Witterings

What apps are good on an iphone for spoken turn by turn directions .... I'd ideally like something free or alternatively a one off payment rather than a monthly subscription as it really is only for occasional usage.

If it works as a cycle computer as well that's a plus but if not it's not a deal breaker it's more for the occasional time I may want to explore new places with a downloaded route before I go and would just use my Bike Computer or run Map My Ride at the same time if I wanted to keep it / statistics.

Teamprovicycle

i used to use google maps offline by downloading a map , i really dont like online only maps . id go to a hot spot and launch with google running in bike mode .
now i use mostly OSMAND , it has all the features i need , i can load routes and navigate on the fly easily its fully offline , no need to update maps ever just to use it , google makes you update .
biggest downside for me , with my super cheapo phone for cycling , a alcatel raven 29 bucks usd , is it draws a lot of battery life , but i do like to run strava and music app while i navigate a route sooooooooooo ....... there really isnt any other app i think kamoot or something like that , wahoo does gps , i think , garmin has one thats not offline , kenomaps , maybe **********

JasonD67

Google Maps or Here are as good as any, and free. Big problem you'll find is that an iPhone doing GPS guidance kills the battery very quickly -- like less than an hour riding probably. You can get turn-by-turn directions (though it's not as easy I admit) with a good bike computer like a Bolt or Garmin, with much better battery life.

ggoytia1

Try HERE maps, that's what I use for both vehicle and bike for turn by turn.

alcjphil

The thing with any app is that it has to have a route to work with. You have to upload the route into your device so that it knows where to direct you. An app by itself cannot know where you want to go, it cannot read your mind. You start by finding a site that has downloadable ride maps. You then find an app that can work with those ride maps.

Northwestrider

ridewithgps.com Is what I use, I think there is a free version . Map my ride is another one definitely with a free version, it's good .

wphamilton

I use Mapfactor Navigator for turn by turn navigation. Simple and easy.

PaulRivers

That's not that hard to solve, you just buy a phone bike mount with an external battery built into it -
https://www.amazon.com/10000mAh-Port...dp/B077FNHM4V/
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Bicy...dp/B07B3NX2M9/

$25

MarcusT

I also use Mapfactor, especially the customization for the types of roads/routes to follow. I set the route to avoid major roadways and highways, but did not set the lower parameter. I ended up on some cow path that was almost impossible to ride on. Took half a day to go 6 kms. Lesson learned.

Witterings

I should maybe of made it a bit clearer .... looking for spoken turn-by-turn .... Map My Ride I don't think has it at all and Ride with GPS you need to subscribe to a monthly to get the spoken turn-by-tun directions but if I'm wrong on that please do correct me!!

For plotting / downloading routes I have Cycle.travel, Mapout and Strava and re battery life I've done a 4 1/2 hr ride using MapMyRide / GPS and Mobile Data and still had quite a bit left ... if needs be I have a powerbank that'd give me 2 more full charges.

Re a separate unit like a Garmin / Bolt, I have looked at them but 95% of the time I'm happy with my standard bike computer which only needs it's battery changing once a year rather than something I'd have to charge regularly (and would forget) just for speed / distance etc. and only want the mapping function for an occasional day out and phones screens are still better.

I'll take a look at HERE, Googlemaps and Mapfactor ... do they all have spoken directions and can you import GPX files ...... others I've heard of but not clear if they spoken directions are OsmAnd, Pocket Earth, Cyclemeter ...... if anybody knows about any of them as well.

My reason or wanting spoken is I need reading glasses for close up but not for anything beyond my front wheel so will give me more warning than trying to squint at a map that I'm struggling to see.

Cheers for the suggestions so far!!!!

wheelsmcgee

wphamilton

Mapfactor DOES import GPX - I've used RWPGS to build a route and navigated with Mapfactor. It is non-intuitive how to do it, so don't forget about this post.

First you need to use the right option when downloading from Ride with GPS. I think it's waypoints only or something like that, having not done it in awhile. Get it to your phone then doubleclick the file, opening in Mapfactor. There is an "import" dialog, just click "import" without changing anything. It's best to have Mapfactor already opened if you use the free version, otherwise it might hang on a blank screen (because it asks if you want to update to the paid version when opening)

If you have the correct format, it will appear in "My Places" under the "MY ROUTES" tab. If it's the wrong format, you'll see it in "My Places" under "Record/Re-Play/Manage" tab and it will load to the map but not navigate. Click on the route under My Routes, then "Load" in that dialog, then the "Navigate" icon on the next screen. If all goes well then it's ready to go at that point. If the route has some off-shoot branches or wrong roads, try checking the "route setup" and make sure the profile is set to "bicycle", and as a last resort go back to RWGPS and set more routing points.

I'm adding all the detail here because I've had to work through this more than once, and these "gotcha's" in the process made me believe at first that it wasn't even supported.

Sy Reene

I've never tried it, but what about straightforward Google Maps? Just pick a start and an end, and "Add Destinations" inbetween as waypoints in creating your route.

clengman

I use google maps pretty often, but not for recreational rides. It's great if I need to go a specific location and don't know how to get there or don't know the best bike route. I use it just like I would in my car, but select the bike route option. I don't look at the map at all. I just take the directions in my bluetooth earbuds.

For recreational rides, I plan a ride in RWGPS and upload to my Sigma Rox 10.0 computer. It only gives a breadcrumb trail and gives you a "ding" when a turn is coming up. It doesn't include maps or turn-by-turn instructions.

mstateglfr 

1 time payment- buy a GPS computer.
Lezyne Super GPS for example, allows you to build routes on the website then import them to the device. Or you can pull routes from off the internet and send them to your device.
It will show a black line for your route and you are the dot on the screen. When the line veers left, you know to turn left. Pretty simple.
But there is also an audible beep as you approach a turn and the screen turns to a message stating 'Turn left in 300ft' for example. Thats probably 90m or something like that for those across the pond.

Not a cheap 1 time payment, but its free after that and will allow you to easily track all your riding.

autonomy

You can follow any GPX file (from Strava or RWGPS) in Osmand. Komoot is another popular mapping and navigation app but not sure what the free version lets you do.

fietsbob

Here , in case you missed it, is the section where fans of electronic widgetry gather ; .. https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...hting-gadgets/

John_V 

Before my RFLKT died on me, I was using it with an iPhone 5, then an iPhone SE running Cyclemeter. Also connected to the iPhone was a BTLE/Ant+ speed/cadence sensor and HRM. I have done several centuries using this combination and have never fully depleted any of my iPhone's battery life. The only way you will kill an iPhone battery on an hours ride is to keep all your apps running in the background. Turning off notifications on all the apps that I don't really need to be notified of and force killing all the currently running apps except my cycling app gave me over 8 hours of battery life with a little to spare. You can save even more battery power by setting each app to not use cellular unless it's in use. Otherwise they will use your cellular to stay updated, even if they are not actively running.

I'm now using a Wahoo Bolt. Even though I'm getting a little better battery life than I did with my old system, to me, it really isn't enough to fully justify the cost difference on battery life alone. Unfortunately, they no longer make the RFLKT, so I did go with a GPS unit.

Milton Keynes

I put a free GPS app on my phone for driving which gives you spoken directions. The name of it is called Navigator, and it has a setting for bicycle, but I don't know if you program a destination if it will take you on bike paths and keep you off interstates. I've never used it for cycling, only for driving.

*edit* Checking it out now, and apparently selecting the bicycle mode will keep it off motorways, or freeways, plus enable "Other Road" which says "Routing will use pathways, pavements, park walks, stairways, and other roadways unsuitable for vehicles." So there you go. You can edit this setting to choose routes depending on what kind of vehicle you are in/on, or even pedestrian mode. Now gotta make sure that option is turned off for driving so I don't drive down sidewalks and up stairways.

canklecat

I've tried various map/navigation apps that rely on OsmAnd or Open Streets data but they aren't very good at recalculating routes when unexpected detours are necessary. Google maps beats 'em all at quickly recalculating.

However Google isn't ideal for route planning. Often it will choose the worst possible routes without regard to safety.

On the plus side when a route suggested by Google turns out to be bad it will recalculate quickly when I turn and try another route. Very helpful at night in unfamiliar areas.

Witterings

I've spent hours trying to work out how to do this, I'm not sure if you're using Android or Iphone .... I'm trying it with an iphone.

If I e-mail the file to myself I have the option to open it with just about everything apart from Mapfactor ie Mapout, ridewith gps, strava etc and if I share it from Mapout or Cycletravel again lots of options but not Mapfactor .... any ideas anyone??

fishboat

I have a regular series of steps I use to create and use routes, tough with all the discussion above, I thought I'd try something new. I downloaded Mapfactor"(free windows pc version)..yikes..not sure about actually using it for navigation(after it contains a route), but for creating a route..it appears to be very crude. By creating a route I mean as RWGPS does it..not the typical car origin-destination setup. If I'm missing something..someone please tell me.

OK..back to my usual path(s). Depending on what I need in a map(hiking or biking or kayaking) I use various combinations of RWGPS, Caltopo, Google Maps, "Google My Maps", and/or Maps.Me(all are free versions). I haven't used voice-turn-by-turn on my bike, but over xmas I was in the UP Michigan, beyond a cell signal, and the Maps.Me voice navigation worked fine in the typical car mode (drop a pin on a map and navigate to it)...I haven't tried voice navigation on a loaded-preplanned route.

For bikes.. I start with route planning in RWGPS. Export the route in GPX or KML format. For Google Maps, use GPX. Email the GPX file to an account accessed by your phone..open the GPX file in your email, and the google maps app opens to the route. Whether the voice functionality can be used from that point..haven't tried it. The offline functionality of google maps can also be used.

For bikes and google my maps (built/accessed off your google drive account): RWGPS>GPX>Google Drive>create a new My Map>import GPX>access from phone via your drive account..this requires a cell signal. Voice?..haven't tried it.

For bikes and offline maps: RWGPS>KML>email KML to yourself>open KML file>choose Maps.Me (after you have it installed on your phone) to open it. You can now access the route without a cell signal (and avoid excessive power-battery usage). Voice..haven't tried it.

Maybe the RWGPS>GPX>Mapfactor with voice navigation pathway would work. But the easiest road by road route design is in RWGPS, as far as I know. I believe RWGPS has voice navigation, but this is a subscription and requires a cell signal...and sufficient power to drive it.

wphamilton

I'm using Android so I can't say but it sounds like the Navigator app did not register itself for gpx file in your phone's OS. I didn't notice that your post said "iphone", sorry. I personally would try finding a file explorer app for iphone to see if it could do the association, but again I don't use iphones.

wipekitty

RWGPS is great for turn by turn directions. I was able to trial the voice navigation feature last year, as it was included with several events that I rode. Some of the guys I ride with will just get a one month subscription ($6), use it for a few big rides, then cancel.

Maps.me is definitely worth checking out as well. I have not used turn-by-turn directions with it, but it's free, and the offline maps feature is worth having if you're going into rural areas with slow or nonexistent cell/data connections.

Witterings

No worries ... always appreciate anybody who's prepared to try and add input to help!!!

I'll have a look at Map.me .... though OsmAnd was mean to be turn by turn and tried it on my ride today and no voice directions at all ... not sure if I haven' enabled something but Zip, Nada, Zilch.

Probably look closer at Google maps as well ... have tried uploaded a couple of test rides via my PC and some appear on the phone others don't but will persevere and see where it goes.

Becoming more tempted by RWGPS but I absolutely hate monthly subscriptions with a complete vengeance ... I wouldn't mind paying a £100 fee for it if it worked really well but I totally abhor companies that get you to pay monthly just to increase their profits at your expense .... complete corporate ... take you for as much as I can get and we have absolutely no interest in you as a valued customer it's just about increasing their profits!