So I perused the forums and it seems Ride with GPS, Stratus and Map My Ride Are some of the obvious favorites. I've started work with both the android and Windows interfaces of the named Apps, and I do like working with the Windows interface of Ride with GPS to map out potential routes. What I'm resistant to is six dollars a month or $50 a year to store off-line. What do you folks use to discover bike routes, and then download on android,( I'm willing to spend for paid App, I just think six dollars a month is a bit rich).

I would use Google maps but I cannot find a way download and store off-line to my external SD card, (the area of California I am interested in is 1.5 gigs). It seems I would have to root my phone to move Google maps and map storage, (my preferred solution).

OSMAND. That's Open Street Maps for AndroiD.

Ridewithgps is completely usable for free. If you need the feature that having a subscription unlocks, you can turn-off the subscription when you don't need it.

You need a subscription to use the ridewithgps app for navigating.

1.5 GB for one state is silly.

I am being my normal irrasable and irrational self when it comes to what I see as overpriced subscriptions, but you are right, I can rent the service when I am touring.

Thanks for pointing out OSMAND, it is just $1.29 from the Google Play store and I am checking it out.

Sprocketss,
I use Maps.me (search on play store) and it has amazing detail, you can search by country/state and dl the offline maps.

Also free and no in app purchases.

Alpinequest can save an area, good if you need topo and mre detail (also can load gpx files), i think you need to pay for the extra features

I like to be able to plan or change routes while offline, not just view a map. The tomtom app gives you turn by turn directions, plan and select from multiple alternatives, plot bicycle route, all offline with a POI database too. https://download.tomtom.com/open/manu...v1.0-en-gb.pdf

i use the iPhone version but the android looks full featured too.

Thanks, great catch, checking it out.

Thanks for the suggestion but I am concerned about the current negative feedback on the Google Play store.

If you want simply to plot a route then many apps will handle tracks/waypoints displayed as a route. If you want an app that will also provide navigation the best I have tried is CoPilot, but I have only used this with my car. It would also work with biking, but it currently does not handle well long routes uploaded as tracks/waypoints.It is possible to upload many routes that could loaded as needed if one wished to display a route in CoPilot. For example, long bike route segmented into 30 or 50 mile routes would be possible to upload and display in CoPilot.

I have tried a lot of apps, and I really like mapmyride.com for route building and GPX export, then Backcountry Navigator for off line maps (clear winner for adding a mix of vector road data, too maps and imagery. BN doesn't do turn-by-turn navigation though, so if you meed that, Osmand is my recommendation. Note that both off line gps apps work with a wonderful opensource for pcs/macs called Mobile Atlas Creator which takes all the work out of downloading raster maps (topos, aerial/satellite imagery).