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-   -   All-in-one mobile app? (https://www.bikeforums.net/electronics-lighting-gadgets/877569-all-one-mobile-app.html)

contango 03-12-13 04:36 PM

All-in-one mobile app?
 
I've been using a Garmin Montana mounted to my handlebars for some time now, and for the most part it does what I need. But it only gives me four fields on the map page and there seem to be a few possible issues with it recognising ANT+ sensors (allegedly it does but on other forums I've seen people reporting issues with it, which doesn't fill me with hope as I failed to get an ANT+ cadence sensor to work with it).

So I've been toying with the idea of looking for an all-in-one phone app, on the basis I can waterproof it with a clear plastic bag, power it for a long time with one of those external battery packs, and use bluetooth sensors if I want heart rate, cadence etc.

Any app that would make me switch to using it instead of the Montana would have to be able to do several things. I'd want to be able to prepare a route and overlay it on a map, with my position also shown on the map. I don't care about 3D mapping.

I'd want it to be able to display a number of data fields on the map (speed, grade, distance, distance to destination etc) and ideally let me choose a slightly smaller font for some fields so I could fit more in. It would be nice to have speed, average speed, grade, distance, distance to destination, cadence, heartrate and maybe a few time-related things too. It would be nice to have a few panels above the map that could be switched, or a couple of fields that would rotate through different values etc, so I could have the key information in front of me all the time with other information alternating.

I'd also want it to record GPX tracklogs so I could see details of where I had been and a few metrics along the way.

I don't know if such an app even exists, I've done some Googling and found a lot of apps with very mixed reviews. My leaning is currently towards a Windows Phone, Android isn't necessarily a problem but I'm not interested in an iPhone (my current phone is 5 years old and so a phone upgrade is possibly on the cards). Does anyone know of anything out there that does all this?

Tsagg 03-12-13 08:20 PM

I use the Runtastic Roadbike Pro app. I'm on iPhone however but bet they have it available for other phones. It was maybe $4.99.

contango 03-13-13 04:12 AM


Originally Posted by Tsagg (Post 15379336)
I use the Runtastic Roadbike Pro app. I'm on iPhone however but bet they have it available for other phones. It was maybe $4.99.

I took a look at that but it doesn't look like you can put data fields over the map. I really don't want to lose the facility to have data fields on the same screen as the map - at a minimum I want to be able to see my speed, distance and gradient and ideally a few more fields.

Athens80 03-13-13 06:10 AM


Originally Posted by contango (Post 15380152)
I took a look at that but it doesn't look like you can put data fields over the map. I really don't want to lose the facility to have data fields on the same screen as the map - at a minimum I want to be able to see my speed, distance and gradient and ideally a few more fields.

If you don't mind the clutter, would you consider having both the Montana and a second device? -- using the Montana primarily for the live maps and the second device for your performance monitoring. That increases the information available at a glance and gives you more options for the second device.

contango 03-13-13 06:49 AM


Originally Posted by Athens80 (Post 15380332)
If you don't mind the clutter, would you consider having both the Montana and a second device? -- using the Montana primarily for the live maps and the second device for your performance monitoring. That increases the information available at a glance and gives you more options for the second device.

Possibly although I must admit I'd be rather reluctant to end up with any more things on my handlebars, I'm short of space as it is and still want to add another light.

Times like this are when I start wondering whether it's worth throwing my hat into the ring and writing my own phone app to do everything I want it to do.


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