Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
I know this isn't quite what you asked for, but...
If your goal is to track where you've gone, I recommend a Garmin Edge (preferably 500) over any smartphone GPS app.
• Much more rugged than a smartphone
• Battery life is 18 hours
(If your cell battery dies after half a day and you get into a jam, it's gonna be problematic)
• GPS performance is better
• works smoothly with Garmin Connect
• The 500 in particular is much smaller than any smartphone
• Can integrate with cyclometer, cadence meter and HRM (additional modules)
Some of the units also include on-screen maps (e.g. Edge 305 iirc) and still have 12+ hours of battery life.
I can't see any point in spending $200.00 + for a duplicate device that also needs to be mounted on your handlebars and needs batteries and/or recharging everyday. There are emergency batteries that will quickly add life to your dead phone and take up less space than the Garmin. There are numerous ways to extend battery life on the iPhone to be able to run B.iCycle all day without running down your battery. I completed a century last month and showed 70% battery left when I was finished. The GPS in an iPhone is more than adequate. If I zoom in on the map it will actually show a loop where I turned around or even show what side of the street I am on. Is there something more I should want? Heart meter? There is a free app for that. Cadence meter? Who cares, we are not training for the TDF. Cyclometer? That is what B.iCycle is, for $9.99.
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Fletch521, on Flickr
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Fletch521, on Flickr
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Fletch521, on Flickr
Originally Posted by
AdamDZ
If you plan on doing more touring then invest in a real GPS unit: rugged, waterproof with long battery life. An iPhone is great as a secondary device to verify your location but I would never use it as my primary mapping/guiding device because it's too fragile and its battery life is too short.
Or just invest in a zip lock bag. It will keep your iPhone (or any phone) completely dry and the touch screen on the iPhone works perfectly well inside the bag.
...and with the iPhone 4 you can leave your camera home too.
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Fletch521, on Flickr