Using a smartphone instead of a Bike Computer

[Rapideye]

Hello All

I'm heading off to the Trossachs at the end of the month to have a go at Chris's Trossachs Loop, also completed by Sean. No real idea if I'm capable of completing the whole route in the time I've got but I'll give it a go and see where I end up.

My main concern now is how to map the route. I know a lot of the area but not very much of the trails, cycling routes or anything off-road. This will be my first extended route into areas where I'll need to refer to a route planner. I have no experience of using komoot or whatever. I have no bike computer and only just googled that these can be hired.

The question is can I get away with a phone, assuming there'll be no signal for chunks of the ride? Should I hire a computer? Is a spot tracker essential. I'll be taking some sort of paper copies of maps too.

Obviously, safety is key and I want to be able to change my route, if need be, and accurately track where I am.

So, can you give advice on what is best, please?

[Charliecres]

You can certainly get by with a phone. It’s likely to need charging fairly regularly, so you’ll need to plan stops and/or carry enough cache batteries and/or get a dynamo set-up.

There are lots of apps that let you plot and follow a pre-planned route. Some also let you view OS maps. I use a combination of ViewRanger and Komoot, although Ionly as a back-up for a dedicated GPS.

The phone is actually much better for zooming in and out and checking or replanning a route. It’s not quite so good for following a route IME.

I bought an adhesive mount for my phone case that attaches to a Garmin mount, so I can swap the Garmin out for my phone if it dies.

[woodsmith]

I've been using a phone as my only method of navigation since I started doing this kind of thing, including riding accross Turkey and hiking from Mexico to Canada twice. For cycling navigation I've been using the Ridewithgps app. It does require a subscription to use in offline mode though. I've always been a bit worried about having all my eggs in one basket navigation wise so I've just bought a Wahoo Roam. This has the advantage of a greatly reduced power cosumption so I'll be able to stay off grid for longer with the same back-up battery capacity. RWGPS has the ability to go audio turn by turn direction and off course alerts so its not necessary to have your phone mounted on the bars.( I've always kept mine in a jersey pocket or stem/feed bag.

[redefined_cycles]

Wahoo BOLT v1 you should be able to pick up for about £100 now off ebay. Since stopping using my phone for navigation (using a quadlock mount) I've been very happy... About 15 hours battery life if you reduce back light and put it inot breadcrumb mode.

Alternately a ROAM or the v2 of the BOLT have a splash of colour and more battery/memory. Hope you enjoy the route: sounds hard...

[Gpl23]

I use an old phone with komoot, my route saved for offline use and 3 battery's. My current phone I use if I need online info about the route if I get lost.

[Rapideye]

Thanks all for the replies and help. I've downloaded Komoot and Viewranger to try out and from 1st look they seemed easy enough to use. I should be able to give them a trial before I go.

So, on the spot tracker...I'm thinking this is recommended to use when heading out and about? Am I right in thinking the phone won't ideal substitute, no use in this regards when it loses signal?

Shaf - Yes, a computer would be ideal but I've shelled out quite a bit recently and will have to put that off for a while. And, yes, I think it may be hard But, what the hell. I'm thinking I'll just change the route depending how I feel. I also have help not to far away if things really go wrong. I just love the area and that is big attraction among other things.

[johnnystorm]

Have a look at Backcountry Navigator as well. You get a three week trial period and a one off payment if you like it. You can download the whole of the UK at all resolutions for that fee.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ynavigator

[Lazarus]

So, on the spot tracker.

Yes phone signal goes so you need another method of alerting emergency services and / or contacting loved ones. The choices are
1. PLB Personal Locator Beacon - one off fee to buy £200+ last about 8 years then need a battery replacement no service /contract fee. Mainly used for boats but ok for land as well. NO tracking . No messages. I doubt many of us use them but some will.
2. Spot - Can send messages - usually pre set ones , can do an emergency and send text via satellite. Does tracking . Requires a contract £100+ per annum not sure monthly .
3.In reach - Much more of personal text communication device. Does same as spot but better for messages - needs a contract again not sure of price £15 + per month I assume

Option 4 is to not bother

[ootini]

I use an old Samsung S7 as a dedicated GPS unit, running GPXviewer Pro.
Benefits are mainly the screen, which is very right and clear, and the phones processing capabilities, much better than the Etrex 30 it replaced on all counts. Drawbacks are the obvious one, battery life. It lasts around 24 hours and can't be refreshed with AAs, so to mitigate this, I carry a dedicated power bank which, when full, has the capacity to charge the phone from empty, about 4 times.
So far based on my trips this has never been an issue for me.
If I was planning longer trips, I'd probably look at a dynamo hub before I looked at changing to a different device.
The phone is mounted to my stem cap using an SPCONNECT mount, which feels more solid than quadlock and I throw the powerbank in a stem bag along with my keys, wallet etc, that way its close enough that I can charge on the move, and not just over night.

Thanks

[mikejd]

+1 for Backcountry Navigator

[Borderer]

I use an old Chinese lump of a phone with a 10,000 MaH battery for navigation. I wouldn't want to risk using my normal phone in case I ran it out and needed to call emergency services. I do have the normal phone for emergency navigation though and the lump for emergency phone calls. It feels like a win-win to me.

[gairym]

+1 for the two phone method

I figure that I'm gonna take two devices no matter what (GPS for nav and phone for calling the wife etc...) and so why not use an old phone instead of the Garmin as it's better in every sense except battery and so I just carry a power bank thingy and I'm sorted with a backup of everything if something goes wrong.

It never has and the last time I rode the Tuscany Trail I forgot the old phone and so just used my regular phone with zero problems.

But each to their own etc... as I'm fairly happy to wing stuff and fairly confident in my ability to get myself out of most situations I get myself into - I don't feel that I need absolute certainty of signal, tracking or contactability - sometimes I like being lost in the hills.....