Best MTB 'route tracker' app?
Discussion
In an attempt to work out the rather warrenous network of trails near me I've taken to using Google Maps on my phone. A quick Google reveals there are indeed apps out there that are designed specifically for the purpose. Can anyone recommend a good free or low-cost download for Android? Runtastic Mountainbike seems to be a good option:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....
OS map and a compass. 1/2 the fun is just going out and finding stuff. If you want to spend money, then get a proper gps based fitness watch (I use a Garmin foretex 405) which has its own recording software, and I can use the data to upload to Strava.
If the weather holds this afternoon, then I'll be off out looking for sloes
and if it doesn't I'm going shopping for some winterized gear.
If the weather holds this afternoon, then I'll be off out looking for sloes
and if it doesn't I'm going shopping for some winterized gear.I use runtastic, I found the iOS version is far better than the Android, I don't know why, but they look nothing alike.
I used Strava for a bit, couldn't get on with it - it's very road focused I think, even some of the major trail centres didn't seem to have anything recorded to them - perhaps I'm doing it wrong.
I used Strava for a bit, couldn't get on with it - it's very road focused I think, even some of the major trail centres didn't seem to have anything recorded to them - perhaps I'm doing it wrong.
bingybongy said:
Strava, Runtastic mountainbike is OK, Strava is much better.
What are the advantages?To be honest, the extent of my use will probably be mapping where I've been and going 'ooh I hit 33.2 mph on that last downhill stretch...' (or words to that effect). The only other thing I might conceivably look to do is download other people's routes.
My OH has got a running app which is just useless. It regularly reports she's doing 87 mph across a lake or something. Always struck me as odd that it was so unreliable as the Google Maps feature on my phone is remarkably accurate for position and orientation.
Try OsmAnd.
OsmAnd lets you download five UK counties' worth of OpenStreetMap maps at a time for use offline (important!), which generally have all the paths and bridleways, so far better than Google Maps.
It also has a tracking option with a bicycle mode. I confess that I haven't tried this. I was previously using OsmTrackerForAndroid or some such, which worked perfectly but wasn't very well polished in terms of showing distance etc - had to have a third app for that, and that's a bit much! Anyway the output is GPX which you can do anything with. 'GPX Reader' was the one I tried for that, and worked well.
OsmAnd lets you download five UK counties' worth of OpenStreetMap maps at a time for use offline (important!), which generally have all the paths and bridleways, so far better than Google Maps.
It also has a tracking option with a bicycle mode. I confess that I haven't tried this. I was previously using OsmTrackerForAndroid or some such, which worked perfectly but wasn't very well polished in terms of showing distance etc - had to have a third app for that, and that's a bit much! Anyway the output is GPX which you can do anything with. 'GPX Reader' was the one I tried for that, and worked well.
Chris71 said:
What are the advantages?
To be honest, the extent of my use will probably be mapping where I've been and going 'ooh I hit 33.2 mph on that last downhill stretch...' (or words to that effect). The only other thing I might conceivably look to do is download other people's routes.
My OH has got a running app which is just useless. It regularly reports she's doing 87 mph across a lake or something. Always struck me as odd that it was so unreliable as the Google Maps feature on my phone is remarkably accurate for position and orientation.
I find it to be reasonably accurate, it runs on Android in aeroplane mode, so can be used for longer runs or an old moby.To be honest, the extent of my use will probably be mapping where I've been and going 'ooh I hit 33.2 mph on that last downhill stretch...' (or words to that effect). The only other thing I might conceivably look to do is download other people's routes.
My OH has got a running app which is just useless. It regularly reports she's doing 87 mph across a lake or something. Always struck me as odd that it was so unreliable as the Google Maps feature on my phone is remarkably accurate for position and orientation.
Someone will doubtless have ridden at least part of your ride before and segmented part of it, which means when you click on someone else's time you can see their route and discover new rides.
I'm a big fan of Strava but recently I have picked up my first Android phone (HTC one) and have been playing with an app called My Tracks.
It's a free app and does the normal thing of recording where you have been. At the end of the ride you get your distance/time/elevation as well as a red line shown on the map.
However if you also have google maps installed you can press the play icon in the My Tracks app and it will play where you have ridden. The geek in me loved watching my ride again from above.
It's a free app and does the normal thing of recording where you have been. At the end of the ride you get your distance/time/elevation as well as a red line shown on the map.
However if you also have google maps installed you can press the play icon in the My Tracks app and it will play where you have ridden. The geek in me loved watching my ride again from above.
I used to use SportyPal Pro which was quite good and worked with the phones barometer for decent height readings then Endomondo but overall I find apps to be pretty inaccurate and prone to crashing.
I use a Garmin 910xt and the results are infinitely better. It's a bit of an outlay but it really enhances rides (and runs and swims!).
I use a Garmin 910xt and the results are infinitely better. It's a bit of an outlay but it really enhances rides (and runs and swims!).
I use a bar mounted garmin edge 200 as a bike sat nav.
Find the gpx of the track you want to follow (from websites, strava etc), upload to gramin connect then down to the device.
Then it puts a trace of the route (not a proper map) on the screen so you know which way to turn at junctions, and beeps at you if you go off course.
Best thing I bought for my bikes!
If you just want to track routes the edge does that too so you can use strava. I usually carry a smartphone with proper maps too (MMtracker) but rarely need to use it with the above.
Find the gpx of the track you want to follow (from websites, strava etc), upload to gramin connect then down to the device.
Then it puts a trace of the route (not a proper map) on the screen so you know which way to turn at junctions, and beeps at you if you go off course.
Best thing I bought for my bikes!
If you just want to track routes the edge does that too so you can use strava. I usually carry a smartphone with proper maps too (MMtracker) but rarely need to use it with the above.
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