iPad and bike gps

Kingston2711
Kingston2711 Posts: 33
edited March 2013 in Road beginners
Have done a bit of research and can't find an easy answer to my current problem which is having no laptop/pc but wishing to go for a bike specific unit.

The battery life on my phone isn't great beyond 60 mile (when used on aeroplane mode) and I am currently taking 2 batteries or a second phone out with me. Ideally wirelessly communicating the ride from the unit to the iPad would sort the issue out.

Is there an easy solution to this as I dont really need a laptop otherwise.
«13

Comments

  • I think the Garmin 510 may help???

    "The other major hardware upgrade on the Edge 510 is the addition of a dual band ANT+/Bluetooth wireless chip that allows you to connect the device with both iOS and Android phones using Garmin's own Garmin Connect mobile app. Pairing the two devices is straightforward"

    Not sure tbh.
  • Sprool
    Sprool Posts: 1,022
    Not fully sure i understand the question. You want something to upload your rides to from your bike-specific gps unit? Have you checked out the Garmin app and the strava app, they store ride info on the ipad, iPod touch, iphone or android.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Not sure whether you can download direct to ipad. I think not, even with the ipad USB dongle but I'm willing to be proved wrong. My pc is broke so have connect up my edge 500 to missus' laptop and pull down from there. Perhaps the 510 with Bluetooth connectivity would do it depends on whether there is a software link?
  • Spool, I use strava just now but phone battery is eaten up by it so it's about buying a bike specific gps and uploading the data wirelessly to an iPad if that's possible as the iPad doesn't have a USB connection.
  • Gizmodo
    Gizmodo Posts: 1,928
    As Supermurph said, the Garmin 810 or 510 are your answer. They link to an iPhone/iPad/Android app via Bluetooth.

    You can upload your ride to the Garmin web site as soon as you finish a ride, via your phone app.
    You can search the Garmin site for courses and send them to your device using the app.
    You can send live tracking data to the Garmin web site via your phone's data connection.

    But there is no connection to Strava, only Garmin connect.

    See http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/01/garm ... eview.html
  • A KIRK
    A KIRK Posts: 64
    You can buy a GPS receiver for your ipad, that way it can be used as a sat nav too.
    2010 GT Series 4 ultegra wheels & brakes
    2008 Claud Butler hard tail not very original any more
  • A KIRK wrote:
    You can buy a GPS receiver for your ipad, that way it can be used as a sat nav too.

    You could also get a bike mount for the ipad. Then you'd look all kinds of awesome!
  • A KIRK
    A KIRK Posts: 64
    HM would you really want something as large as an ipad on the bike though, always baffles me when people in the gym bring them iPads in.

    Maybe ok if it's in your bag on your back but still a gaff, failing that you could always get a GPS device for the bike, and then buy a card reader for the ipad, then put the ad card into that. Either way its all a bit of a faf.
    2010 GT Series 4 ultegra wheels & brakes
    2008 Claud Butler hard tail not very original any more
  • fluff.
    fluff. Posts: 771
    I don't think the ipad mount idea was serious :)

    If you have an Android phone, you should be able to able to connect to any Garmin unit with a USB OTG cable, and upload the files to Strava, or that 510/810 thing.
  • Thanks for the idea, never considered using my android phone to upload then viewing/transferring to strava on he iPad. Will do some homework on his.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Thanks for the idea, never considered using my android phone to upload then viewing/transferring to strava on he iPad. Will do some homework on his.

    It's easy. Put strave app on your phone. Use phone app to record ride. When you press stop it then asks if you want to save. If you save it uploads it to strava. Strava can then be viewed on any web enabled gizmo - even an ipad :D
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • Smidsy, it was the battery life on the phone that prompted the question I believe. He doesnt want to use the phone, he wants a bike specific computer because his phone battery isnt up to the task.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Smidsy, it was the battery life on the phone that prompted the question I believe. He doesnt want to use the phone, he wants a bike specific computer because his phone battery isnt up to the task.

    I thought that was because he was using the phone for GPS navigation?

    Recording your ride using Strava App on the phone takes very little extra battery than just the phone itself ( I can record rides of 5 or 6 hours and still have plenty).

    If he wants to navigate and record then yes he need a cycling specific GPS. I thought he just wanted to be able to review his rides on the ipad afterwards??
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • I think its quite clear, that nothing on this thread is clear! CONFUSING SCENES! :?
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Carbonator wrote:

    What about the spare car battery you need to power it for long enough :lol:
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/200 ... jacket.jpg

    Just wear one of these obviously :roll:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    http://media.treehugger.com/assets/imag ... r-vest.jpg

    Or the gillet

    There's an app(alling accessory) for everything!
  • I am looking at changing the laptop which is on it's last legs to be fair , as a follow on to this thread ....

    Can you upload from a 510/810 direct to strava on an ipad with wireless?

    This may well influence the next cycle computer purchase or ipad vs laptop purchase.

    Thanks in advance.
    Enigma Esprit Di2 - Go tI ! Summer !
  • In my experience, iPhones etc make reasonably poor bike computers - the battery life lets them down once you're riding for more than an hour or two. Purpose-designed bike computers are better.

    If you don't have a PC/Mac into which you can plug a USB-based computer that rules out quite a lot of them, including the Garmin 500/800. There's simply no way for the 800 to transfer information to the iPad direct (although once I've uploaded data to the Garmin servers via my PC, I can view it later on my iPad).

    I understand that the Garmin 510/810 *will* transfer data to and from an iPad/iPhone directly (without the need to use any USB; although they still need to be charged by USB at some point). I haven't got one myself, so can't swear to it, but I would assume that the iOS app will also allow you to upload the ride data to the Garmin servers, thus allowing it to be viewed on anything, anywhere.

    And FWIW, I do my route planning on ridewithgps.com or the Garmin Connect website; although the Garmin bike computers come with PC software for planning routes (Basecamp, it's called), the program is so awful I'd never use it. I haven't tried using ridewithgps from an iPad, but I'm not sure how you could transfer the route from their servers to a Garmin using an iPad; I need to use a PC to make the transfer over USB. Hopefully Garmin themselves have thought about this and their iOS app provides for better route planning than their PC program.
    They use their cars as shopping baskets; they use their cars as overcoats.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Dear Mr Apple

    Why TF does the iPad not have USB despite you charging a small fortune for them and revamping them every year at great expense to the consumer?

    Yours
    Disgruntled of the interweb.

    :lol:
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • NEWSFLASH.. my iphone can record strava rides upto 7 hours and still not die..

    thats 100 miles from a full charge and still have maybe 20% left in it..

    how far are you riding???
    Specialized S Works SL2 . Campagnolo Record 11spd. rolling on Campag Zonda wheels

    http://app.strava.com/athletes/881211
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    NEWSFLASH.. my iphone can record strava rides upto 7 hours and still not die..

    thats 100 miles from a full charge and still have maybe 20% left in it..

    how far are you riding???

    Yes i tried to cover that earlier.

    He states 60 miles, so I assume he is using GPS navigation not simply recording on strava.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • In my experience, iPhones etc make reasonably poor bike computers - the battery life lets them down once you're riding for more than an hour or two. Purpose-designed bike computers are better

    Purpose-designed bike computers are better bike computers than a phone with an app?

    Stop the fuckin' presses
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    In my experience, iPhones etc make reasonably poor bike computers - the battery life lets them down once you're riding for more than an hour or two. Purpose-designed bike computers are better

    Purpose-designed bike computers are better bike computers than a phone with an app?

    Stop the fuckin' presses

    I think everyone accepts that.

    The Op's issue seems more directed at the fact that he has no way of connecting to the iPad whith whatever actual device he uses.

    This to me is poor as Apple surely should have seen the need to USB connect things?
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • smidsy wrote:
    In my experience, iPhones etc make reasonably poor bike computers - the battery life lets them down once you're riding for more than an hour or two. Purpose-designed bike computers are better

    Purpose-designed bike computers are better bike computers than a phone with an app?

    Stop the fuckin' presses

    I think everyone accepts that.

    The Op's issue seems more directed at the fact that he has no way of connecting to the iPad whith whatever actual device he uses.

    This to me is poor as Apple surely should have seen the need to USB connect things?

    An iPad is not designed to work as a PC. It is designed to be portable and connect wirelessly. In this way, it is designed to be compatible with modern networking.

    Surely it's poorer from the device makers if they require a wired connection?
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Surely it's poorer from the device makers if they require a wired connection?

    Even if the connectivity is done wireless you still need some way of charging the device (the gps not the ipad).

    Come on Apple get it together :lol:
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • Which has got sod all to do with the iPad.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Which has got sod all to do with the iPad.

    It does for the OP as that is all he has, no other computer to plug into.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • smidsy wrote:
    Which has got sod all to do with the iPad.

    It does for the OP as that is all he has, no other computer to plug into.

    you absolute cretin