Turn by Turn cycling satnav options

dubbs2009

Hi chaps,

Has anyone successfully a) found one of these apps for iOS, and b) Used it and it worked well???? E.g. did not kill the battery on your mobile in an hour and kept up to date with current position and informed you of the turns correctly? There seems to be a massive gap in the market here - Edge from Garmin does it on a hardware device... why can't we have the same in a software (app) solution to work on the mobile devices we now all have... my iPhon5 is far more powerful than an Edge 1000 so why can't I get cycling turn by turn navigation on it??? Seems very odd to me!

Anyone got anything working well out there???

Bar Shaker

Plenty of apps will do it on your iPhone - Motion X being pretty good, but all of them kill the battery.

Been there, tried that.

dubbs2009

Bar Shaker wrote:

Plenty of apps will do it on your iPhone - Motion X being pretty good, but all of them kill the battery.

Been there, tried that.

Motion X is good for following a route from top down map - but does not do turn by turn does it???

dubbs2009

Wondering how this might stack up on iOS device... > https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3273406?hl=en-GB Anyone used it before?

Bar Shaker

You can load a planned route into Motion X on your iPhone and follow it on the screen. It will record your speed whilst you do so.

dubbs2009

Bar Shaker wrote:

You can load a planned route into Motion X on your iPhone and follow it on the screen. It will record your speed whilst you do so.

Yeh thanks - been using that for a few years - best one out there at the moment, but its just a route on an top down map which you have to keep checking to check you are on course - doesn't guide you. Just overlays your route on a map which fixes to your position. No need for all the cycle computer stuff - Have a Forerunner for that - just looking for a turn by turn directions app for iOS... not sure anyone has worked out how to do this yet... Seems odd!

mangetout_rodney

iPhone TomTom app works great and doesn't kill the battery life if you turn the screen off and rely on audio prompts.
I did this for a while on a bicycle and still do on a Motorcycle with a helmet intercom.
I get 6 hours better life with the helmet intercom- never ran out of battery on bicycle but wasn't doing rides that long.

I use a Garmin 810 now on bicycle though.

dubbs2009

Sevendeadly wrote:

iPhone TomTom app works great and doesn't kill the battery life if you turn the screen off and rely on audio prompts.
I did this for a while on a bicycle and still do on a Motorcycle with a helmet intercom.
I get 6 hours better life with the helmet intercom- never ran out of battery on bicycle but wasn't doing rides that long.

I use a Garmin 810 now on bicycle though.

Thanks for the tip - will have a look into that - what made you stop using it and get an 810? How are you finding the 810 at taking a route and providing you with directions turn by turn to follow?

P.S. Does Tomtom on iOS allow you to import a route to follow or just make the route for you?

dubbs2009

I have tried to use Co-Pilot app before (car satnav like Tomtom), it kills the battery and you cant import a premade route... therefore not fit for purpose.

Bar Shaker

I don't know any 'car' type programmes that let you follow a .gpx route. They all work on a 'go-to' principle.

All of the Garmin units show an arrow overlaid on the map, when you need to turn off. You still have to look at the map. They don't talk to you saying "in 200m, turn right" etc. They do auto zoom as you approach a junction though and this helps show what you need to do.

If you can read the Motion X map junctions, you are three quarters of the way there to what turn navigation you will get from a GPS unit.

dubbs2009

Bar Shaker wrote:

I don't know any 'car' type programmes that let you follow a .gpx route. They all work on a 'go-to' principle.

All of the Garmin units show an arrow overlaid on the map, when you need to turn off. You still have to look at the map. They don't talk to you saying "in 200m, turn right" etc. They do auto zoom as you approach a junction though and this helps show what you need to do.

If you can read the Motion X map junctions, you are three quarters of the way there to what turn navigation you will get from a GPS unit.

True - Motion X has no audio alert to tell you about upcoming junction though.

Bar Shaker

Neither does a Garmin.

dubbs2009

Bar Shaker wrote:

Neither does a Garmin.

It does?? It beeps at you doesn't it on the countdown to a turn? Also then shows the turn on the screen.

BrandonA

I thought from your other thread you were getting an 800? Also you were suggesting that the screen on the 1000 was too large, surely having a phone on your handlebars would be equally large if not more larger than a 1000?

I'd get the best Edge you can afford. They all do the specific job they are designed to do well. Why compromise with a smartphone and sub-par navigation?

dubbs2009

BrandonA wrote:

I thought from your other thread you were getting an 800? Also you were suggesting that the screen on the 1000 was too large, surely having a phone on your handlebars would be equally large if not more larger than a 1000?

I'd get the best Edge you can afford. They all do the specific job they are designed to do well. Why compromise with a smartphone and sub-par navigation?

Leaning toward an 800 yes - I don't want my phone on my bars - but I have one... so will cost me nothing if there is a turn by turn iOS app out there so exploring that option as well. Would prefer a specific unit to do it though and now the 810 and 1000 are out and have reduced the price of the 800 it seems like the best solution all round I think.

dubbs2009

Tried the only iOS Turn by Turn directions app I could find yesterday - Co-Rider... not fit for use, too many silly audio prompts about slight bends in the road and then after 5 mins stops working and crashes! Load of rubbish. Fully focused on getting hardware specific to the task now - question is now - Old Skool Edge 800 or Shiny new 1000.... Edge 800 seems to still be very highly valued by all, but not sure I can bring myself to buy something for £200+ that was released 5 years ago???? Surely the extra £170 for the 1000 makes more sense now that the firmware updates have fixed a lot of the bugs? Big concern for me though is the battery life of the 1000 when using it on navigation...

mangetout_rodney

dubbs2009 wrote:

Sevendeadly wrote:

iPhone TomTom app works great and doesn't kill the battery life if you turn the screen off and rely on audio prompts.
I did this for a while on a bicycle and still do on a Motorcycle with a helmet intercom.
I get 6 hours better life with the helmet intercom- never ran out of battery on bicycle but wasn't doing rides that long.

I use a Garmin 810 now on bicycle though.

Thanks for the tip - will have a look into that - what made you stop using it and get an 810? How are you finding the 810 at taking a route and providing you with directions turn by turn to follow?

P.S. Does Tomtom on iOS allow you to import a route to follow or just make the route for you?

I bought the 810 as I didn't want to keep putting the iPhone on the handlebar- it isn't as easy to pause/resume on the iPhone.
I like the idea of a purpose built device- I still have the phone with me, in the tailpack in case of emergency.
I don't use the turn by turn route stuff that often, to be honest.
It is irritating when you miss a turn (say at a roundabout where there are multiple exits)- the Garmin doesn't tell you HOW to get back to the route- you have to do it yourself.
It is good to have though.

I mostly use it for cadence, speed, ride logging to Garmin/Runkeeper etc.

I never tried exporting to the iPhone TomTom.

dubbs2009

Sevendeadly wrote:

dubbs2009 wrote:

Sevendeadly wrote:

iPhone TomTom app works great and doesn't kill the battery life if you turn the screen off and rely on audio prompts.
I did this for a while on a bicycle and still do on a Motorcycle with a helmet intercom.
I get 6 hours better life with the helmet intercom- never ran out of battery on bicycle but wasn't doing rides that long.

I use a Garmin 810 now on bicycle though.

Thanks for the tip - will have a look into that - what made you stop using it and get an 810? How are you finding the 810 at taking a route and providing you with directions turn by turn to follow?

P.S. Does Tomtom on iOS allow you to import a route to follow or just make the route for you?

I bought the 810 as I didn't want to keep putting the iPhone on the handlebar- it isn't as easy to pause/resume on the iPhone.
I like the idea of a purpose built device- I still have the phone with me, in the tailpack in case of emergency.
I don't use the turn by turn route stuff that often, to be honest.
It is irritating when you miss a turn (say at a roundabout where there are multiple exits)- the Garmin doesn't tell you HOW to get back to the route- you have to do it yourself.
It is good to have though.

I mostly use it for cadence, speed, ride logging to Garmin/Runkeeper etc.

I never tried exporting to the iPhone TomTom.

Thanks. Thinking someone by now would have made a turn by turn cycle nav app if it was possible... Hardware solution it is....

shmooster

There are a lot out there:
TomTom using bike routes, (as previously mentioned)
Google maps app has bike routing (used it quite a lot, works with screen off and will reroute)
There are a lot of apps based on cyclestreets
http://www.cyclestreets.net/mobile/

Most of the tracking apps do routes you can follow though they won't do turn by turn (Strava, Endomondo, MapMyRide etc).

dubbs2009

shmooster wrote:

There are a lot out there:
TomTom using bike routes, (as previously mentioned)
Google maps app has bike routing (used it quite a lot, works with screen off and will reroute)
There are a lot of apps based on cyclestreets
http://www.cyclestreets.net/mobile/

Most of the tracking apps do routes you can follow though they won't do turn by turn (Strava, Endomondo, MapMyRide etc).

But all apart from TomTom app do not do turn by turn directions which is what I was looking for - they all just do top down map with your route on it...

mangetout_rodney

dubbs2009 wrote:

But all apart from TomTom app do not do turn by turn directions which is what I was looking for - they all just do top down map with your route on it...

My Tom Tom iPhone app does turn by turn.

shmooster

dubbs2009 wrote:

shmooster wrote:

There are a lot out there:
TomTom using bike routes, (as previously mentioned)
Google maps app has bike routing (used it quite a lot, works with screen off and will reroute)
There are a lot of apps based on cyclestreets
http://www.cyclestreets.net/mobile/

Most of the tracking apps do routes you can follow though they won't do turn by turn (Strava, Endomondo, MapMyRide etc).

But all apart from TomTom app do not do turn by turn directions which is what I was looking for - they all just do top down map with your route on it...

Google maps does.

dubbs2009

shmooster wrote:

dubbs2009 wrote:

shmooster wrote:

There are a lot out there:
TomTom using bike routes, (as previously mentioned)
Google maps app has bike routing (used it quite a lot, works with screen off and will reroute)
There are a lot of apps based on cyclestreets
http://www.cyclestreets.net/mobile/

Most of the tracking apps do routes you can follow though they won't do turn by turn (Strava, Endomondo, MapMyRide etc).

But all apart from TomTom app do not do turn by turn directions which is what I was looking for - they all just do top down map with your route on it...

Google maps does.

Does it? Can TomTom iPhone app and Google Maps import a GPX/TCX file and follow it?

shmooster

If you're looking for turn by turn off a pre-planned route imported from GPX/TCX specifically then I'm not aware of a solution for that. I've only ever used google maps when I have a specific destination to get to rather than following a route. For following a route I put up with the top down map view available on strava, endomondo or whatever.

dubbs2009

shmooster wrote:

If you're looking for turn by turn off a pre-planned route imported from GPX/TCX specifically then I'm not aware of a solution for that. I've only ever used google maps when I have a specific destination to get to rather than following a route. For following a route I put up with the top down map view available on strava, endomondo or whatever.

OK thanks - yeh loads of great top down map options but no one has made a follow my route in turn by turn approach on mobile app yet... there must be some issue as I it's beyond me why no one has created it yet! Think I will go with the hardware solution and get an Edge 800 or 1000

KINGGARY

Osm map app will let you download free sections to your phone, which you can then navigate using their cycle setting.
Free app, no connection required and it works great.
I use this app as satnav for navigating while on holiday, on foot,car or bike and it works really well in all scenarios .
I find it really usefull when on holiday abroad on city breaks where I get pretty lost normally.
There is a setting within the app to use follow a gpx file but I haven't tried it yet, as it's free it may be worth having a play around with ?

Bar Shaker

Your prayers have been answered. Ride With GPS have just launched an app with Turn by Turn for cycling. No idea what it's like but here you go...

http://ridewithgps.com/iphone

TimIrons

Have you looked at Viewranger? I have used it for years and pre-download the free opensource cyclemaps from within the app. It is a top down solution, but does turn by turn as well. It doesn't recalculate your route if you go off course though. The trip record feature can be imported into Strava by email too if you so wish.

dubbs2009

Bar Shaker wrote:

Your prayers have been answered. Ride With GPS have just launched an app with Turn by Turn for cycling. No idea what it's like but here you go...

http://ridewithgps.com/iphone

Thanks - will take a look!

dubbs2009

Guys - I opted for an Edge 1000 in the end - and glad I did... the mobile option with an app just does not come close... anyone who wants turn by turn nav... Edge is your solution - seriously...