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So I am considering a gps unit for my bike, or picking up a smart phone with a gps app in the fall. I am curious to feedback on both — accuracy, longevity, consistency, etc… What is the best system? Is the idea of using a smart phone for your gps tracking practical? Thanks!
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Well this could be a really long answer… but to keep it short, for the price of a dedicated GPS unit you can basically buy an iphone (if you have an upgrade on your account) and an iphone is passable as a gps unit and can do A LOT more than just GPS your trails.
Downsides of using a smartphone for your gps: limited battery life (my iphone won’t last much more than 6 or 7 hours on the trail, but some people will never ride that much at one time) and lack of detail. The detail recorded by an iphone is OK, but it’s not as good as a dedicated GPS unit.
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I use an iphone for my gps tracks and it seems to do a good job. As Greg stated above, the accuracy is not perfect mostly because of the refresh rate (it’s faster on a gps unit) but it is good for what I want. I use the application "mapmyride" and it seems to be the best out there. As for battery life, I have had my iphone for one and half years and I am still getting about six hours of gps time before the battery dies.
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Definitely check out the Runtastic Mountain Bike app… best one I’ve used yet!
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I started carrying one of these in my pack and now get 11-12 hours on my phone during gps recording.
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Thanks for the helpful info!!!
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"schwim" wrote
I started carrying one of these in my pack and now get 11-12 hours on my phone during gps recording.
I need one of these!
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"mtbgreg1" wrote
I need one of these!
Or one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/PowerFilm-USB-AA- … B001RMBHMK -
"maddslacker" wrote
[quote="mtbgreg1":22gdlu1f]I need one of these!
Or one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/PowerFilm-USB-AA- … B001RMBHMK[/quote:22gdlu1f]I like mine because I can plug it up and continue riding while it takes a charge. I looked into the solar panels but their lack of portability, delicate construction, slow charge as well as their dependency on good weather caused me to choose the battery.
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Check this out, this is the best of both worlds (but the price tag reflects it):
I saw this setup in person at a festival up in Richmond. It’s a solar panel that connects into a set of rechargeable batteries. Basically, you can charge the batteries off the panel OR off of a computer/the wall, and then take it with you out on the trail. When you need the juice, plug the batter pack into your phone and presto! If you wanted (or if your rechargeables ran out), you could also load regular batteries into the charger pack for more energy.
They sell several different versions of their product, including a massive solar panel array and a large battery pack big enough to power laptops or small appliances.
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Is it either a GPS or a smart phone? If you’ll be getting the phone anyway, I’d wait until the fall and just get the app when you get the smart phone. You’ll only be out a few extra bucks (unless the app if free.)
If it’s either/or, which do you want more? A dedicated GPS unit or a phone that can give you the main function of a GPS unit?
I don’t have a smart phone and I wanted more information (HR and cadence mostly) so I went with a mountain biking GPS unit (Edge 800, I already had the FR60 running/biking watch.) It cost just as much as a smart phone (without a contract) but it provides the information I want. I don’t want a phone that could access the internet or play games. I’d never get anything done! 😆
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Smartphones work great for creating traces of where you’ve ridden (nice for backtracking) but are generally not as accurate as a dedicated device.
The GPS system is set for a big upgrade in 2014 when it will have access to a much stronger signal. It should be 1-meter accurate with quicker lock on times vs the 5-meter accuracy of current devices.
If I were you, I’d probably go for the smartphone now to get started, then buy a nice unit that can make use of the signal. Or just buy a cheap dedicated unit now (~200).
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I too am considering a dedicated GPS – I currently use an iPhone 3gs & MotionX GPS app… am lucky to get a three hour ride before it kills the battery… & there are a few places I’ve ridden w/no signal…. a dedicated unit is the answer for me. Have been looking at the Garmin 705 or Oregon 400t/450t…
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go the smartphone route with a gps app. your gonna have a phone with you anyway, so having a separate gps unit just adds more stuff to your pack.
get an android phone like verizons droid razor maxx (maxx model has the bigger battery and it will last for your ride). i use the my tracks app from the google play store. the my tracks app is created by google employees on their spare time and its easy to use. i love the app. after you record your ride you can send it to your google maps online and check out your ride and stats. i use the my tracks app when i hike, road bike, mt bike, kayak and atv…works every time. i keep my phone on the top pocket of my camelbak or clipped to my side when i road bike with my music playing from the phone too.
worst case scenario with the smartphone battery life is to get a small portable charger if you see the phone is getting low on battery. i know its adding more stuff to your pack but they have portable chargers that weigh a couple ounces and are compact.
i also use the all trails app to find hiking trails close to me using the gps. i wonder if anyone knows if there is a mountain bike app that offers this.
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I have been using a Garmin Dakota 10 for a few years and would highly recommend it. I always carry my Smartphone with me but having the Dakota mounted on my handle bars is invaluable. Along with map features including topo maps, it provides tracks including an arrow that allows you to easily backtrack your route. Although you could probably do the same with a smartphone, I sure wouldn’t want to mount my iPhone to my handlebars. Pulling it in and out of my pocket/pack wouldn’t be all that handy either.
The Dakota also tracks all of your stats — Distance, Speed, Time, Avg Speed, Altitude, etc. Having this on your handle bars is also invaluable for me. For $160 (plus $10 for bike mount kit), it’s well worth the piece of mind and dedicated functionality …
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The smartphone apps are great. But only for short rides. If I’m going to be out for several hours in the middle of nowhere I don’t want to wear out my phone battery, just in case I need it.
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"paganimal_dmp" wrote
i also use the all trails app to find hiking trails close to me using the gps. i wonder if anyone knows if there is a mountain bike app that offers this.
Look no further than this web-site. The Singletracks app will do that for you. You can find it in the Google Play Store.
I can usually get 7-8 hours out of my smartphone before I run out of battery. That has always been plenty for me.
I also record tracks using MyTracks for Android. It does all that I need as far as seeing where I have been, but it doesn’t support offline maps, which is a pain. For offline maps I like Orux, but, being freeware, it doesn’t have the greatest interface and can be confusing to use. However, the map management is excellent (once you get used to it) and is really handy for following tracks in places with no 3g/4g cell reception.
Personally, I think using a smartphone by itself is fine for most people. They have bigger and better displays, and are essentially free if you already have one for other uses.
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"paganimal_dmp" wrote
i also use the all trails app to find hiking trails close to me using the gps. i wonder if anyone knows if there is a mountain bike app that offers this.
Um… how about the Singletracks app? 😉
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"mtbgreg1" wrote
Definitely check out the Runtastic Mountain Bike app… best one I’ve used yet!
Is the free version any good, or would you say to get the "gold" version?
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I’ve been using mytracks, and it works well, although if you go fast in heavy tree cover, it can be inaccurate.
Only problem I’ve had with the Singletracks app is it doesn’t do well if I don’t have good band width when loading.
I haven’t tried a GPS unit yet because I had my smart phone and it’s been adiquate. I carry in a fanny pack and have an external batt. If I charge from the external it causes some issues with recording tracks for some reason, and my old EVO isn’t good for much more then 3 hours.
Another app that can be helpful is advanced task killer for shutting down unneeded things to extend batt life. I find music is a killer, and shut off blue tooth and 4G antenna if not in area, and hot spot for sure. -
"bc3xx0" wrote
[quote="mtbgreg1":39s7tewt]Definitely check out the Runtastic Mountain Bike app… best one I’ve used yet!
Is the free version any good, or would you say to get the "gold" version?[/quote:39s7tewt]
I have the Pro version, and it is awesome! However, I’m not totally sure what the differences are between that and the free version.
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I just started using Strava on my android and I really like. I haven’t done any long rides (over 2 hours) and my battery seems to hold up fine. The app is free and you can track your rides online once the phone app syncs to the website(automatic). The cool thing I like is I can compete against other rifders on different trail segment or just against myself. Only one I’ve tried so far but I really like it.
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I have an iphone 4s and installed Gaia GPS on it. The app turns your phone into a stand alone GPS and you dont need cell service to do it. You can get it from the app store or gaiagps.com. So far I like it.
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As mentioned in another thread, I’ve been using MyTracks for Android for logging and then uploading the GPX file to Strava or Singletracks from my computer. For rides <4 hours, phone battery is fine as long as I start with it at or close to 100%.
If you want to continue to use your phone for data logging and want to maximize battery life, using an external BT GPS receiver that feeds the data to the phone really helps. Holux makes a few options that can link to MyTracks. A friend of mine mentioned noticeable battery life extension using an external GPS device to track his location instead of the phone’s unit.
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As many of you know, the MapMyRide app doesn’t seem to allow export to Singletracks.com. Is there an iPhone app that can export map/gps info to this website?
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Just to clarify, the paid membership of MMR allows you to export the GPX. I just double-checked with my last ride to make sure I’m not lying. They have sales often and I bought an annual membership from them for $17 on the bike2work holiday.
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Thanks Schwimm. I have paid MMR membership. Now I need someone to walk me through the process. i want to send trail maps to Singletracks and i am not so good with the tech stuff. 😳
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"Jampa56" wrote
Thanks Schwimm. I have paid MMR membership. Now I need someone to walk me through the process. i want to send trail maps to Singletracks and i am not so good with the tech stuff. 😳
Looks from the other thread like you got it figured out. Is that correct or do you still need a walk-through?
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"schwim" wrote
[quote="maddslacker":2ch0wgxj][quote="mtbgreg1":2ch0wgxj]I need one of these!
Or one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/PowerFilm-USB-AA- … B001RMBHMK[/quote:2ch0wgxj]
[color=#000000:2ch0wgxj]
I like mine because I can plug it up and continue riding while it takes a charge. I looked into the [/color:2ch0wgxj][color=#000000:2ch0wgxj]solar panel[/color:2ch0wgxj] [color=#000000:2ch0wgxj]but their lack of portability, delicate construction, slow charge as well as their dependency on good weather caused me to choose the battery.[/color:2ch0wgxj][/quote:2ch0wgxj]
You are right.. I do have similar charging system whereelse solar charger is lot more complicated.. -
This is something that I have been looking into as well.
I like the info you get from GPS recording to see what and where you ride.
I have used the apps on the iphone and they can range in price and function. I like anything that is free. I use all trails which does a fairly good job and can let you export the data later to upload to Singletracks. I know from my time skiing that Alpine Replay which is great for skiing is looking to get into surf and skate and might look into MTB stats as well. They are coming out with a product called Trace that is more accurate and would save battery life on the phone and work with the apps. Couple hundred bucks in addition to the phone but makes it a great GPS for cheap b/c in stead of a designated GPS unit the trace uses the phone apps to analyze the data.As for GPS I have not used but researched a ton of them. The nice part is they are way more accurate but also loose battery. For either with a power issue (phone or GPS) there are all kinds of battery packs/solar power etc. If I were to get a GPS unit I like the watches as they have just as many features packed into a small face that could be used to replace the bike computer on the bars. Speed, vertical, etc etc can be placed in quick view.
For me the phone with a 20-30 battery pack works since I don’t have to fork out 300-500 bucks on a GPS and my phone will always come with me anyway.
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BUMP! I’m interested to see if anyone’s opinions have changed on this topic in the past 3 years.
Obviously smartphones and apps have come a long way since we started this conversation, while GPS units have improved a lot as well…
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i use a Garmin EDGE 1000 to track my rides, seamless integration with Strava and my iPhone. I also have a 20,000 charging pack and i have a solar backpack which i use on longer rides.
this is the backpack – allows me to trickle charge the charging pack during the day, then i can use the charger to power up my devices overnight
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EnerPlex-Packr-Rucksack-integrated-Charger/dp/B00IWQH34K
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I still use my trusty Garmin Oregon with a handlebar mount. Considering how often I wipe-out during a riding season I would be terrified of destroying my iPhone (now new Google Pixel) in a crash. The Oregon does really well, takes serious beatdowns and asks for seconds.
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If you are interested, you should check out the new Garmin Fenix 5, and you can get one with maps. This watch is great, and it will plan rides for you, trace where you went, elevation, and many other things. You can upload all maps onto it, and can get out of anywhere if you are lost. It is a great watch, if you are interested in a watch with gps and many many other options, check out the garmin fenix 5.
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also with garmin connect I think you can check in at trails…. from your phone, the watch links with the phone.
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I recently got the Garmin Edge 25 because I was sick of killing my phone battery and data. I use my GPS as a set it and forget it, so the simpler the better IMO. I don’t find the need to be able to link to maps, or do real-time strava segments so the Edge works great for me.
Jeff, maybe you know the answer to this question. I haven’t seen any differences in uploading mileage, but my elevation is always out of wack. I’ll finish a ride and my GPS will say I’ve climbed lets say 1,300′. I upload to the Garmin Connect app and the elevation will drop to like 1,13o’, and then when I upload to Strava it will be 1,215′. These aren’t exact numbers, but hopefully you get the idea. I don’t think you would have run across this in your GPS tests as the track shouldn’t have had any elevation change. Have you experienced or heard of this happening before?
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I use a garmin vivoactive, works awesome, doubles as a watch.
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Same! Love the thing….. my vivoactive is great plus I like to run, swim etc. so i can do that with the vivoactive!
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@Matt please be sure to add a review and pictures of your vivoactive!
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I just use my iPhone and the ViewRanger GPS App with Ordance Survey 1:50000 maps Can track a route or create a route. Scan the horizon to pick out and name prominent hill or peaks. Also use the phone for photos or video which are geo tagged.
Having a realtime weather app + mountain weather app.
Oh and I/we always take a print out of the map area on water proof paper. Only use the phone for gps location if in “ok where are we?” mode. Map has escape routes. Duplicate map can be given to a friend to rescue you.
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