Best cycling app for Android?
 

Anyone care to share their opinions on the best cycling app for the Android?

What features are you looking for? Route planning? Turn-by-turn navigation? Displaying/recording ride statistics? Interfaces to external bluetooth devices like power meters and heart rate monitors?

Route planning and recording with statistics like speed, distance, etc., turn by turn navigation maybe with live feeds to a website. Power meters and heart rate monitors don't really interest me at this time.

Check ridewithgps.com for planning and recording, osmand.net for turn by turn on an android phone. With the two you can do all but the live feed, and at no charge.

Is there an android app and cadence sensor that will work together along with an HRM?

Thanks,
Roger

MicroTracks for Android. If you want cadence, you'll need a Sony Xperia or Droid X phone with ANT+ cadence sensor.

Thanks, but not changing phones to get cadence. I guess I'll just keep counting against the clock.

Bassplyr -- the world will never have enough bass players so when we encounter a bass player, even online, we need to treat him with utmost respect. And refrain from teasing him about his posts.

That said, I cannot help but to razz you thusly: you ask a question, are offered a helpful answer (but that may not work for you), and when the exact perfect solution is not instantly delivered to you on a silver platter, you immediately reject it and give up after one try ("I guess I'll just keep counting" -- are you hoping to prompt others to rescue you or are you just completely defeated?)

When drummers display this lack of energy, we hold them down and administer stimulants. :)

Okay, seriously, now that I've got that out of my system, and assuming you actually desire to get an answer to the question you asked, here's how you might do it:
1. Determine what wireless protocols your Android device supports (Bluetooth, AMT+, etc. probably Bluetooth) (hint: look it up on the support site for the device)
2. Get a HRM and cadence sensors that support that protocol (hint: google Bluetooth HRM, for example)
3. Get an Android app that supports these functions (hint: google and Market)
4. Charge everything up, configure and troubleshoot (hint: it will take initiative on your part to push through the potential obstacles. No, we cannot anticipate all the problems for you in advance, nor do we have them already solved.)

That should do it -- but wait, you don't need to track cadence. Bass players already have cadence in their DNA! :p

Let us know when you get your setup working!

Dave,

Sorry if you took the brevity of my post as lack of initiative, but as a bassist I find that less if often more. I appreciate your directions and will look into it further.

Thanks,

Roger

Roger --
I overreacted, as I often do. Less IS more. I'm cranky because I have a gig tonight and I'm having a MAJOR problem with our roadies.

I've never had any and never will. So I'm schlepping all my sch*t like a pack mule. Again.

I am interested in knowing what you end up with -- I'm on a quest to turn my DroidX into a pseudo-Garmin with cadence, HRM, navigation, speed, elevation, etc. and will post my results here.

Cheers --
Dave

Dave,

No problem. If I find anyhting worthwhile, I'll pass it on. Good luck on your gig.

Roger

Hi to All,
Newbie here. Been using endomondo.com on my Google Nexus1 Android phone. Logged about 25 trips, 500 + miles and really impressed. Free or Pro App. Try it, Youll like it... Rgds...

Not sure there will ever be an Android app that will do all the cycling sensing, recording, and display chores. Few Android phones offer ANT+, the Garmin protocol that can pick up cadence, heart rate, and speed. No Android phones have the barometric altimeter necessary for sensing instantaneous changes in altitude that translate into accurate measures of slope and rise rate.

Right now at least it seems you still need to have a dedicated expensive BC like the Garmin 800, or a blend of lower cost BC and android phone to perform all the necessary cycling tasks.

i have the same goal. which phones have ANT+ built in?
i see in endomondo's description it says ANT+ capable. have you ever tried to pair it to a ANT+ HR monitor or speed/cadence sensor?

I have the Zephyr HRM and it works well with Sportypal via Bluetooth. I haven't found any bluetooth cadence sensors. I'm not sure if my phone can handle input from two BT sources. Of the two, I am more interested in heart rate.

Thanks,
Roger

some devices such as the sony experia line, and the droidx have the ANT+ chipset already built in, all they need is the sensors and proper software. there's already a million ANT+ cycling accessories already on the market. im gonna get a droid bionic when it is released, im hoping it is ANT+ ready to roll.

Hello,

For android and if you don't need a cadence sensor there are a lot of solutions my personal favorite follows. Have a look at runningdigital, ut's a website published by a british runner and on the right you'll find links to a lot of applications.

If you need a cadence sensor, there are two solutions: the expensive Velocomputer solution or the switch to a Android phone that supports ANT+, curently only a few Sony do).

If you don't need a cadence sensor, then a very good choice is sportstracklive. The app is not free ($10) but you get for what you pay. The measurement is extensive, really extensive.
Sportstracklive works well with Zephyr HXM BlueTooth heart rate sensor ($90)

STL (SportsTrackLive) records distance, tracks route, and a incredibly high amount of data especially coupled with the Zephyr.

STL (SportsTrackLive) is far better than endomondo .. in any way but one : the associated website design.

The solution I use : using STL for tracking then exporting the result in GPX from STL website and importing it in endomondo website

If you just need to track route, the free Google Maps addon MyTracks is pretty good (but very limited).
For a turn by turn navigation the free Google Maps addons Navigation is the perfect tool

Hope this helps

Luc

I just got a Droid Bionic. I've been using SportyPal to track my rides. Started with Endomondo but found SportyPal to have many more features, website is much better too. I tried MapMyRide but it wouldn't pair up with the Zephyr so I gave up on that app although I do like their website for drawing up routes.

My newest addition to the app world will be a Jawbone Era BT headset, I only wear 1 earphone so this will be great since it plays music in "hd" and i can take a call while commuting.

I'm trying to figure out how to secure the bionic to the stem of the bike. I was thinking of getting an Otterbox case but not sure how to ghetto rigg it to the stem. Any thoughts?

I have about four you can use:

Strava - the all around app. Works good and uploads directly to your strava account
https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result

OsmAnd - This is a mapping application which allows you to use a map anywhere you need it without having a data connection.
https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result

My Tracks - My Tracks allows you to record and share your GPS tracks, including statistics.
https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result

Garmin Uploader - Uploads Google My Tracks data to your Garmin Connect service. Simply open a track in My Tracks, save as GPX, then use Garmin Uploader to upload the file. You an just use your
https://market.android.com/details?i...uploader&hl=en

You will need a Garmin Connect account to upload to so just set one up here:
http://connect.garmin.com/

All the other apps are pretty much a waste of time.

Only phones that can do ANT+ have the OMAP 3/4 processors from Texas Instraments. The sony xperia does and the Nexus Prime will also.

I've used CardioTrainer a lot for running and it did pretty well. The free version works but it's only as accurate as the GPS in my phone which can get spotty.

Endumundo (spelling?) probably has the most potential with it's ANT+ capabilities (...just waiting on the phones to catch up now...not that the technology isn't there already. Manufacturers just don't enable it to be used in firmware T_T )

If you're willing to pay for CardioTrainer I think it's pretty advanced. It's got nutrition built into the site with an app for that. The training side of it also has various workouts like "race yourself" or intervals which would be awesome. I also like that you can set how often it tells you your time/distance and your speed/pace (I have it every minute...min 1 - time/distance, min 2 - speed/pace, min 3 - time/distance...etc)

Not going to give CardioTrainer too much praise as it's stop/start times aren't as accurate as Endumundo so stopping at lights affects average speed more but it's pretty solid overall. Just give them a try.

I use Mytracks from google. It works well and tells me everything I care to know about my ride. I like that you can send your map to google maps and play with it there or share it with others.

Sportstracker works pretty well. I switched from Endomondo to it.

I personally use MyTracks. It uses your phone's GPS to track your route, speed, elevation, top speed, total time and moving time. The location tracking is pretty accurate without using alot of battery. Road Cycling tracks better than Mountain Biking (tree cover).
But I was looking for an app that tracks Cadence this morning, since I've been doing a lot of cadence-based training indoors lately, and found VeloComputer by SoundOfMotion, on the Android Market. It uses a Bluetooth sensor to record both speed and cadence...I haven't personally tried it due to its only drawback...you have to purchase the sensor at $199!! (Personally I'd rather buy a CatEye Wired sensor and use my phone's GPS for mapping and save $150)
I am, however, going to try the other app developed by the same developer called AlpineSport...it's supposed to record your cadence by using the accelerometer in your phone..and it records via GPS too...and to top it off...It's FREE on the Android Market!!
Although, I'm not sure where I'm gonna put my phone so it can record my cadence...I have no pockets in my cycling shorts...

Either way, I'm gonna try it out this evening...I'll report back what I think...

Currently experimenting with Strava. It comes recommended across other groups and sites

And as BTW, the roadies replied:

I've downloaded a few and I have to say that I haven't been very happy with them. I'm sure that their writers think that they've fulfilled a "vacuum" but from my perspective they're not very useful. That's not to say that eventually I/we won't finally come across one that does fulfill our needs.