Smartphone apps for routes?

[Halsey]

I found an app called Greatest Ride that is free for an iPhone and does a reasonable job of helping you find routes with reviews, and you can add your own routes too. Does anyone else uses this or other software while riding to help plan a bit of fun or out of the way rides into their day? If you get the app check out some of the rules I added in NW Wisconsin.

On a side note, any favorite GPS trackers for smart phones you like for mapping your day trips?

 

[cowboyup3371]

I just use Google Maps

 

[Guest]

I just found that app the other day. Seems to be a pretty good app. Havnt had time to use it yet but plan on it in the next few weeks.

 

[Chuck78]

I was just about to post on here asking if anyone had any good apps to use for Android phones. I downloaded GPS Essentials based on advice that you can create GPS (.kml) files from google maps and navigate your way with them on a custom route, but when I tried them it only showed the beginning and end of ride, no route in between that was created in the google maps kml file. I never had time to mess around with it & figure out why it didnt do what I expected it to. Figured a file formatting problem. The stock GPS "Navigation" app only allows destination input, and it picks the route. I usually just print out tiny abbreviated directions to tape to my tach face or gas tank, but far too often, I come to intersections with no road/name signs!!!! Doh!!!!

Dont really want to buy a gps device when I have a powerful phone that attaches to my hinged GS gas flap cover easily with two thick produce rubber bands! Thought about a slip on velcro sleeve and velcro tape on phone case as well.


Is there a better format of gps file to use other than kml? Or a better maps program or website to create tge files???

 

[Chuck78]

Google maps on android doesnt have any sort of navigate option to guide you through your pre-set route, plus you need something that you can use with no phone service.

with GPS essentials, I read that you need to increase your Google Maps app cache to the maximum that way you can store all of the useful maps offline. That program uses Google Maps cache to retrieve the maps, but supposedly will navigate you with a gps file.

 

[Chuck78]

ANDROID GPS guidance with custom route planning

ANDROID GPS guidance with custom route planning

http://www.androidpit.com/en/android/forum/thread/499227/How-to-Turn-Your-Android-Phone-Into-a-Handheld-GPS

I have not even looked into the ORUXMAPS maps app, poking around with GPS essentials I got it set to at least talk to me with directions. I tried using it for a trip out of state earlier this year, and I was having a lot of difficulty getting it to navigate. I think most of it was on my end, as there are not clear instructions on exactly what to do. I'm not sure, but I think I need to add a lot more points on the Google Maps files to get it to navigate the route that I want, not just start and finish points and then dragging and dropping the route where I want it to go. I familiarized myself with the app a little better on my lunch break today, and got it to actually speak/navigate to me and at least told me that the beginning meetup point of my route from here to Kentucky was 5.3 miles from my current location. A good start. it'll be a very promising app if I can spend the time to figure out all of its features.

This will really help avoid the downfalls of my abbreviated tiny directions where I dont put down mileage distances & also the return the problem of getting lost because of the lack of street name signs in many places!
I have a 12 volt outlet for my phone charger mounted underneath my seat so that I can charge my battery while riding. very important on battery hungry smart phones being used as the only navigation source far from home!

 

[Chuck78]

I haven't investigated GPS Essentials any more, but I did find a few threads on the Internet mentioning other apps. In addition to GPS essentials and OruxMaps, I am reading on a thread about Open Street Maps and Psygic (some say it's the best, but it's a paid app, not free). The thread also mentions that it's a good idea not to mount your Android to your motorcycle, but just listen to the directions on headphones with phone in your pocket. that's worth trying out I suppose.

with all of the route planning that I've done for final fall trip this year, trying to hit some of the absolute best roads within hundreds of miles to home, I practically have the route memorized by now anyway. On a long trip or if I don't have that kind of time, it would be nice to have an app to navigate me on a custom pre-made routed.

 

[Chuck78]

I was still struggling figuring out how to use GPS Essentials for actual route planning, but it does give you step by step instructions to navigate to your preset waypoints. I made a google map, saved as a KML file, and uploaded it into GPS Essentials, but it got some of them out of order somehow despite the google directions being added as A,B,C,D,etc. - and did not show a line mapping out the route, just the "destination" points from the google map making process. I think I added some in the middle along the way when making the map, but I wouldn't have thought that would make a difference as far as the order that it shows in the app route.

OruxMaps, however, when uploading the same kml file, displayed all of my route right on the first try, but I have not yet spent much time figuring out how to use it for step by step navigation. GPS Essentials uses google maps, and seems to be the better and more interactive map - only if someone can figure out how to properly create and upload a kml file to use. OruxMaps gives you the option of choosing various sources of maps to download, where GPS E just uses google maps, and you have to just view the map while connected to data service, and zoom in along the entire route with the cache size set to the max, and it saves all of the zoomed in map data for when you have no cell service in the hills and rural areas.

 

[Steve]

Partly because I don't have a "smart" phone, partly because I already have a dedicated device, I still prefer my Garmin on a RAM mount.

.

 

[Seaking]

What's keen about those services / apps is that when people come from afar to ride in your area, they'd love to know where the best / fun routes are. The local knowledge is hard to find at time, directions hard to follow (go down the road a fur piece till you get to where the white church burnt down 3 yrs ago and take a left...)

I'll have to check out that app.. Cheers

 

[Chuck78]

A few of the motorcycleroads.com or bestbikingroads.com types of websites has their own app. I think it's http://www.bestbikingroads.com - their interactive website maps are the best I have found, but the user review comments on motorcycleroads.us are VERY helpful. Motorcycleroads.com have their own app also, and their site is the middleground between the other two mentioned.

 

[Chuck78]

Seems as if this may be the best app from reading a thread on The Ohio Riders Forum:

https://www.madmaps.com/MAD-Maps-iPhone

" their paper maps are outstanding. Total top of the line routes with gas, stops food, stuff to see. They totally rock the preplanned route in that regard. So I think their app would be done with the same professionalism."
"I have used their paper maps in the past but didn't know they had an app. *10 bucks you get all their maps and it seems to give turn by turn nav without a data connection for their routes. Based on what I have seen on the paper maps this could be a really good purchase."

For Android AND iPhones

 

[Guest]

Thanks for posting that. They've got some free maps on there as well. Not sure if their maps include "all" the roads though.

 

[DarthTAiness]

When it comes to GPS Apps, I've found that you can't go wrong with Waze. Once you get past the first 100 km and unlock the extra features, it's pretty cool. This one app is a GPS that also adds roads if you travel them and they aren't on the map, tells you gas prices, warns you of traffic jams, police traps, and road hazards.

 

[eil]

I downloaded the Detroit - Get Out of Town app to my phone, but it wants me to sign up with an email address before it'll run the app. Random apps don't get my email address, so I may or may not get around to giving it a throwaway address...

 

[Guest]

I tried downloading a free map but it won't work and the support is nonexistant

 

[Chuck78]

Does Waze or Mad Maps allow you to have it navigate you on a pre-planned custom route? I got Waze recently but have not used it yet. Mostly for the speed trap alerts, tip from my better half