iPhone tracking app?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
simonhill
Posts: 5227
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by simonhill »

I see mapmywalk was mentioned.

During lockdown and snow earlier this year I wanted s simple means of recording my distance.

Downloaded mapmywalk and it did the biz. Recorded how far I had gone. Gave me some speed as well. Put it all on Google maps. I could save it if I wanted.

No, I just wanted distance. Often people ask for dead simple then say, but it doesn't, etc, etc.

The only problem with mmw was even though I set it to Kms, it announced when I had covered 1.6 Kms ie a mile. How quaint.
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Jdsk »

simonhill wrote: 19 Nov 2021, 10:17pmOften people ask for dead simple then say, but it doesn't, etc, etc.
Yes. And when these questions are posed without adequate specification "Try this and see" can work better than "This will do what you want". Because what is actually wanted hasn't been stated.

Jonathan
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

philvantwo wrote: 19 Nov 2021, 6:28pm How many hills will you have to climb Mick F?
Also how will you carry your 'Monty'? I watched a review on YouTube a while back and the chap was using a fur lined pouch to keep his in.
No hills at all, in fact it's downhill all the way from Yelverton. Not steeply down of course, as it's the old broad-gauge Brunel GRW line.

I have a strap on Monty that I can slip round my wrist, but it's a lumpy thing to carry like that. I'll be taking a back-pack with sarnies, dog biscuits and water, as well as phone and wallet. If Monty is put in a pocket that's fine until you take it out and touch the screen. To save power, the screen goes to sleep, so in the pocket, it will be asleep, but it wakes when you touch it. Dragging it out touches the screen and wakes it up of course, but by the time you look at it, you've touched the screen again and if you're lucky, you won't have touched anything important like Stop Recording, or Reset.

It's possible to put it to sleep but it's a few key-strokes to do it. To wake it up again, you tap the power button.

As the phone makes a decent enough tracker, I probably won't take Monty.

I'll be experimenting with My Tracks on and off over the next few weeks. Not interested in performance stuff or stats, just the distance and time, and a record of the route. My Tracks ticks the boxes.
Mick F. Cornwall
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

Here's the cycle ride from home on the left, to Plymouth Station on the right.
You can see the downhill down the old rail-bed from Yelverton.
Screen Shot 2021-11-20 at 09.08.02.png
Mick F. Cornwall
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

Had a look at Map My Walk, but dismissed it straight away because it a fitness thing as if walking is a workout.
No doubt it is for many people, but it isn't for me. I'm fit enough and I know it. I don't need a fitness app or to compare my prowess with others.

When I had my previous Garmin devices, I had the HR strap and the speed/cadence unit. Interesting yes, but that's all it was.
Since sold all that and I don't miss them in the slightest.
Mick F. Cornwall
simonhill
Posts: 5227
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by simonhill »

I never noticed all the fitness stuff in mapmywalk. In basic mode it just logged my distance and gave me average speed. When I ended the walk, it asked if I wanted to save. That was all I did and used.

Next time out, I would open the app and just start new walk by pressing start.

However I see what you mean Mick, there's loads of fitness hype buried in there. I just ignored it and had a simple walk, although to start it did ask me to "Start workout".

Just about to walk to the beach, I mean workout to the beach. Ho hum.
David2504
Posts: 131
Joined: 11 Mar 2021, 5:29pm

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by David2504 »

brianleach wrote: 19 Nov 2021, 9:22am Despite you not liking Strava I think it would would be fine for that. You don't have to join any groups, just keep all your walks/rides private and only you will see them. If you don't follow anyone else you will only see your own activity. In effect that is all I do although I do use a device which shows my heart rate as I have had some issues in recent years.
I agree. Strava is very flexible as to how you use it
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

What is Strava for?
Why have your rides and stuff on the 'web and not on a program on your own computer?

I have rides going back to 2004 on CD as well as on a memory stick that I can refer to at any time using the excellent (but no longer supported) Ascent for Macs. At any time, I could upload the tracks onto CycleTravel or BikeHike for instance.

There must be other computer programs. I seem to remember that PC users had Rubi Track.
Mick F. Cornwall
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote: 19 Nov 2021, 1:36pm Very happy indeed with MyTracks. Thanks muchly to PH.
Glad it suits you.
There's plenty of choice and they all seem to work, they are after all using the same information from the phone itself. So it's just a case of finding one that you get on with. I don't see the point of using something more complex than needed, that just seems to add more opportunity for error, even if that's usually of the user variety. For Android there's an even simpler GPS logger I use, no mapping, no analysis, and the ability to set recording intervals, I haven't found an iPhone equivalent.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

Still experimenting.
Charged the iPhone 6s to 100% overnight, took it off charge and started tracking at 9ish this morning.
Just been for 2.3 miles walk with the doggie and sitting here with a cuppa. Gorgeous sunshine and cloudless skies! :D

iPhone says My Tracks has been tracking for 1hr 28mins ......... and still counting because I've left it running to see how long the battery will last. Says 88% now, so lost 12% in an hour and a half. How that compares to NOT tracking, I don't know.

I must add, that the battery is in excellent condition.
Turning the screen off by the button each time after checking it, so the screen isn't taking the power.

I'll get back to this as the day progresses.
Off out again at lunchtime and it will be with me and still tracking, but this time down to the pub for Sunday drinks! :D
Mick F. Cornwall
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Jdsk »

Mick F wrote: 20 Nov 2021, 2:48pmWhy have your rides and stuff on the 'web and not on a program on your own computer?
The benefits include:

1 It's backed up automatically. How much benefit this brings obviously depends on your local back-up practice.

2 It's accessible from anywhere with 'net access. This includes not needing to return to base with new information.

3 It's accessible to others from anywhere with 'net access. Obviously only a benefit if you you want to share the information.

What do you see as the disadvantages, please?

Jonathan
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Jdsk »

Mick F wrote: 21 Nov 2021, 10:43amiPhone says My Tracks has been tracking for 1hr 28mins ......... and still counting because I've left it running to see how long the battery will last. Says 88% now, so lost 12% in an hour and a half. How that compares to NOT tracking, I don't know.

I must add, that the battery is in excellent condition.
Turning the screen off by the button each time after checking it, so the screen isn't taking the power.
There's a lot more information about the battery available than the bare percentage:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208387

The time the screen stays on is settable: Settings... Display & Brightness... Auto Lock.

Jonathan
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

Home.
Damned chilly out there!
Fire lit.

iPhone with My Tracks running for 7hrs 45mins.
Battery down to 34% and still running.

Sounds ok to me. :D
Mick F. Cornwall
philvantwo
Posts: 1730
Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by philvantwo »

Did it record how many pints you supped?
:lol: :lol:
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: iPhone tracking app?

Post by Mick F »

Nope!
Only four but who's counting! :D

22% and My Tracks has been running for 9hrs 30mins.
Phone not used other than My Tracks ........... and a couple of texts with a reply to each.
Mick F. Cornwall
Post Reply