Evening folks!
Looking for some suggestions on a good bike route tracking app to use. I know of Strava and Komodo, but I’m aware they were bought out and therefore I don’t trust their data privacy. Any suggestions?
I use my Garmin Enduro to track my biking sessions, but look for something on my phone to for both a map during rides and being able to share routes. I saw there is TrailLink, which is great for finding trails but does not track. Tried OrganicMaps but it gets me lost as it keeps showing abandoned railroads that look like trails 🤣. The Aventon app is nice but it drains the battery super fast.
Thanks in advance!
I might have too, I wonder if there is an option of turning off “abandoned railroads”. They just look almost the same as trails. I haven’t looked deep into it.
Are there still train tracks there? There’s an option on OpenStreetMaps (which to repeat, is where these apps get their data from) for “Disused Railway”. Maybe labeling them correctly would stop them from blending in with other types of trails.
OrganicMaps (and CoMaps) aren’t designed around “routes”, but instead can be used for navigation without a preplanned route. So that’s not really what you’re looking for.
You can use one of many services to create your own pre-planned route. I have a Garmin bike computer that I can load a route into and it’ll give me basic directions (designed for a small screen). I’m sure something like that must exist for a phone, but I’m not sure. The bike computer also records my GPS track so I can look at it later. I have a program called Endurain running on my server (I’m a nerd) which is like Strava but with fewer features.
Even the Garmin app can create routes, but their maps are outdated in my area so YMMV.
Do you find the Garmin biking computers worth the cost? I have an Enduro 3, wish they would let you track the activity on the phone simultaneously. However, based on someone else’s suggestion, Bikemap has been a very good alternative for me so far.
It’s hard to answer that question without knowing your budget. I’ve had mine for so long I don’t remember how much it cost, but I’ve been happy with it.
Another big part of their functionality is sensors, so if you plan on using a cadence sensor, heart rate sensor, etc, it’d increase the value to you.
I’m not up to speed on available options, but other brands like Wahoo might offer the same functionality.
If you like using your phone and found an app that works, that definitely decreases the value of a dedicated computer to you!