8 tracker hides inside the handlebar
The brand describes an object in a « compact Pin form factor », which « fits directly into cylindrical gear such as golf clubs, bikes, sports equipment and more ». The spec sheet mentions a « small cylindrical module for tube-style installations ». At 9to5Google, which spotted the launch on 25 August, the wording is more direct: a tracker « designed to hide in your bike grips, golf clubs and other places ».
Six centimetres tall by 1.4 centimetres in diameter: the format is that of a large stick battery, meant to slide into a handlebar tube once the end plug has been removed. The American outlet notes that the transparent plastic shell « is not designed to be exposed outdoors » — this is not a case to screw under a saddle, it is an object you forget about once it is in place.
Three years of battery, a choice of two networks
On the tracking side, Pebblebee is not building its own network: the LÔC8 « works with Apple Find My for iPhone users or with Google’s Find Hub for Android users ». The choice is made during setup, and the device then relies on the crowd of phones on the chosen network to report a position. Direct Bluetooth range, for its part, is given as « up to 500 feet (152 m) ».
Power is the point that really sets this format apart: the brand announces a battery that is « replaceable, non-rechargeable, and lasts up to three years, depending on use and ambient conditions ». In other words, no cable to plug in, but a removal to plan for after a few seasons — the battery level « can be checked directly in the Find My or Find Hub app ».
One reservation, and a price gap
The official spec sheet sets a blunt limit, and it is worth reading before buying: on water resistance, the LÔC8 is « designed for recessed and protected installations » and « not certified for direct exposure to water ». For an object meant to live inside a handlebar, that assumes the tube stays plugged — an open bar taking the rain does not fall within the framework the brand describes. The warranty is one year.
That leaves the price. Pebblebee’s shop lists, in euros, a range of €42.05 to €126.16 depending on the pack, while 9to5Google reports $39.99 for the single pack on the other side of the Atlantic — the four-pack being, for its part, « specifically designed for sets of golf clubs and installation by a professional ». Neither the product page nor the American article gives an availability date for France.
