GPS - Bike GPS - suggestions?

Author

Bike GPS - suggestions?

ric

2007-06-22, 7:33 am

Hi All,
I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's great
for car navigation.
I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
I've seen a couple of different apps that are aimed at this - GPS
Tuner, GPSdash etc. What I want is something that can read in .GPX
tracks downloaded from www.bikely.com and similar, and use them to
plan a route.
GPSdash doesn't seem able to do this - I can mess about with the GPX
download with GPSbabel and similar but it only reads waypoints and
won't string them together to form a route.
GPStuner just seems to want more available RAM than I have.

Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!

Cheers
Ric

rothers

2007-06-22, 7:33 am

On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:08:04 -0700, ric < publicmail@infobubbl
e.co.uk> wrote:

>Hi All,
>I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's great
>for car navigation.
>I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
>I've seen a couple of different apps that are aimed at this - GPS
>Tuner, GPSdash etc. What I want is something that can read in .GPX
>tracks downloaded from www.bikely.com and similar, and use them to
>plan a route.
>GPSdash doesn't seem able to do this - I can mess about with the GPX
>download with GPSbabel and similar but it only reads waypoints and
>won't string them together to form a route.
>GPStuner just seems to want more available RAM than I have.
>
>Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
>points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!

Memory Map makes a good job of importing Bikely GPXs

Cheers

Neil

Roger Zoul

2007-06-22, 10:33 am

ric wrote:
:: Hi All,
:: I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's
:: great for car navigation.
:: I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.

Your plan will gobble up battery life on the mobile phone. It's okay in a
car since you can pull into a charger, so you might want to consider some
moble charger for your bike for long rides.
Garmin sells their software for use on mobile phones....I know it's good for
car, but cannot comment on how good it is for a bike ride, but I can't see
why it won't plan a route....that's what you do in car...

:: I've seen a couple of different apps that are aimed at this - GPS
:: Tuner, GPSdash etc. What I want is something that can read in .GPX
:: tracks downloaded from www.bikely.com and similar, and use them to
:: plan a route.
:: GPSdash doesn't seem able to do this - I can mess about with the GPX
:: download with GPSbabel and similar but it only reads waypoints and
:: won't string them together to form a route.
:: GPStuner just seems to want more available RAM than I have.
::
:: Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
:: points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!
::
:: Cheers
:: Ric

Holger Issle

2007-06-22, 12:33 pm

Hi ric,

> Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
> points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!

I usually use Pathaway for these things, and it indeed does import
those routes in gpx format. I tested it with bikely, it works fine.
--

Ciao,
Holger (GUS-KOTAL, GUS#1100)

90-92 Honda CB400 10 Mm | 93-95 Yamaha TDM 850 26 Mm
95-97 KTM 620 LC4 13 Mm | seit 97 BMW R1100GS 50 Mm (Die Renndrecksau!)

cu @ http://www.issle.de

Dien Cai Dau

2007-06-22, 3:33 pm

I don't know what the capabilities are of your mobile phone pretending to be
a GPS receiver -- I stick my cell (mobile) phone in the pocket of my jersey
for emergency communications and use a Garmin Etrex Legend GPS for
navigation. I have the accessory mounting device to attach it directly to
the handlebars, next to the speedometer.

When I can get a route map or cue sheet in advance of a ride I use Garmin's
Mapsource MetroGuide to North America (I'm on the other side of the "pond"
from you) to program the route into the GPS. When I ride semi-aimlessly
just for the fun of it, I can record my track and then upload to my computer
using the same software.

"ric" < publicmail@infobubbl
e.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1182506884.041046.257740@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Hi All,
> I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's great
> for car navigation.
> I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
> I've seen a couple of different apps that are aimed at this - GPS
> Tuner, GPSdash etc. What I want is something that can read in .GPX
> tracks downloaded from www.bikely.com and similar, and use them to
> plan a route.
> GPSdash doesn't seem able to do this - I can mess about with the GPX
> download with GPSbabel and similar but it only reads waypoints and
> won't string them together to form a route.
> GPStuner just seems to want more available RAM than I have.
>
> Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
> points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!
>
> Cheers
> Ric
>

pwelten@zonnet.nl

2007-06-22, 3:33 pm

ric wrote:
> Hi All,
> I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's great
> for car navigation.
> I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
> I've seen a couple of different apps that are aimed at this - GPS
> Tuner, GPSdash etc. What I want is something that can read in .GPX
> tracks downloaded from www.bikely.com and similar, and use them to
> plan a route.
> GPSdash doesn't seem able to do this - I can mess about with the GPX
> download with GPSbabel and similar but it only reads waypoints and
> won't string them together to form a route.
> GPStuner just seems to want more available RAM than I have.
>
> Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
> points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!
>
> Cheers
> Ric
>
You could try some software I've written, see
http://home.versatel.nl/pwelten/mapweltmain.html To be honest, it is
still alpha, and not very well tested. It does run on my windows mobile
phone although I cannot combine it with other programs like the camera
because of the available RAM. It will read gpx files, although it will
not show the comments in bikely gpx files (it will read the routes).
Also, the functionality on smartphones is somewhat reduced, since there
is no mouse or stylus. Editing of maps and waypoints is impossible on
the smartphone, you will have to do this on a regular pc.

Peter

Roger Merriman

2007-06-22, 3:33 pm

Roger Zoul <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:

> ric wrote:
> :: Hi All,
> :: I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's
> :: great for car navigation.
> :: I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
>
> Your plan will gobble up battery life on the mobile phone. It's okay in a
> car since you can pull into a charger, so you might want to consider some
> moble charger for your bike for long rides.
> Garmin sells their software for use on mobile phones....I know it's good for
> car, but cannot comment on how good it is for a bike ride, but I can't see
> why it won't plan a route....that's what you do in car...
>
yup though most sat nav's get confused once you start heading into the
lanes, battery life should be doable i can get a good few hours on my
N70 copilot combo i don't charge the phone and it will last the day.

roger

Jack Yeazel

2007-06-22, 10:33 pm

I'm thinking that the 'ultimate' solution for bikes is the
Garmin zumo 550: http://gpsinformation.org/zumo/zumo.html
It supports route planning and all...

ric wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's great
> for car navigation.
> I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
> I've seen a couple of different apps that are aimed at this - GPS
> Tuner, GPSdash etc. What I want is something that can read in .GPX
> tracks downloaded from www.bikely.com and similar, and use them to
> plan a route.
> GPSdash doesn't seem able to do this - I can mess about with the GPX
> download with GPSbabel and similar but it only reads waypoints and
> won't string them together to form a route.
> GPStuner just seems to want more available RAM than I have.
>
> Does anyone have a tried-and-tested solution for this? Extra bonus
> points for confirmed working from bikely GPX files or KML files!
>
> Cheers
> Ric

--
Jack

Get general GPS information at:
http://www.gpsinformation.net/

Danny Colyer

2007-06-22, 10:33 pm

Jack Yeazel wrote:
> I'm thinking that the 'ultimate' solution for bikes is the
> Garmin zumo 550: http://gpsinformation.org/zumo/zumo.html
> It supports route planning and all...

That appears to be designed for motorbikes, rather than the kind of
proper bikes that we talk about in half the ng's this is x-posted to.
The battery life of "up to 4 hours" stated in the specs wouldn't be much
use for long rides, and it seems silly to lug around a 300g box when you
can get something more appropriate to cycling that's half the weight
(e.g. the Garmin Venture Cx that I've just bought).

Suggesting hardware doesn't seem to help the OP with his request for
software to run on his Windows phone, anyway.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Fred Hiltz

2007-06-22, 10:33 pm

Danny Colyer wrote:
> Jack Yeazel wrote:
& #91;snip][color=dark
red]
>
> Suggesting hardware doesn't seem to help the OP with his
> request for software to run on his Windows phone, anyway.

True indeed. Someone needs to point out that a bike GPS has to stand
a lot more vibration and a lot more rain than most phones can take.
The software will become moot when the hardware dies. Ric, is your
phone a rugged one?
--
Fred Hiltz, fhiltz at yahoo dot com

Philip Green

2007-06-23, 7:33 am

In message < 137npropqsagcb7@news
.supernews.com>
"Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> ric wrote:
> :: Hi All,
> :: I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's
> :: great for car navigation.
> :: I now want to use it on my bike for when I go on long rides.
>
> Your plan will gobble up battery life on the mobile phone. It's okay in a
> car since you can pull into a charger, so you might want to consider some
> moble charger for your bike for long rides.

I have a solar-powered charger for the pocketPC. Check www.soldius.com.

They're fairly expensive direct from SOLDIUS but I bought mine at a local
store for a fraction of the normal price.

> Garmin sells their software for use on mobile phones....I know it's good for
> car, but cannot comment on how good it is for a bike ride, but I can't see
> why it won't plan a route....that's what you do in car...

TomTom also plans a route for use in a car, but it is not aware of
bicycle-only routes. You can set it to plan a route "for bicycle" and the
only difference is that it avoids roads where bicycles are not permitted ad
reduces the expected average speed.

--
Regards,
Philip.

Roy A. Fletcher

2007-06-23, 3:33 pm

Roger Zoul (rogerzoul2@hotmail.com) wrote:
with editing...
: Your plan will gobble up battery life on the mobile phone. It's okay in a
: car since you can pull into a charger, so you might want to consider some
: moble charger for your bike for long rides.
: Garmin sells their software for use on mobile phones....I know it's good for
: car, but cannot comment on how good it is for a bike ride, but I can't see
: why it won't plan a route....that's what you do in car...

Not that simple.
Cars can only travel on roads. And the map software and data structure
are designed for that use. Take your average GPS off-roading and
its limits will be apparent.
Bikes can travel off-road. For that purpose, the receiver must be
more accurate, must be able to obtain position in dense woodlands
and the data is much larger and more complex.

Regards. RAF

RBrickston

2007-06-23, 10:33 pm

In article <467d7b4c$1@news.victoria.tc.ca>, uy205@vtn1.victoria.tc.ca
says...
> Roger Zoul (rogerzoul2@hotmail.com) wrote:
> with editing...
> : Your plan will gobble up battery life on the mobile phone. It's okay in a
> : car since you can pull into a charger, so you might want to consider some
> : moble charger for your bike for long rides.
> : Garmin sells their software for use on mobile phones....I know it's good for
> : car, but cannot comment on how good it is for a bike ride, but I can't see
> : why it won't plan a route....that's what you do in car...
>
> Not that simple.
> Cars can only travel on roads. And the map software and data structure
> are designed for that use. Take your average GPS off-roading and
> its limits will be apparent.
> Bikes can travel off-road. For that purpose, the receiver must be
> more accurate, must be able to obtain position in dense woodlands
> and the data is much larger and more complex.
>
> Regards. RAF

The TomTom site claims some of their mapping is walking and bicycling
specific.

Tosspot

2007-06-24, 10:33 am

Roy A. Fletcher wrote:
> Roger Zoul (rogerzoul2@hotmail.com) wrote:
> with editing...
> : Your plan will gobble up battery life on the mobile phone. It's okay in a
> : car since you can pull into a charger, so you might want to consider some
> : moble charger for your bike for long rides.
> : Garmin sells their software for use on mobile phones....I know it's good for
> : car, but cannot comment on how good it is for a bike ride, but I can't see
> : why it won't plan a route....that's what you do in car...
>
> Not that simple.
> Cars can only travel on roads. And the map software and data structure
> are designed for that use. Take your average GPS off-roading and
> its limits will be apparent.
> Bikes can travel off-road. For that purpose, the receiver must be
> more accurate, must be able to obtain position in dense woodlands
> and the data is much larger and more complex.

But surely you don't need route finding stuff. A straight projection
onto a zoomable bitmap of an OS map should be enough. I mean you *know*
you're on the path and not in the lake!

gomez

2007-06-26, 7:33 am

On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:08:04 -0700, ric < publicmail@infobubbl
e.co.uk>
dropped the following oil-slick:

>Hi All,
>I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's great
>for car navigation.
>I now want to use it on my bike

My own feeling for on-bike use is to go for a rugged waterproof
solution such as the Garmin 26xx/27xx Streetpilot series. PDA /
Smart-phones on a vibrating bike in bad weather is *not* a combination
I would be happy with. But then I am a hardened tourer not a
fair-weather local bike cafe frequenter. ;)
--
gomez
Honda TransAlp,KTM 640LC Enduro (For Sale)
(not is not to reply)
"The best tool for the job is the hammer thats nearest to hand"

Roger Zoul

2007-06-27, 7:33 am

gomez wrote:
:: On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:08:04 -0700, ric < publicmail@infobubbl
e.co.uk>
:: dropped the following oil-slick:
::
::: Hi All,
::: I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's
::: great for car navigation.
::: I now want to use it on my bike
::
:: My own feeling for on-bike use is to go for a rugged waterproof
:: solution such as the Garmin 26xx/27xx Streetpilot series. PDA /
:: Smart-phones on a vibrating bike in bad weather is *not* a
:: combination I would be happy with. But then I am a hardened tourer
:: not a fair-weather local bike cafe frequenter. ;)

What's a bike cafe?

Dave

2007-06-27, 7:33 am

"Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1384jm2q4qf5861
@news.supernews.com...
> gomez wrote:
> :: On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:08:04 -0700, ric < publicmail@infobubbl
e.co.uk>
> :: dropped the following oil-slick:
> ::
> ::: Hi All,
> ::: I've a Windows Mobile phone with a bluetooth GPS receiver that's
> ::: great for car navigation.
> ::: I now want to use it on my bike
> ::
> :: My own feeling for on-bike use is to go for a rugged waterproof
> :: solution such as the Garmin 26xx/27xx Streetpilot series. PDA /
> :: Smart-phones on a vibrating bike in bad weather is *not* a
> :: combination I would be happy with. But then I am a hardened tourer
> :: not a fair-weather local bike cafe frequenter. ;)
>
>
> What's a bike cafe?
>

Around here it is a cafe that is frequented by cyclists often in great
numbers.

Dave

Don Whybrow

2007-06-27, 10:33 pm

Dave wrote:
> "Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1384jm2q4qf5861
@news.supernews.com...
>
> Around here it is a cafe that is frequented by cyclists often in great
> numbers.

Thus showing the quality of it's CAKE.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

Some people have one of those days. I have one of those lives.

gomez

2007-07-02, 7:33 am

On Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:20:35 +0100, Don Whybrow
<don@fwhybrow.wanadoo.co.uk> dropped the following oil-slick:

>Dave wrote:
>
>Thus showing the quality of it's CAKE.

Or more like of its FEB. :)
--
gomez
Honda TransAlp,KTM 640LC Enduro (For Sale)
(not is not to reply)
"The best tool for the job is the hammer thats nearest to hand"

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