What tracking app do folk use and why?

Good Old Bakes

Having read another thread which mentioned tracking apps, a few people said that they use Strava. I currently use Sports Tracker as I feel comfortable with the UI and the tracking details that it gives me. I’ve tried Endomondo and Run Keeper but neither have grabbed me as much as ST. Social netsnoopping isn’t important to me either. I’m not bothered about telling everyone and sundry about where I’ve been and how I’ve done, it’s just for my own personal benefit really so I don’t share information.

What do other folk use and why do you prefer it to the rest?

milko9000

Strava, because it tells me how fast I was on the sections of a ride automatically, rather than just giving me a time for the whole thing (it does that too). So I can see where I'm improving and where I need more work. The ability to compare against others in the same sections is compelling and useful too, but it's certainly not all it's for.

mintedox

Sports tracker for me. It's the only one I have tried and it works well enough, plus my workout mileage is getting pretty high so I dont want to lose that
I downloaded Strava and sometimes use it as a sat nav in the van

bartimaeus

Strava. Logs your rides and gives you a view of what you are doing... but the 'killer app' is the segment function so you can 'compete' with your mates - but as you can create private segments you can use it to track your own progress over any course you like, and see your own PBs. It's also handy for finding out who rides where you ride, if you do want to meet like minded people, and for finding new routes that you might have missed.

You can load any GPX files into Strava so you can transfer your 'training history' if you do want to use it.

peat

Currently Endomundo, got about 18 months of history on there.

Does all i need at the moment, tempted to try Strava though as everone bangs on about it.

Rockhopper_tm

Endomondo. I have a few little challenges on-going with my brother. The website side of Endo is brilliant. Not that fussed about the Strava segment function, just interested in the rough mile age etc. Plus Endomondo has a 'Burger Burned' metric!

Greer_

Runkeeper as there's a lot of history on it. Considering running strava side by side it now.

Good Old Bakes

Sports Tracker will break your ride down into miles. Is that what you mean by segments? I will give Strava a go and see if I like it. File's a bit big though - 3.6mb - compared to 1.6mb Sports Tracker and 1.2mb Run Keeper...?

Twelly

SportyPal

First free app I got to on my android phone that actually works.

Could look around for a 'better' one but this does everything I want.

bartimaeus

Good Old Bakes wrote:

Sports Tracker will break your ride down into miles. Is that what you mean by segments?

A 'segment' is a defined bit of route... any bit, so a climb, a downhill, or a a flat section. Once a public segment is created Strava builds and maintains a leaderboard which ranks everyone who has ever ridden through that segment, so you have an ongoing TT in which everyone using Strava participates. You can also see the complete history of your times on each segment - so you can track how you do and target your PB.

I don't use the Strava phone app... I have a GPS logger, and I import my GPX files to Strava.

antop34

I have always used Motion X GPS for the iphone and found it to be accurate and useful when you combine it with websites like bikehike. However, the fact that the maps dont track and the drain on battery is a pain.

Recently converted to Strava and I have never been so driven to get out on the bike! Not sure its a good thing as I am checking Strava to see if I am still king of the mountains or if I get pipped. There are 1 or 2 riders near me that keep alternating on the DH sections. One just dominates uphill and downhill, so I am keen to meet up and join him on a ride.

Its all good getting stats and comparing how youve ridden, but I leave it at home when im out riding with buddies or trail centres. Just enjoy biking!

Anonymous

Gets complicated due to inaccuracies with various apps and devices, but I use Endomondo currently on my old Nokia E72 as the GPS chip in that is better for low speed accuracy than my Galaxy S2 (and the battery on the E72 lasts loads longer). I then export and load up in Sports Tracks 3 on my PC and use the elevation correction plugin to fix the altitudes as the E72 has bad altitude data. *Finally* I import the result into Strava which is where I want it.

I don't use the Strava app as due to issues on Android and I suspect the S2 GPS chip, it has massive location spikes. Talking sending me off hundreds of miles and back in a few seconds when going slow or stopped. Endomondo and Sports Tracker on Android catch these spikes but Strava thinks you're going crazy speeds because of the gaps in the track, so they're no use. Sports Tracker on the Nokia is fine though, but I'm trying to cut down my tracking apps and just using Endomondo and Strava now. I want to just use Strava though. Third thought is to track with something else like View Ranger and import to Strava. Will see how accurate View Ranger is.

So... *phew*... it's complicated!

Other solution is a Garmin. Far more accurate, then just import to Strava. I'll probably just end up doing that, but it's justifying the cost for what is just a bit of fun really anyway.

Oh, and whatever you use, if it's not the official Strava app but you import to Strava - turn off auto pause! Else it screws up leaderboards if you stop or go slow during a segment.

Penylope

Oooohh, interesting! i have a garmin forerunner watch which i upload to garmin connect, but i find the website a bit clunky so i use endo on my phone. BUT.. just looking at the strava site, i can upload data from my watch to strava *signs up*

phz

Sportypal usually, but they seemed to be having one of their spells when they drop 'MTB' as a category of activity so I'm currently back on Endomondo. Might be my phone or the Android version though, but Endomondo seems noticeably less accurate and reliable (even on the same device) than Sportypal in terms of GPS tracking.

Whatever I use I then export the .gpx to Strava for segment watching.

slainte rob

milko9000

deadkenny wrote:

I don't use the Strava app as due to issues on Android and I suspect the S2 GPS chip, it has massive location spikes. Talking sending me off hundreds of miles and back in a few seconds when going slow or stopped.

It is really odd that you get that (and I've seen the evidence of course). My Samsung Nexus S I'm sure isn't as accurate as a dedicated Garmin but it's never given me those location spikes, despite being very similar hardware and Android. I've got a Galaxy Nexus now, so Samsung again, will have to see how that gets on.

hard-rider

I've been using Oruxmaps for the last year and it's worked pretty well. Has a bit of a learning curve but has a lot of functions and has been quite reliable. It's Android only though.

jehosophat

Endomondo, because my brother used it, and it works! I see no point trying others, it does what I want, which is just to record where I went and for how long. The website is quick and easy to use and I like the satellite and combined maps.

In fact I sell vehicle tracking/telematics solutions for a living and I am pretty impressed at the frequency of updates and accuracy of the track, just from a phone, and for free... I use it with an old Blackberry Pearl which I bought as a cheaply available, light, phone with decent GPS and that tends to work via Bluetooth in most cars without hassle.

Rushmore

I used to use Runkeeper..

I now use Strava..

Love the segments, elevation and the website too... It's like a cycle route twitter...

Mojo_666

I use Endomondo because I use Endomondo, it has every ride I have ever done since getting back on the bike. A lot of my mates are using Strava and getting really hung up on the times and rankings.

angry_bird

If I use any it's endomondo, just to get a general idea of exactly where I've been riding/how far etc, not too fussed about posting PBs or whatever, I know how fast I'm going anyways, what does it matter what other people are doing.

Rushmore

Angry Bird wrote:

what does it matter what other people are doing.

it doesn't... but it is quite good fun!