GPS newbieFORUMS HOME SEARCH FORUMS

Hello All

I'm fishing for some information from experienced CYCLING Android GPS users.

Yesterday I visited lots of map plotting sites and stuck with this excellent Plot A Route site, created some test routes, saved them and downloaded them.

Next ... I haven't got a smartphone ... yet.  I'm expecting to go for Android, 5 or 5.5 inches.

Q1 - Is 5" ok ?  Is 5.5" better ?  Do most people manage with smaller screens ?  Of course, for anyone needing reading glasses, a small screen seems unlikely to work ...

Next, I'm going to be rolling around in the UK regularly but next month I'll be rolling around in the European sunshine, so ...

Q2 - does the Bike Hub GPS app work well in the UK for cycling ?  Does it still work abroad if I export the files from Plot A Route ?  Is there something which works better on a bike for both UK and abroad ? 

Note that I will definitely go off-route and come back to the plotted route after a spot of lunch etc, so it mustn't get upset if I get diverted ...  However, I'm not expecting IT to guide me back to where I left off - I'm sure I can manage that myself.  Not only that, but I shall try to switch off everything except the GPS.  If anyone can give any useful advice on this topic I'd be interested to hear.

(Note that as far as software goes, I'm not interested in capturing ride statistics or racing against the rest of mankind or sharing anything with everyone on the planet.  I just want to follow the plotted route)

Q3 - For Android, do I need to export the GPS TRACK rather than the GPS ROUTE file ?

Q4 - Any recommendations for a good univeral mount for the bike ?  The phone angle must be fully adjustable to avoid the sun - and the phone mustn't fall off ...

Any other Android / bike / GPS-related tips gratefully received.

After the amazing (absolutely zero) response to my post I'm now in a position to answer the questions myself as it will probably be of help to some people.

1  I bought a 5.5" screen (Honor 4x).  Without my reading glasses specs I still struggle.  However, I decided that for following routes, only sound is required.  Looking at the screen is too slow and completely unnecessary for following a plotted route.

2  I couldn't get any plotted route to work with the Bike Hub app unless I actually planned it on the phone - which I'm not going to do.  So I've given up on Bike Hub, especially as I don't need to see the map whilst cycling.

I've settled on

a) planning a route in Plot a Route

b) following the route on Track Nav(igation).  I've also tried OSMand.  Track Nav sounds like a real voice and is simple: OSMand sounds like a robot and is more flexible - it has more options I started turning some of them off to simplify it, but as Track Nav works so well there seemed to be no point.  However, there is a big plus with OSMand - you can download the maps.  You can use them when walking around exploring a city, for example.  If you decide to use it for satnav, as it is using real maps, it will tell you how to get back to the plotted route.  Track Nav will follow the plotted route and if you deviate it just says "off track".

I have now tried two bluetooth earpieces.  The first turned out only to handle phone calls (for satnav and streaming music etc it needs to support A2DP).  The second was  a Plantronics Explorer 10 - hopelessly quiet for outdoors.  Also, it doesn't actually go IN the ear, so likely to fall off.  So now I'm back to using wired in-ear headphone (in one ear only).  The voice from Track Nav is loud and clear.  I have a triangular, black frame bag (Roswheel) from ebay - I put the smartphone in it.  This works fine.  I'll get an extension cable to go round the handlebar area so the cable comes straight at me, avoiding my legs.  Maybe one day I'll find a bluetooth earpiece that works for cycling.

3  From Plot a Route, the Track needs to be downloaded.

I have an SD card.  I put the routes in SD Card\osmand\tracks       Here it would work for OSMAND, but Track Nav also finds them so they are both happy.

4  I did buy a mount (Avantek) via Amazon for bout £11.  It works fine but might suffer a little on bumpy roads.  I decided only to use voice when following plotted routes.  Therefore, I suspect I'll only use the mount if I'm for example exploring a city, don't really know where I'm going and don't have a plotted route.

I hope the above helps others and saves a little

Thanks Colin - I'm sure that other users of the site will find this very helpful.  We don't yet have a navigation app of our own but this is something we would like to introduce at some point.  In the meantime, routes can be downloaded from plotaroute and used with any 3rd party navigation app that accept TCX or GPX files, including the ones you have identified for Android phones.  For iPhones, CoRider has been mentioned as a good app.

John

An update from experience of cycling with GPS …

I’ve given up on

a)    A phone holder on the handlebars – no use for it

b)    Navigating looking at maps on phone or anything else – it’s much easier just to listen to TrackNav

c)    Bluetooth earpieces – don’t work well or simply too much hassle

d)    Frame bag to hold phone - don't want to be wired to the bike ...

This is what I’ve stuck with

a)    I’ve got a very useful pouch – holds my 5.5” phone.  It has 2 zips, 1 each side of the earpiece wire, extra zipped pockets for keys and money etc.  This works extremely well – I get myself ready with everything in the pouch before going to the bike

b)    I still use the frame bag – specs, eye drops hankies etc

If interested, this is the bag …

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131609306298?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

but it has 4 heavy and clanging zip pullers, so snip them off and replace with these …

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10Pcs-Tactical-Backpack-Pouch-Zipper-Pull-Cord-Zip-Puller-Zip-Fastener-4-Colors-/321922273197

and then something like this to strap it to yourself – up to 2” fits through the loop in the back of the pouch

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180373613036?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I probably should also say that I've also stuck with

a) plotting the route on Plot A Route, and

b) following the route on Track Navigator on my Android phone (use a PC to put the downloaded route onto an SD card on the phone)

New to plotaroute, but is there a way to plot a route as you actually walk or ride it?

The short answer is YES, but someone else might be able to give you a better solution than I'm going to give you.

Personally, I do my plotting on Plotaroute (on a PC), then save it in TCX format then move it to my phone.

These days, I use PC Ability Track Navigator on the phone to to follow the TCX route

I also use Endomondo on my phone to record the distance to give me an incentive to do more miles each month.

Endomondo also records a map of the route.  I never look at it, but as you asked, I just tried Exporting from Endomondo (on my PC) in TCX format - that works.

Also on my PC, I opened Plotaroute and selected Create a Route > Upload a Route ... and selected that TCX file.

It imported into Plotaroute, but without Directions.  That's not a problem though.

In Plotaroute, while that uploaded route is still on screen, go to Create a Route > Trace a Route

This allows you to trace over it AND it creates Directions at the same time.

Note that these directions you can change.  If you wanted audio directions as you walk or ride, the Bike Tracker will read whatever is in the Directions.

You can change the wording of Directions and you can add Directions.

I hve used Bike Tracker for walking and it works fine.  It will keep you on the coordinates even if there are no landmarks ... BUT it's easier and safer if there are landmarks ! 

In summary ...

Use an app to record the route

Export the route to Plotaroute

Trace over the route to create directions (probably)

Export the route to your phone

Start walking / riding

You might find this useful too  https://www.plotaroute.com/posts/2195/D/1

@ U3A Darebin ... Sorry - I just noticed that I mixed up 2 app names to describe what app I used to follow the TCX route

What I meant to say was "Bike Tracker PC Ability"  (Track Navigator is what I used to use - it's simpler, but not as good)

Both these apps are for VOICE guidance - so you need an earpiece and it tells you where to go ...