# iPhone apps as computers



## glorth2 (Oct 7, 2009)

Hi all. I'm a mountain biker who just got into road riding last year and I've never used a biking computer before. I own an iPhone and use mapmyride so I've obviously seen the ads for their apps. I installed the free one and it seems to work well aside from sucking the power of the phone down. I haven't purchased the various things mmr sells to help the app work though and I just wanted to ask your opinions before I sunk serious dough into those things. I don't expect it to work as well as the Garmin stuff but I don't want it to be junk either. I appreciate your help in advance.


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## aaric (Mar 10, 2011)

They work pretty well, as long as you are conscious about using them. Unfortunately, I use my phone for so much else, it's too much going on with texts/calls/ipod/etc.

Battery usage is high when the GPS is on on your phone. For me, this is a deal breaker. Last thing I want is a dead phone if I have an issue out on the road. I like having the data available real time on the ride as well - so I'd have to get some sort of mount, which would be huge, and put my phone in harms way. nice iPhone mounts are expensive...and your gloved finger usually won't work the damned buttons, unless you sew conductive wire in.

No heart rate monitor, unless you drop $$, or cadence data either, unless you spend $$, at which point you'd do better with a dedicated device IMO.

A garmin is smaller, ruggedized, and gives you more data, and has a much longer lasting battery. I'd say play around with the data and see how you like it. And if you decide you like the data, get a Garmin Edge 500. (you might get a deal on an Edge 305, but the mounting system on them sucks)


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## glorth2 (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks. That's kind of what I was thinking. Any idea if you can just take the Garmin and transfer it from road bike to mountain and back?


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## rapwithtom (Oct 24, 2005)

Yep what aaric said.

a) iphones don't have sufficient battery for riding with gps on
b) the gps receiver is weak
c) there is no good mount
d) breakage! cots lots of $
e) garmin provides much better data
f) mapmyride totally sucks - do you like ads? do you like your data being locked up?

go with garmin


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

glorth2 said:


> Thanks. That's kind of what I was thinking. Any idea if you can just take the Garmin and transfer it from road bike to mountain and back?


Yup. Easy peasy.

Only downside to Garmin Edge units is the extortion in mapsets...and the generally awful software the produce.


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## rapwithtom (Oct 24, 2005)

glorth2 said:


> Thanks. That's kind of what I was thinking. Any idea if you can just take the Garmin and transfer it from road bike to mountain and back?



garmin 500 comes with mounts for 2 bikes - and it takes less than 10 seconds to switch between bikes - it's a well done mounting system.


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## rapwithtom (Oct 24, 2005)

Marc said:


> Yup. Easy peasy.
> 
> Only downside to Garmin Edge units is the extortion in mapsets...and the generally awful software the produce.


garmin hardware rocks! garmin software sucks!

I use golden cheatah (free, awesome), but you could use sport tracks or many others - no reason to use garmin shite.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I use Cyclemeter on my iPhone. If you start the app and then turn off the screen (button at top of iPhone), it uses very little battery power.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

rapwithtom said:


> garmin hardware rocks! garmin software sucks!
> 
> I use golden cheatah (free, awesome), but you could use sport tracks or many others - no reason to use garmin shite.


I wouldn't say the Garmin software sucks, but obviously you want something a little more info when dealing with power data. Since I mostly use mine for time trialing, the Garmin software does alright, I guess.


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## RayfromTX (May 18, 2011)

cyclemeter +1


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## Kai Winters (Aug 23, 2009)

I use Mapmyride and Strava. Both have their pluses and minuses. I too shut off my iphone and the battery life is extended quite a bit. 
I like the mapping features of both and especially the 3D view of mapmyride but I prefer the data of Strava. I think it is more accurate. Neither seems to work particularly well for average speed accuracy compared to my cheepo Specialized wireless computer. If you expect data accuracy you are not going to get it for average speed. 

For me the iphone is a very useful device. I ride solo nearly all the time and I listen to podcasts while riding, use it to track my ride with the above mentioned apps and it is a phone, if needed. It replaces my ipod nano and old flip phone. I find the battery life is better than expected.

Thanks for the suggestion of cyclemeter. For $5 it may be a pretty neat app.
If you can describe how it differs from mapmyride and Strava. Its' pluses, minuses and your favorite features.


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## Cyclebot81 (Jun 24, 2011)

tarwheel2 said:


> I use Cyclemeter on my iPhone. If you start the app and then turn off the screen (button at top of iPhone), it uses very little battery power.


I use this app as well. On a 2 hour ride with the screen on I used 20% with my sceen blacked out, only 13%, and that includes voice feed back on my data and if I am riding faster or slower then my previous run and by what amount. I love this app. I find the data accurate and I can import gpx files. The only thing that is slightly off is elevation, but not by much. I picked up a mount that allows me to used otter box defender case and it works great. 

Another great feature is you can upload your data in real time to facebook or emails to the people you want. This way they can follow you in real time and know how fast your traveling and if and when you stop and for how long. I was caught in a thunderstorm and my wife found me no problem under cover without even making a call. On face book updates, people can type in a comment and cyclemeter will play it to you in voice. It also has a great calendar and keeps track of all your data. I just use a wrist heart monitor which matches a pulse oximeter my wife uses for work. For 4.99 you can't beat it. Updates are regular.


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## Yekrut (Jun 26, 2011)

tarwheel2 said:


> I use Cyclemeter on my iPhone. If you start the app and then turn off the screen (button at top of iPhone), it uses very little battery power.


I'm using this app as well for road biking. I tried out a few other including GPS X but found that they all drain the battery very quick. Cyclometer was the one that used the least amount of battery for sure. I have an iPhone 4, I make sure I turn off all the other apps that I have on my phone (any that are running in background) and then start the app and turn off the screen. I still had 80% battery after a 4 hour ride! I also like how easy it is to upload the map to mapmyride and such. Its one of the simpler bike computer apps, and I find it works quite well.


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## 13thcyclist (Jan 23, 2011)

Another :thumbsup: for Cyclemeter. I've been using this app for 5 months now and it does everything I need it to- track rides on a map, shows data like average/max speed, even an option to share on Facebook after the end of a ride. And I agree with the other posters that very little battery is used if you just keep the screen off; only burned about 3% on a half hour ride!

I think the best bet is Cyclemeter + a cheap bar mounted computer, so you don't have to risk pulling out your iPhone for info. I use the Cateye Astrale, which is a wired computer, but I haven't found the wires to be bothersome since I got it installed by a bike mechanic. I can recommend that computer since it tracks cadence as well as the other necessities like average, current & max speed, distance, etc.


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## RayfromTX (May 18, 2011)

Don't know about mapmyride or strava. I like it's data storage and summaries format and it seems fry accurate after using it on the same rides multiple times. The longer the ride, the more accurate it is. When listening to music, if I pause the music it gives me a verbal rundown of all my current stats for the ride including comparing my pace to previous rides. It will import route plans from other programs such as "route planner" and will export and share rides easily. I have had no complaints.


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## Duane Gran (Feb 3, 2004)

tarwheel2 said:


> I use Cyclemeter on my iPhone. If you start the app and then turn off the screen (button at top of iPhone), it uses very little battery power.


I've been using cyclemeter for about half a year. It suits me well to start it, turn of the display and put it into my pocket. This keeps my bars clear of any gizmos and I still get a sense of my ride metrics outdoors.


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## Road Hazard (Feb 5, 2011)

I recently started using Strava and I'm glad I did.

Pluses:

"Segments" allow you to measure your time over parts of regular routes compared to yourself and everyone else. This is very cool because you can see how you improve (hopefully) on climbs or stretches of road that you ride often even if you don't always take the same route to get there. Also you can see how you do against the fastest of the fast, motivating.

I use my iphone for the strava app and it does not seem to drain power as much as mapmyride did. It does not show you an actual map, only data, and honestly even the data is nowhere near accurate until you end the ride and upload the data. But there is plenty of power to make a call if you need to even after several hours.

Minuses:

I liked mapmyride because you could pre-plan a route you had not ridden before. Strava only measures rides you do, you cannot map a new ride and get an idea of the distance/elevation you are in for.


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## Garrison64 (Sep 14, 2011)

I'm also a former Mtn Biker who has taken up road riding for the most part. I already had an iPhone 4 and after a good bit of research on bike cases for it I settled on the Wahoo bike kit along with their heart rate strap. The Wahoo case holds the phone very securely and protects it from water and debris. I've been over some very rough pavement, railroad tracks, couple of good bumps, with no issues. It's a solid rig. I carry my phone when riding anyway and now it's right where I can see it and I use MapMyRide on it so I can plan out new routes and follow them as I go. So far I've done a 40 mile ride with the screen on the whole time, gps enabled, and had 1/4 of my battery still remaining at the end. The Wahoo case also has a plug where you can hook up an external battery to extend the life of the phone. I like to keep mine on all the time to see my numbers at a glance. I think anything beyond 50 miles would certainly require a backup battery to be connected to the case. At some point I'll have to get one. If you want to use your iphone then the Wahoo is the best way to go. Research it yourself to make certain but I couldn't find anything better.


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## krozema (Sep 30, 2011)

iphone battery life get very short with GPS on


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## RickJP (Aug 11, 2011)

I also have an iPhone 4 and started using iMapMyRide+ a couple months ago (I think the $1.99 price is worth it if it gets rid of the ads). They had some issues with their 4.0.5 version, which were fixed for the most part with their 4.0.6 version. I am now beta testing their 4.0.7 version, and I run either the 4.0.6 version of iMMR, or CycleOps (another MMR product), on the 4.0.1 version, concurrently with the beta 4.0.7 version. It's true I only ride for about an hour every morning, but when 4.0.5 was having issues, I tried mapmytracks on a 35 mile ride. I also turned on the iPod app on that ride. Both apps consumed my battery in a little over 2 hours. So, I have to concur with Tarwheel2 and suggest you lock the screen manually to conserve battery. 

I carry my iPhone on a Belkin arm band, and I place it on my right forearm. This way I can use the right ear bud (it's legal in Florida to ride with one ear bud on, as we're considered drivers and drivers can legally wear one headphone as long as it's attached to a telephone, which the iPhone is) for telephone calls if I get any, and to listen to the voice feedback of the iMMR app. It works beautifully this way. I also carry a quart size ziplock bag so in the event I get rained on while riding, I just shove the whole rig in the bag and put it in the back pocket of my jersey.


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## RickJP (Aug 11, 2011)

Cyclebot81 said:


> I use this app as well. On a 2 hour ride with the screen on I used 20% with my sceen blacked out, only 13%, and that includes voice feed back on my data and if I am riding faster or slower then my previous run and by what amount. I love this app. I find the data accurate and I can import gpx files. The only thing that is slightly off is elevation, but not by much. I picked up a mount that allows me to used otter box defender case and it works great.
> 
> Another great feature is you can upload your data in real time to facebook or emails to the people you want. This way they can follow you in real time and know how fast your traveling and if and when you stop and for how long. I was caught in a thunderstorm and my wife found me no problem under cover without even making a call. On face book updates, people can type in a comment and cyclemeter will play it to you in voice. It also has a great calendar and keeps track of all your data. I just use a wrist heart monitor which matches a pulse oximeter my wife uses for work. For 4.99 you can't beat it. Updates are regular.


Sounds like it has some minor features over iMapMyRide. I say this, because I have not experimented with whether iMapMyRide plays comments placed on facebook. Quite frankly, I don't need my wife to track me that badly and if she needs to know where I am, she can always call me. I like facebook, but the thought of anyone knowing where I am when they want, because I allow them to do it, does not appeal to me.

At any rate; does cyclemeter allow you to map a ride prior to actually riding it, so you can review it before you ride it? The $5.00 price is nothing. But, the ability to map my ride, in order to find the route that will yield the distance I want to ride, in advance, is not a feature of cyclemeter, then, at least for me, it's not worth the price, notwithstanding that iMMR has a plethora of other features available in their webpage.


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## Fureak (Oct 13, 2011)

RunKeeper and Strava are my two favorite apps for cycling on the iPhone. Especially Strava, go check it out!


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## Nixnick (Oct 14, 2011)

I'm currently evaluating both Mapmyride and plan to try Cyclemeter on today's ride. I've just started riding again after a 23 year rest period that began with grad school. Everything has come so far since I stopped riding/racing 23 years ago. I'm amazed at all the data that's available now. I'll post my preference when I've used both of them enough to tell which I prefer.


@Cyclebot81

Sorry I'm new to the forums and tried to send a PM but don't have enough posts yet. Which mount do you use with your Otterbox Defender case and iPhone?


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

*ANT+ iPhone app that supports power meters and supports export to WKO+?*

I am temporarily without my Garmin and am trying to find an iPhone app that would let me record my rides, including the power, speed and cadence data from my power meter and Garmin GSC-10, and upload the data to WKO+. I already have a Wahoo ANT+ key for my iPhone. I am aware of Cyclemeter, but that doesn't seem to support power meters. I am also aware of iPower, but that doesn't seem to support exporting the data to WKO+. Does anybody know of an app that will let me do what I'm trying to do? Thanks.


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## BeeCharmer (Apr 30, 2003)

The Wahoo fitness app will upload to Training Peaks and then you can synch with your WKO+.


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## antonlove (Sep 30, 2009)

Glad I came across this thread as I am thinking of getting an iphone and had many of the same questions/concerns. Let me just make sure I understand...

According to 13thcyclist, I can use cyclemeter on my iphone & my existing bike computer simultaneously if I so desire.

Garrison64 suggests that anything over 50 miles I should get a backup battery.

Road Hazard likes mapmyride because you can preplan your ride. *Does that mean that you get turn by turn directions on your iphone? And, can you do this with cyclemeter?*


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## RickJP (Aug 11, 2011)

You don't get turn by turn directions with iMapMyRide, or Cyclemeter. Cyclemeter does not allow you to pre-map your ride, but iMapMyRide does. You just have to know the route you want to take, or you can print it from the mapmyfitness website for $2.00 per map. 

I've done two metric century rides (100kms or 62 miles). On one I used MMR and Cyclemeter simultaneously, with no other open apps, and the screen on lock, so it would not display. I used the voice feedback as a guide. 

On the second metric century, I used only cyclemeter, with the same set up (no other open apps and screen on lock) 

On both rides, the battery lasted the entire ride, with power left over. In fact, the 1st ride was about 20 minutes longer than the second (less rest stops). 

And, I have cyclemeter set up to email my wife every 30 minutes with my position. It does not, however post to facebook, but for when I finish the ride. MMR does not email and it also does not post to facebook until I finish my ride.


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## antonlove (Sep 30, 2009)

Thanks, RickJP. I was hoping that it gave turn by turn directions as I do centuries out of town from time to time.


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## RickJP (Aug 11, 2011)

antonlove said:


> Thanks, RickJP. I was hoping that it gave turn by turn directions as I do centuries out of town from time to time.


You'll definitely need a back up battery for a century. A Mophie should do the trick.

Google maps has a bicycling option and it would give you turn by turn directions.


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## litoray (Sep 14, 2011)

I went out on a 6 1/2 ride with the cyclemeter app on my iphone (locked and running in the background) with voice feedback every 2 minutes and I still had plenty of battery life left after the ride. Only negative on the app/iphone combo is the gps, it can go record crazy routes. Might be caused by local interferance. Also stats are not entirely accurate, grade definitely not accurate but the wealth of stats you can download is wonderful.

I prefer the mapmyride app. When you view the map in full screen you have the option to look at the grade of the course you mapped. Battery consumption isn't bad either if you lock your phone and let app run in the background.

Regardless of app choice, you will still need a cheap computer to keep track of realtime speed/distance/pace stat and use the app stats for overall assessment of your ride. BTW, both have the ability to record cadence/heart rate if you add the sensors and key for an additional cost but could provide you added information for a better assessment of your training rides.


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## rwgunn3 (Nov 19, 2011)

I started using Strava a couple of weeks ago, and I really, really like it. That being said, it only lead me to crave more data. Now I have a Garmin Edge 500 in the mail...

Also, on the battery life issue, I just set the screen lock and forget it. About a week ago I forgot to charge my phone prior to riding. When I got done, there was a "below 10% battery remaining" warning, and Strava was displaying something like 2 miles. I thought it was a wasted effort, but I plugged into my car charger and all of my data came up accurate. I don't know if the app was designed this way, or it was just a fluke... but I was pleased.


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## antonlove (Sep 30, 2009)

I was in the Garmin store today and the Edge 800 does give you turn by turn directions. Additionally, I saw a screen on it where they have a picture of 2 cyclists, showing you how you're doing against yourself on a route that you've ridden previously. 

Wish there was an iphone app that did that. Perhaps they are developing one.


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## akenny (Jun 15, 2011)

Such an app exists: Cyclemeter

www dot abvio dot com /cyclemeter/

I can't tell if you can pre-load maps, so if you lose a signal, you can still navigate. But if that isn't the case, I think you can use a third party app for just that.


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## antonlove (Sep 30, 2009)

Thanks, akenny.


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## thalo (Jul 17, 2011)

i have been using endomondo, for the gps function only. it gives some basic info, and you can get a HRM to work with it. there is a free and paid version. i dont use a data plan to see where i am going during the ride, only to get the route after. the website charts info from your activities.
Endomondo | Community based on free GPS tracking of sports


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## btompkins0112 (Dec 13, 2011)

Wahoo Fitness ANT+ case.....simply awesome. You can use their app and upload to Garmin Connect.


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

I use this (don't have an iPhone-Motorola Bravo);Endomondo | Community based on free GPS tracking of sports
Free version works great and it doesn't sap much battery life. Pretty cool app.


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## Apexhunter (Jan 5, 2012)

*Cyclemeter*

I have the Wahoo Bike kit with speed / cadence / HR. I use Cyclemeter, and love the functionality (my wife uses it as well). I am not pre-planning my rides, but because I am using my 4S, there are plenty of other apps that could do this as well. I also like to listen to music when I ride, and often use a pair of Altec Lansing Bluetooth headphones running with Cyclemeter. While I am only running a few hours at a time, I usually have half a battery when I get home. I also always have the screen on, so that I can watch the cadence and speed data. I love the setup, as the iPhone 4s is a pretty great computer in it's own right, and the ability to use all of it's power on a ride great. 

Cyclemeter is not perfect, and could use a few more display areas for more data on the stopwatch screen, but so far, they have been updating and a good clip, and I am happy with it.


>


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## Garrison64 (Sep 14, 2011)

I forgot to put an update on this thread so I'll do that now in case anyone comes across it with the same questions. Wahoo now sells a back up battery that slips right under their case. It fits on the same mount although if you already have the old mount I would suggest upgrading it to the one that comes with the battery as it's a bit beefier. The battery is very slender and has a wire that plugs into the small port on the Wahoo case. It holds enough charge to double the life of the iPhone. It has LED indicators to show how much power is left and a small, water resistent, on/off button. It does add more bulk to the setup so if you are really picky about weight this isn't going to be for you. If you are a casual cyclist like myself who enjoys having their iPhone front and center while riding then this is a great addition to an already fantastic package.

Also, imapmyride has come out with updates since my first post was made. It now runs in the background, allows you to use it with the screen off, and has improvements to the GPS detection. It doesn't audibly call out turn by turn but you can pre-plot a course online, pull it up on your phone, and it will follow you while showing a highlighted route on the display. It even hightlights what you've already ridden in a different color making it very easy to see where you are at a glance. I've used it a number of times while riding new routes and it was very easy to follow. I don't think you could hear audible turns anyway while riding. The volume on the phone simply isn't loud enough, especially with it in the case. However, at the speeds we travel, looking at the map to see when a turn is coming really isn't an issue.


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## antonlove (Sep 30, 2009)

Garrison64 said:


> I forgot to put an update on this thread so I'll do that now in case anyone comes across it with the same questions. Wahoo now sells a back up battery that slips right under their case. It fits on the same mount although if you already have the old mount I would suggest upgrading it to the one that comes with the battery as it's a bit beefier. The battery is very slender and has a wire that plugs into the small port on the Wahoo case. It holds enough charge to double the life of the iPhone. It has LED indicators to show how much power is left and a small, water resistent, on/off button. It does add more bulk to the setup so if you are really picky about weight this isn't going to be for you. If you are a casual cyclist like myself who enjoys having their iPhone front and center while riding then this is a great addition to an already fantastic package.
> 
> Also, imapmyride has come out with updates since my first post was made. It now runs in the background, allows you to use it with the screen off, and has improvements to the GPS detection. It doesn't audibly call out turn by turn but you can pre-plot a course online, pull it up on your phone, and it will follow you while showing a highlighted route on the display. It even hightlights what you've already ridden in a different color making it very easy to see where you are at a glance. I've used it a number of times while riding new routes and it was very easy to follow. I don't think you could hear audible turns anyway while riding. The volume on the phone simply isn't loud enough, especially with it in the case. However, at the speeds we travel, looking at the map to see when a turn is coming really isn't an issue.


Thanks a million, Garrison64. This is what I've been looking for. Not audible directions, but directions I could follow on-screen.


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## Garrison64 (Sep 14, 2011)

antonlove said:


> Thanks a million, Garrison64. This is what I've been looking for. Not audible directions, but directions I could follow on-screen.


Glad to be of help. The program on the iPhone is not quite clear how to set this function up so I'll just describe it here. First go to their website and plan your route under your account. You can do this on the phone but it is really difficult because their mapping program is extremely laggy on the iPhone. Once you have the route plotted just name it and save it. Once it is saved open the app on the phone and make sure it is logged in to the same account. Next select Record Workout. The map should come up on your location. On the top right of the screen there is a + symbol. Tap that and you'll have the option to select a route. The route you just plotted should be there. Tap on it and a check mark should appear by it. Tap Done at the top right and after a sec or two the map will appear with your route highlighted on it. As you ride the color will change to show where you have been.

The one thing the map doesn't do is rotate to the direction you are headed so you have to get used to that. I wish they would change it. I put in a request to them but so far they haven't opted to do that. It's really the only issue I've had with the program. It tracks extremely well and keeps good stats. If the map isn't following you for some reason just hit the little target symbol on the upper left and it will lock back on to you.

One more thing. When you select Stats in the iMapmyride program you will have 4 windows to choose from that will show various data that you can configure. When you tap on one of the 4 squares it will take you to another page where you can select various data readouts. Be aware that the Core Stats are all derived from GPS data. This is fine for time and distance but for speed it is not very accurate. It will jump all around making it difficult to determine how fast you are really going. To see an accurate speed readout you'll have to have sensors on your bike that are compatible with the program. If you have them then just select Sensor Stats, and select from either Bike Speed or Bike Speed/Cadence depending on which options you have available. I use the Wahoo sensor package and it is very precise. The GPS speed reading is ok if you have no other sensors. It will still give a rough calculation and provides avg speed as well as max speed. 

If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to help with them.


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## tenkerman (Feb 16, 2012)

Do GPS based apps such as Strava continue to run on iPhones or Androids if you switch the phone to airplane mode?


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