Cyclists and good intentions (gpx tracking & navigation info request)

[sorex]

A new year so good intentions are always nice to have.

Any cyclists out there who use gps trackers or navigators?

While doing mostly the same routes (32-40Km) after work when the weather allows is I was thinking of starting to do GPS based gpx routes driven before by others
and to explore unknown areas.

Can you guide me to some good apps or watches and tell me the good, bad things about them?

I was thinking about placing an old Samsung phone onto my steer and use that to follow routes
but I wonder if there are navigation apps that turn off the screen when you just need to go on
on the same route (to save battery) and turn it back on when you really need to turn at a junction.

GPS watch is nice altho most of them is plain tracking and no navigation unless to start paying a lot.
It's also not handy to look at your watch all the time to see if you need to turn at some point.
Some rely on your smart phone aswell for the gps data so you better use an app on the phone instead.

 

[moster67]

Well, I have tried various apps in the past year.

I have not really found one which is perfect. If it is just for training and you don't need a map, then I use Strava but Decat' Coach, Urban Biker and Bike Computer are good too since you can use heart rate and cadence sensors,

When I do cycling-excursions with my wife, perhaps using a gpx map I have downloaded, then Strava is fine but also Naviki. The latter is similar to Sygic for cars where you set a route and follow it.

These are the ones I have installed on my phone:

I was thinking of buying a Garmin bike computer but in the end, I bought a Quad Lock and a sturdy case for my Note9 and this works fine. I also bought another Quad Lock for my motorbike so I don't need to remove them when I need them.

I was thinking of writing my own app since of course there is always something missing in the present apps but for now, they are OK.

 

[ac9ts]

For tracking, I have an Amazfit BIP watch. It has built in GPS and a so-so heart rate monitor. It's a relatively cheap watch that has amazing battery life and can track your rides without the need of a phone. To view your ride stats, you need to sync (thru Bluetooth) to the companion app.

For navigation, I use good, old Google Maps. I only use it when I'm going on a new route or destination. I keep the screen off and just use the audio announce turn-by-turn.

 

[sorex]

I was thinking of buying a Garmin bike computer but in the end, I bought a Quad Lock and a sturdy case for my Note9 and this works fine.

indeed, I was checking the garmins and mio's but the only benefit I see is that they might last longer than a smartphone batterywise as it is a 1 purpose toy.

heartrate is nice to have but not really required. I'm fat (102Kg) so I know it's always high when cycling
my sister has a fitbit (veva2 or something) which is nice for heartrate, gps tracking (through bluetooth of phone tho) etc but no guidance.

I had a look at google maps yesterday and couldn't find the option to blank the screen on long distance going straight.
so you push the button to lock the phone and hear it through the earphone?

yesterday I did a search for bike navigation app and one of the first result on plain google was this app

BikeGPX - Free cycle navigator - Apps on Google Play

Use this app to follow GPX files on your device when out riding your bike.

play.google.com

the reviews are not that good but it's kind of what I was looking for.
just a map with tracking data on it.

maybe strava on the others have it aswell I don't know. The only thing I used a while was Endomondo and it was mainly tracking.

I'll check the mentioned apps, thanks for the hints.

 

[ac9ts]

.......
I had a look at google maps yesterday and couldn't find the option to blank the screen on long distance going straight.
so you push the button to lock the phone and hear it through the earphone?
.......

I set the destination, press directions (make sure to set to cycling mode), and press start. From there, I put the phone into the mount and turn the phone off. I don't ride with headphones because I like to hear the quite of the trail so the handlebar mount is good for hearing the announcements. I can also easily turn it on to see where I am on the map.

As far I know, there isn't a specific setting to keep the screen off. I just turn it off and it seems to stay off.

 

[sorex]

that's good if you let google maps guide its own directions.

unfortunately I can't seem to use a gpx with it and from what I just read you can show a custom "my maps" map but you can't use the directions guidance with it.

besides that google maps app is a great tool.

 

[josejad]

I used an old garmin geko 201 in my bike, two AAA bateries and you can use for days.
Now I have a Garmin watch, you can load the tracks. As you say, maybe it's not handy to look your watch every junction, but it vibrates when you have to turn, and you can get some accessory to get the watch on your handlebars.
In both cases, I download the tracks from www.wikiloc.com
You can download tracks for bikes, running, boats, .... and they have an app to follow the offroad tracks, and even your friends and family can see your position in realtime, in case of emergency.
I haven't tested the app (have a premium version).

 

[sorex]

that's indeed handy, Jose, that it vibrates. Which model is it?

 

[josejad]

that's indeed handy, Jose, that it vibrates. Which model is it?

Ups, I meant at least you don't have to be constantly looking to the watch, just when it vibrates
It's a Garmin Fenix 3

 

[sorex]

nice, but quite pricy.

 

[josejad]

nice, but quite pricy.

I used a Vivoactive 2, it doesn't have the track function, but you can add it with a program. It's cheaper than Fenix 3

 

[sorex]

just an update...

I bought in May a Garmin Vivoactive3 after being fed up from using Strava as activity tracker.

(Thanks to my huawei phone) the app stopped tracking after a while. sometime after doing a 50Km trip you noticed it only tracked the first 150 meters.

This watch is handy as you always have it with you compared to a real gps device that you need to mount and these mounts can be expensive
especially if you want to use it on multiple bicycles.

I also found a nice additional app (BF Cycle Map) for the watch that allows me to follow gpx based routes with turn-by-turn navigation.

It's not perfect as it doesn't re-route on wrong turns but you just see you're going off route.
Last Sunday I did a 60Km trip and got a few times off route (read lost ) but this was mainly because the roads were broken up or because of other detours.
(*) Another reason was because I started/joined the 'loop' route in the middle/halfway so its end destination was on the middle of my trip aswell and it stopped guiding from the moment I reached the destination which makes sense.
Retracing the route from home and back will solve the above (*)

Still amazing what this device can do.

At first I used it on my wrist but it was not handy and even dangerous to look all the time on my watch.
So I used such rubber thingy so that you can wrap a watch around your steer so you always have an eye on it.

I should save some money to buy a decent one that shows me a map aswell just in case it's not clear where I have to go.

These Lezyne ones look like a nice price/feature combo and they can have a street map of the entire region you want to cycle through.

 

[canalrun]

Along the same lines, I found something by accident at the beginning of the summer which has become my favorite – Ticwris Max 4G Smart Watch.

I had never seen anything like this. I don't know if it's more popular in other places.

It's like a small phone that you wear on your wrist. It's Android. I've got a couple apps that I've written with B4A. It has GPS, a heart rate sensor, and accepts a SIM card.

It's cheap, waterproof, and sturdy. So far one battery charge has lasted all summer and it's still going strong (I turn it off between uses). It's definitely too clunky to wear full time as a watch, but as an aid while exercising, its perfect.

I've written apps that use the GPS, show maps, monitor heart rate, and count laps/times when I ride around the loop at a local park.

I guess there's no real reason for mentioning this, other than I'm glad I found it, and others might find it interesting.

Barry.

 

[sorex]

that's an interesting toy, Barry.
Indeed a bit on the big side to use it as a daily watch.

the benefit is being Android which makes coding for it easier and probably has a lot of apps aswell.

for mine I need to learn MonkeyC.

good find!