GPS / App route Guidance used audibly ?

[sevenfourate]

I’m looking to not get to into the downloading GPX files, buying a Garmin / Wahoo etc. And 5 x out-front mounts to cover all bikes in the fleet 🙄 And just to keep things simple…..

So hoping be able to plot (By pointing to places on the map; and the app joins the dots to create the route ?) on a map on my phone screen…..via Komoot, Ordinance Survey Maps, Strava etc - and then ideally listen to the route instructions audibly - on speaker. Or playing through an ear-bud.

Do any of the paid-for apps allow for that ? Or are they all requiring visual instructions (only ?)….and then having to use an out front mount or similar ?

All experience / advice appreciated.

 

[PaulSB]

As far as I know none of the cycling specific apps, Strava, RWGPS, Komoot, offer this feature. They all display a map with onscreen information of the route, can be programmed to beep with each instruction etc. I can't see a benefit to audible directions. You can run these on a phone but there will be significant drain on the battery.

Google maps will give you audible instructions just as it does for driving and walking. It will also drain the phone battery.

All the above will plot in the manner you describe. You may not get the ideal cycle route in every instance.

 

[ColinJ]

Google maps will give you audible instructions just as it does for driving and walking. It will also drain the phone battery.

That's what a friend used to use...

A cyclist friend of mine uses 'bra nav'! I asked how she navigates without a GPS and she told me that she uses Google Maps to give her directions from her phone kept deep within her cleavage. It gets her some funny looks on shared use paths...

 

[13 rider]

, can be programmed to beep with each instruction

My wahoo bleeps at you when you go off route and also auto reroutes you back to the route . These reroutes can take some interesting ways . I prefer to back track if off route

 

[PaulSB]

My wahoo bleeps at you when you go off route and also auto reroutes you back to the route . These reroutes can take some interesting ways . I prefer to back track if off route

Yes, mine will do the same. I've turned off the beeps as the red light is sufficient for me.

 

[Dogtrousers]

A couple of years ago I was riding with a friend who was in charge of navigation. He used GPX routes in a Garmin, but for sections where we went off route (eg we popped into a town for lunch, or just diverted for some other reason either intentional or unintentional) he would use Google Maps on his phone with the speaker turned up to get us back on route.

This seemed to work OK for relatively short "get you back on track" sections, so maybe it would work for longer sections. However, I wouldn't try it unless I had a good power pack to recharge the phone as I suspect (but don't know) that it would kill the battery. Also Google maps doesn't have the greatest reputation for cycling directions (but that's just from what I've read - not from experience).

 

[First Aspect]

I have tried turn by turn using Google maps' cycling routes and a single bluetooth headphone + phone. The route itself was not terrible (and I'm not keen enough to have explored the possibility of custom routes). However the main issue is that it cannot cope with UK backroads and, in particular, the difference between a corner and a junction, a gravel or mud track and a road, it between major minor roads and minor minor roads.

Suffice to say it isn't quite ready.

 

[JonBuoy]

I haven't used it myself but it looks like RWGPS will do what you want: https://support.ridewithgps.com/hc/en-us/articles/4419572706971-Voice-Navigation

 

[Richard Fairhurst]

cycle.travel (disclaimer - my site/app!) will give spoken turn by turn directions for free, though you’re very welcome to become a supporter if you like it.

 

[ColinJ]

cycle.travel (disclaimer - my site/app!) will give spoken turn by turn directions for free, though you’re very welcome to become a supporter if you like it.

I did, because I do!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I haven't used it myself but it looks like RWGPS will do what you want: https://support.ridewithgps.com/hc/en-us/articles/4419572706971-Voice-Navigation

Double check whether this is a premium (paid for) feature. I'm not saying it is, but it might be. I'm a premium subscriber so it's hard for me to tell. It'll be in a web page somewhere.

 

[mjr]

cycle.travel (disclaimer - my site/app!) will give spoken turn by turn directions for free, though you’re very welcome to become a supporter if you like it.

with the screen off?

The free app ''PocketMaps'' will do voice nav with the screen on, but not off, at least it didn't in 2023. It can decide routes without internet access, from taps on the map, so I used it to return to a preplanned route running on another app.

 

[Psamathe]

My Garmin seems to do it through my phone. Not something I used but when setting up a new device it suddenly started because I'd not disabled it.

I create my routes using cycle.travel though it looks like the feature is local to the Garmin system ie Garmin generates the spoken prompts.

Cycleing a routs I suddenly wondered what my phone was "saying" and it turned out is was giving the turn by turn directions from the Garmin Edge GPS.

Garmin Edge connects to the iPhone Garmin Connect app (probably same for Android) and the spoken instructions were being passed GPS to phone which then played them.

Not used them extensively as it only happened by consiguration/setup accident and I normally cycle with my phone in my panniers. Note that wearing headphones/earphones whilst cycling in France is illegal and if caught you'll get a fine (apparently).

Ian

 

[ianrauk]

My Garmin seems to do it through my phone. Not something I used but when setting up a new device it suddenly started because I'd not disabled it.

My Garmin Edge Explore 2 does this.
It took me by surprise as I didn't realise it did that. I set off on a long ride one day and I thought I was going mad as I could hear the google lady spouting directions, only very, very quietly. I kept on looking round to see if a car was following me but there wasn't. It suddenly dawned on me it was my phone in my pocket.
So, following a route on my Garmin automatically triggers the voice directions when connected to my phone. Usually the volume on my phone is set to off most of the time, so handy to know if I ever do want to utilise the feature.

 

[MadMalx]

cycle.travel (disclaimer - my site/app!) will give spoken turn by turn directions for free, though you’re very welcome to become a supporter if you like it.

I got spooked when I turned this on inadvertently and only found out while riding on a deserted road and I heard a voice from behind me (back pocket)