What app for commuting route

[theDaveB]

Trying some differing apps while learning the best commuting route (8 miles each way).

So far I have only used Bike Hub as it's easy to use and recalculates if I go off the route.

I wanted to try CycleStreets and it looks like it's giving me the same route as Bike Hub but I can't seem to get the thing to actually start the route. I can see the route and go into Itinerary and view each step but no idea how to actually start it. Any ideas?

Bike with GPS seems to want me to create a account to use, no idea why.

Also any other apps worth looking at (I am using iPhone 7+)?

Thanks,

Dave

[Richard Fairhurst]

Bike Hub uses CycleStreets' routing engine, so yes, you'll get the same route from both.

[Tangled Metal]

I used CycleStreets when I added a Friday detour I needed to make to pick someone up didn't know the route so set it off and put phone in chest pocket. I got a shock as I reached first junction to hear a voice telling me to turn left. Worked well the whole journey and later on I found it it was actually the best route there.

Recommend CycleStreets.

[freeflow]

Exploring routes is best done on a PC. Then export your final (one or more) gpx to your device.

Letting your device recalculate a route can lead to some 'adventures' when riding so my recommendation is don't let it do that.

For any route that you pick, use the little man for street view to confirm ridability. Selecting the little man turns all the roads that Mr Google has driven down to blue. If your route includes non-blue roads its likely they will be 'adventurous' to ride.

[pal]

I've seen a few recommendations for this one (but haven't used it myself; I'd be interested to know if anyone on here has...) https://www.komoot.com/

[theDaveB]

I used CycleStreets when I added a Friday detour I needed to make to pick someone up didn't know the route so set it off and put phone in chest pocket. I got a shock as I reached first junction to hear a voice telling me to turn left. Worked well the whole journey and later on I found it it was actually the best route there.

Recommend CycleStreets.

Hi,

Can you let me know how you start the route, I can’t work it out?

I've seen a few recommendations for this one (but haven't used it myself; I'd be interested to know if anyone on here has...) https://www.komoot.com/

Just downloaded that but it doesn’t understand UK postcodes and it can’t find destination address so will try later for route home if I remember.

Thanks,

Dave

[Tangled Metal]

I think I open it and there's an arrow at the top. Press that and go. It'll record your ride.

Other than that you press the right turn arrow and enter start and finish point. It then gives you options for fastest, shortest, most balanced, quietist, etc route. Then I think you just head off and it starts telling to where to go.

I haven't used it for awhile but I don't remember starting it when I found out it gave directions.

IIRC there's two apps to download, the main app and the UK maps pack.

TBH I can't remember how I did it. I have tried it sat in my office but can't get it going. Probably because I'm not outside with GPS access and moving

[PRL]

I use Osmand for actually telling me which way to go. It will make a good shot a getting from A to B in the UK (choose walking, cycling, driving) but also import routes from other sources (eg Cycle Streets which gives you options) although then you get "passing GPS waypoint" at frequent intervals and odd loops can develop.

Open street maps from any region can be downloaded in advance.

[theDaveB]

Downloading Osmand now to try.

Am still using Bike Hub as it just works.

Still can't walk out how to get started on Cyclestreets, tried leaving it on itenary and just cycling but my phone kept going into standby. No idea why but doesn't happen on Bike Hub while it's navigating.

Done a route on cycle.travel but didn't like it, went a bit of a long way round.

Dave

[climo]

Downloading Osmand now to try.
Dave

Osmand is good but a confusing interface. Not sure about the auto routing. Phone only so you have use another program on your computer to plan in.

After 5 minutes playing I can see Kamoot looks ok but some minor street names are missing & often no exact postcode recognition - looking for a known postcode I ended up 5 miles away. Auto routing is iffy, one route took me along a very fast stretch of the A303 which is akin to suicide, same route in mountain bike mode took me through an Army restricted area.
The good thing is you can plan online (but apparently can't download the map to plan offline) and have the same map downloaded on your gps or phone to navigate. So not downloaded on one but downloaded on other. Not very impressive and I can't see that being fixed anytime soon.
But as I say I have only spent a short time & may have misunderstood it.

[theDaveB]

Osmand is good but a confusing interface. Not sure about the auto routing. Phone only so you have use another program on your computer to plan in.

Yeah give up on that, don't think it does routing on the App.

Dave

[climo]

It does do routing in the app but I'm not sure if that's any good. It's based on OSM so should be as good as it gets.
I plot my routes online then transfer a gps file into osmand.
The interface is confusing but overall its the best app out there esp. if you use openfietsmap as the overlay

[Richard Fairhurst]

If I remember rightly, OsmAnd doesn't do on-device routing on iOS, but does on Android. (But I may have misremembered.)

[climo]

I'm on android and it does.
My workflow is: plan route in cycle.travel (brilliant piece of work Richard), export a gps file into Dropbox where it appears in Osmand on the phone. The only thing lacking is a downloadable version of cycle.travel to use offline but maybe a 10inch wide android tablet with osmand loaded would work equally well. Then bluetooth the gps file over to the phone, I guess. Seems the most seamless way

[PRL]

Downloading Osmand now to try.
Dave

Osmand is good but a confusing interface. Not sure about the auto routing. Phone only so you have use another program on your computer to plan in.
.

Osmand does become more intuitive the more that you use it. To be charitable they do get of lot of options in. The auto routing does depend on someone having correctly put cycle-able paths on OCM.