Best iPhone App for Cycling

[deccoo]

Cheers for all the advice guys - have gone with Motion X.

Seems to tick all the right boxes and seems to be the best one where you can import GPX data.

Might use imapmyride on commute as is a bit simpler

 

[Rezillo]

In the end, I went for an HTC Desire and Viewranger - very, very impressed with both, even though the android version of Viewranger is still in beta and lacks some functionality.

Less impressed with the Amzer bike mount I bought to go with it - the actual mount is ok but the snap-in phone cradle is just not secure enough, without bodging a cable tie to ensure the phone can't pop out. The phone has no loop for a tether so very important for the cradle to be secure.

John

 

[boylucifer]

I have been very impressed with Endomondo, but I am not looking for any information while I am out - I switch it on, throw it in my bag and forget about it until I am home, it loads up distance covered, average speed, max speed, altitude variations and plots your route onto a map.
It also lets you join up with friends, and you can set challenges.

It's also completely free.

 

[Chrisc]

I have been very impressed with Endomondo, but I am not looking for any information while I am out - I switch it on, throw it in my bag and forget about it until I am home, it loads up distance covered, average speed, max speed, altitude variations and plots your route onto a map.
It also lets you join up with friends, and you can set challenges.

It's also completely free.

That's what I do with my iphone and imapmyride. Stick it in my pocket and have a butchers later. All sorts of data and a map of the route as well.

 

[Rezillo]

All these gadgets have their niches when it comes to how we use them. For me, I'm more interested in knowing where I am and finding out where I'm going than following a preset route or mapping it afterwards.

I also tend to wander off whatever vague course I set myself to check out interesting-looking sites and buildings. 50K OS maps are ok but 25K ones are great for this because virtually every site of any significance is named.

I could use Google maps or other online free apps just for navigation (or, gasp, a paper map). Google maps in Android 2.1 has turn by turn navigation FOC. They all tend to lack the detail I would like, although there are some apps that give online access to OS 50K maps.

However, the problem with online mapping is that the chunk of Suffolk and Norfolk that I bike round has areas with a poor 2G service, let alone 3G. Online mapping is just not useable in parts of it, so local storage is much more convenient.

Viewranger was surprisingly cheap compared to Memory Map. I selected tiles for all my usual ride areas and it came out to 20 quid so I went a bit mad and got all of East Anglia, London and a large chunk of the South West at 50K scale for £40. The 25K ones are more expensive but still affordable.

John

 

[New Horizon]

I have been very impressed with Endomondo, but I am not looking for any information while I am out - I switch it on, throw it in my bag and forget about it until I am home, it loads up distance covered, average speed, max speed, altitude variations and plots your route onto a map. It also lets you join up with friends, and you can set challenges. It's also completely free.

Likewise impressed with Endomondo, despite having Viewranger. They run together quite happily but for rides where I know where I'm going I now just use Endo. The only downside is the limited altitude data - it won't give you total climb, just the highest point (unless I'm missing something) - and I get odd max speeds such as 2093 mph, but its very slick, it grabs a GPS connection even quicker than Viewranger, the map plot is as good as any and the diary/stats very useful. And yes, its free - how do they do that?

 

[deccoo]

However, the problem with online mapping is that the chunk of Suffolk and Norfolk that I bike round has areas with a poor 2G service, let alone 3G. Online mapping is just not useable in parts of it, so local storage is much more convenient.

Viewranger was surprisingly cheap compared to Memory Map. I selected tiles for all my usual ride areas and it came out to 20 quid so I went a bit mad and got all of East Anglia, London and a large chunk of the South West at 50K scale for £40. The 25K ones are more expensive but still affordable.

John

I know you guys are talking about Android devices, but for anyone with an iPhone who is also having problems with poor network coverage when out and about, Motion X and Trails are good options.

They let you download offline versions of the maps and you can chose what level of detail you want (more detail will take up more space). Best thing of all, after purchasing the app doing this is free. Tried it last weekend and saved about 100sq/m of Essex at the best level of detail for about 120mb. Worked like a dream.