My experience with the 3BO advanced bicycle tracker
In a previous article we asked whether it is time to ditch your Apple Airtag and switch it for a 3BO advanced bicycle tracker. This morning, I used the 3BO advanced bicycle tracker for the first time. Or rather it was used on my bike, on my behalf for the first time. Carinus immediately saw when I left Stellenbosch at 5am to come through to Cape Town for a glorious cycle up to the Chapmans peak lookout point and back to Greenpoint. I’ve now used it for a few days since; and have had enough experience to evaluate the (A) battery life, (B) design, (C) ease-of-use. And consider the cost of the 3BO advanced bicycle tracker below. Let’s see how it compares.
BATTERY life for the 3BO tracker
How long does the 3BO tracker battery last? Depends on what mode is activated. It can range from as long as 20 days in sleep mode; down to 10 hours in lost mode at 30 seconds intervals when lost (which is brisk, compared to 5 minute or 10 minute or longer intervals as on lang distance race trackers). And how long does it take to charge? About 3 hours, using nothing fancy, not a fast charger, just a regular old MUNGA powerbank from many moons ago. I drop the powerbank into the bottle cage and leave it overnight. And it uses the familiar magnetic battery charging point similar to most smart watches. In summary:
- 20 days on sleep
- 10 hours in lost mode
- 30 second intervals when lost
- 3 hours to charge
UPDATE after using the 3BO unit
Using the 3BO advanced bicycle tracker is as easy as it gets. It is set and forget. One of their main benefits is how easy it is to interact with your device and keep tracking it via WhatsApp. It’s a brilliant user experience and one that I would like to mirror for #bicyclecouriers; to respond to your sales and other questions quicker than we can by doing everything manually all the time.
DESIGN of the 3BO bicycle tracker
The 3BO device goes onto your bike. Mine is underneath the bottle cage. And for the uninitiated it might look like nothing extra. Or even a piece of Di2 or AXS kit is the tiny block sits just above the front derailleur. So unsuspecting and mostly incognito for most would-be thieves. And in this instance the black of the device perfectly matches my black road bike frame. The unit is also IP68-Rated to be durable and weather-resistant and I won’t mind leaving it out in the pouring rain. Made in EUROPE, these trackers are easy to set up and install using a QR code.
TECH specs for the 3BO device
It is a small High-Resolution GPS with precise location tracking for reliable recovery. The 3BO tracker uses Cell Triangulation which means it enhances location accuracy even in areas with weak GPS signals. And this is so good that it is worth mentioning again, the 3BO bicycle tracker uses WhatsApp. Which allows the sharing of live, real-time tracking data with friends, family and first-responders for quick assistance. Nicely done.
COST for this advanced bicycle tracker
I would think a low fee for the device plus a monthly rate for the service. Which would be ideal if your short-term insurance provider issues you with the device and pays for or vastly reduces the subscription. Or as I have on a vehicle the total cost of insuring the vehicle is less with the tracker installed and paying the tiny monthly fee, than it would have been just for the regular insurance premium without the tracking device fitted. So, what does the 3BO advanced bicycle tracker cost? I have no idea. For this I suggest you contact 3bo.mobi directly on WhatsApp 061 587 0220.
Verdict and preliminary thoughts
Whether you use this device or not depends on your outlook when it comes to insuring your bicycle. I guess on one end of the spectrum you find people who think “my bike is insured, if it gets stolen I get a replacement” and won’t worry about tracking devices like these. And on the other end you get someone who is sentimental or has a very real vested interest in that specific bicycle so would love to find that specific bicycle when lost or stolen. I might lean towards the former, but having used the device now see the advantages en ease of use. And I think added benefits like being able to share your ride with friends and family so they can follow your dot and next adventure on a map would be a great future benefit. I like it, certainly more than an Airtag, for the bicycle application.
What do you think?
Share your thoughts below. Or contact 3BO directly. We’ll share another article with practical examples of the WhatsApp interface with screenshots and how it looks like when you follow the bicycle on a map to make it more ‘tangible’. Until then, keep your bicycle(s) safe. We don’t want N minus one!
4 Comments
Fantastic
Lekker Dawid, nicely done.
Thanks for this. I think this is a great idea, not only for tracking a stolen bicycle. I frequently ride alone, much to the discomfort of my friends. When I go any further afield than my local area, I have a friend whom I notify and I give him my route and my ETA home. Then I let him know I've arrived home safely. He is always willing to fetch me if I have a mechanical. But…if something were to happen to me and I was unable to call, he wouldn't know until I failed to arrive home. And he would have a large geographical area to search, with no way of knowing where I was. I have MySOS installed on my phone but I don't use it – always seems too much of a faff. A simple tracker like this that someone could check in on from time to time would be a great way of keeping single riders safe. Obviously if one is attacked, it's not going to help, but if, say, one is hurt and not moving, this would be apparent. This might be something 3bo.mobi wants to consider – giving the device a dual purpose, such as a crash detector.
Great ideas, thanks Ellen!