Navigating on bikes using a smartphone

Navigating by Smart PhoneHugh Davis and Su White@HughDavis and @suukii

Download Presentation at http://goo.gl/N36lHT

What we will Cover

Using iPhone examples ….

•GPS and GPX, and Mapping Software•Preparing your route•Navigating while riding•Logging your ride•Hardware

GPS and GPX, and Mapping Software

OS Maps (I use 1:50K)

Open Cycle Map – shows we are on cycle path NB24

Choosing Mapping SoftwareYou need your maps “offline” (or cached)OS Maps (scale?) – or Open Cycle Maps?Buy or rent maps?See clearly where you are (centre?)Zoom in to see detailZoom out to see big pictureImport GPX routesBest allow you to create, edit & export GPX routes

I use Outdoors GPS in UK (iPhone and Android)

I buy the maps.Or iPhiGenie in France and elsewhere (iPhone and Android)

Preparing your route

You can prepare a GPX route by:

•Downloading someone else’s route•Asking an App like Bike Hub to plan the best route•Drawing the route yourself onto the eMap

Finding Other Peoples’ Routes

http://outdoorsgps.comStore in MyRoutes then in App lookin “My Routes on Website”

Route Planning Apps

In Bike Hub App (iPhone or Android) choose “From” and “To” Export the route.. ..to email

Select the email andthe route attachmentAnd the Send Icon

Either Send to anApp or Save

In Outdoors GPS you need to go into browser to upload saved file in order to access it from“My Routes on Website”

Drawing the Map Yourself with Outdoors GPS

Choose “Routes” from bottom Menu and then Create, Create new, from…Add an end point somewhere by long press.

You can now add points anywhere on the line, and drag

them to where you want

Navigating While RidingMost GPS Map Apps have the ability to:•Allow you to choose the level of zoom•Centre the map and keep your current position at the centre•Rotate the map so that ”up” is the direction of travel•Choose the colour of the route lineMaybe also•Log your actual Route•Tell you how fast you are going•How far remains to go / ETA

Logging your RouteCyclemeter is generally considered to be the best logging App(not available for Android)

Hardware

Keeping your phone •on your handlebars•charged•dry

Keeping your phone on your handlebars

Strap-it Bag-it Lock-it

Or lose it!

E.g. Arkon make examples sold on Amazon for ~£15

The Quad Lock System. ~£32

Keeping your phone Charged

If left with screen and GPS always on an iPhone uses around 3000 – 4000 mAhr in a day’s ride. There are many power banks that provide 10000 mAhr to USB sockets

Size?Weight?Capacity?Recharging?Number of USB ports?Continuous Charge Through?

We prefer Teknet - ~£15 from Amazon

Keeping the Battery Charged on camping trips

Dynamo Plus Tigra Power ConverterUSB output > Phone or Power Pack

3.5 Watt solar panel

Both the above will charge the battery pack around 400mAhrs each hour Roughly what a working iPhone uses

Keeping your phone DryQuad-lock “poncho”(phone specific)

Arkon Bag Box with Waterproof Membrane

BUTCan’t charge while its raining – you’d be surprised how quick the battery goesReduced sensitivity for finger gestures – keep in centered mode.

Conclusions• There is no right answer – its what suits you• Complex software on small devices is complex

– Trial and error / Experiment– If one way does not work, try another– Get very familiar with it (Going fast downhill with full panniers in

the pouring rain is not a good time to learn how to use your App!)

• Make sure your batteries are charged and your maps locally cached before you leave!

Thanks!Any Questions?

Hugh Davis (@HughDavis)Su White (@suukii)

[email protected]

This presentation is downloadable fromhttp://www.slideshare.net/hcd99/navigating-on-bikes-using-a-smartphoneor http://goo.gl/N36lHT