That is exactly my point. You have to "consent" to handing over huge amounts of personal data to a foreign company (on hardware more often than not made in China) or else you can't lead a normal life these days.
Yes the reviews of OutdoorActive do make for depressing reading, I've not had any of the issues mentioned about losing synced Vr routes or not recording tracks correctly etc, all of mine synced perfectly and all features such as 3D fly through work.
After years of Vr use I did find the interface "challenging" initially, and planning on a phone is an exercise in frustration but the desktop version is good. I'm still undecided if I'll nail my colours to the Komoot or OutdoorActive mast. I do miss Vr though, it seemed a much slicker product, OutdoorActive seems to be trying to be everything to everyone and falling a bit short on all attempts. Hopefully they will take on board the negative reviews. They certainly seem to respond well enough. As an existing Vr customer I would suggest take full advantage of the free "Pro" version while you can and give it a bending.
1 big issue is it's a very battery hungry app compared with Vr, Komoot doesn't seem to be.
TTFN
John.
After years of Vr use I did find the interface "challenging" initially, and planning on a phone is an exercise in frustration but the desktop version is good. I'm still undecided if I'll nail my colours to the Komoot or OutdoorActive mast. I do miss Vr though, it seemed a much slicker product, OutdoorActive seems to be trying to be everything to everyone and falling a bit short on all attempts. Hopefully they will take on board the negative reviews. They certainly seem to respond well enough. As an existing Vr customer I would suggest take full advantage of the free "Pro" version while you can and give it a bending.
1 big issue is it's a very battery hungry app compared with Vr, Komoot doesn't seem to be.
TTFN
John.
RidewithGPS
Pro's:
Differing maps OSM/Google/Apple etc
Switches smoothly between desktop planning to the mobile
Instant upload when the journey is over so you can look at your stats
Works on iPhone
"Heatmap" function means you can go where others have gone before
Can re-route on your phone if you want to change you plans.
Cons:
Cost
Power hungry (but I take a battery backup with me)
Not always clear why it choses to re-route you - but it tends to be correct when you get to the re-route point.
Some country coverage better than others.
No dynamic rerouting but see above.
Pro's:
Differing maps OSM/Google/Apple etc
Switches smoothly between desktop planning to the mobile
Instant upload when the journey is over so you can look at your stats
Works on iPhone
"Heatmap" function means you can go where others have gone before
Can re-route on your phone if you want to change you plans.
Cons:
Cost
Power hungry (but I take a battery backup with me)
Not always clear why it choses to re-route you - but it tends to be correct when you get to the re-route point.
Some country coverage better than others.
No dynamic rerouting but see above.
Another vote here for Komoot. Once you have bought the map for your local area (or area of interest, or, as I have, the global map) you can create a map in advance and ‘save it for
offline use’. You don’t then need a data connection for the device used actually when riding you pre-mapped route. I use a spare phone for this purpose secured on my ebike handlebar using a quad lock.
offline use’. You don’t then need a data connection for the device used actually when riding you pre-mapped route. I use a spare phone for this purpose secured on my ebike handlebar using a quad lock.
D
Deleted member 33385
Guest
Thank you for your recommendations everyone, I may be trialling many of them.
www.theregister.com
The GSM standard alone, is leaky enough - never mind what OS and App developers get up to. I have a mind to delete Google's Android, and replace it with LineageOS:
en.wikipedia.org
Google Maps is of course excellent on a PC or laptop, but on a mobile - not being able to use the mouse to drag routes to adjust, is limiting. I could of course use my miniscule laptop (it has a sim card slot, 8" screen, digital compass) on the road - it has a mouse-joystick in the keyboard, bluetooth phased array GPS (plus A-GPS via cellular):
en.wikipedia.org
... but then I'd have to fashion a waterproofed mount, and replace it's miniscule mechanical hard drive with a more robust solid state disk.
Or I could use my even older Dell Axim:
en.wikipedia.org
... with TomTom navigation, phased array GPS receiver (slow to get position, because it's GPS only - no A-GPS) and (out of date) maps of the entire world - if the battery hasn't died. Let's hope that one of the many alternatives listed above works well for me.
I like the fact that Cyclestreets is browser based - less data slurpage, but I don't like that it keeps suggesting long dark canal tunnels. And you can't adjust routes.
While trying Osmand+, I've discovered that I can easily save favourite places, without sharing my routes with all and sundry (my enemies are many...) - in that respect it's very similar to the old version of CoPilot, which I very much liked. Open Source and offline maps too - handy for data dead spots. It's great that it shows green areas on the map, as well as roads, so I can segway for oxygen... If I could get it to avoid specific roundabouts, it'd be even better - I don't like journeys which involve going around large busy roundabouts, unless it's the very first exit that I need. I admit, it's a niche requirement, but it's my requirement.
I've also got Komoot loaded, but it doesn't have the "Avoid Road" function (which can be used to avoid a horrible great big bone crunching roundabout, that I might need the 2nd, third or 4th exit of) that Osmand+ does, plus where the hell is it sharing my journey anyway? Can I save a journey without sharing it, on it's own little social network? I just want a good cyling navigation app, I have no interest in any sort of social networking. I'm not even on Faecesbook or Linkedin-to-Microsoft. As far as the antisocial networks are concerned, I'm like Kendo Nagasaki:
en.wikipedia.org
..plus Komoot's "Regions" are too small and stingy.
Remember the time the Google's Mapping cars collected all of the wifi network information of the entire UK? "It was a mistake", Google said, and apologised. Which makes everything ok. Google, Facebook and their entire colossal data slurping mob keep making "Mistakes" and apologising. Controls like that mean nothing. Both Google and Apple have been caught with their pants down, by a researcher recently:Google Maps
Google Maps has an incognito mode if you can't live without, but would like to mimimise the data sharing:
There are other data controls too:Use Google Maps in Incognito mode - Android - Google Maps Help
You now have more ways to control your privacy on Google Maps. Use Incognito mode when you don’t want your activity—like the places you search for or navigate to—to be saved to your Google Account.&nbsupport.google.com
Account settings: Your browser is not supported.
myaccount.google.com
Android, iOS beam telemetry to Google, Apple even when you tell them not to – study
Search giant insists it's necessary, iTitan didn't have anything to say
www.theregister.com
The GSM standard alone, is leaky enough - never mind what OS and App developers get up to. I have a mind to delete Google's Android, and replace it with LineageOS:
LineageOS - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Google Maps is of course excellent on a PC or laptop, but on a mobile - not being able to use the mouse to drag routes to adjust, is limiting. I could of course use my miniscule laptop (it has a sim card slot, 8" screen, digital compass) on the road - it has a mouse-joystick in the keyboard, bluetooth phased array GPS (plus A-GPS via cellular):
Sony Vaio P series - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
... but then I'd have to fashion a waterproofed mount, and replace it's miniscule mechanical hard drive with a more robust solid state disk.
Or I could use my even older Dell Axim:
Dell Axim - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
... with TomTom navigation, phased array GPS receiver (slow to get position, because it's GPS only - no A-GPS) and (out of date) maps of the entire world - if the battery hasn't died. Let's hope that one of the many alternatives listed above works well for me.
I like the fact that Cyclestreets is browser based - less data slurpage, but I don't like that it keeps suggesting long dark canal tunnels. And you can't adjust routes.
While trying Osmand+, I've discovered that I can easily save favourite places, without sharing my routes with all and sundry (my enemies are many...) - in that respect it's very similar to the old version of CoPilot, which I very much liked. Open Source and offline maps too - handy for data dead spots. It's great that it shows green areas on the map, as well as roads, so I can segway for oxygen... If I could get it to avoid specific roundabouts, it'd be even better - I don't like journeys which involve going around large busy roundabouts, unless it's the very first exit that I need. I admit, it's a niche requirement, but it's my requirement.
I've also got Komoot loaded, but it doesn't have the "Avoid Road" function (which can be used to avoid a horrible great big bone crunching roundabout, that I might need the 2nd, third or 4th exit of) that Osmand+ does, plus where the hell is it sharing my journey anyway? Can I save a journey without sharing it, on it's own little social network? I just want a good cyling navigation app, I have no interest in any sort of social networking. I'm not even on Faecesbook or Linkedin-to-Microsoft. As far as the antisocial networks are concerned, I'm like Kendo Nagasaki:
Kendo Nagasaki - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
..plus Komoot's "Regions" are too small and stingy.
Last edited:
Yes, in your account settings you can set whether you want your routes only private and visible to you, the people who follow you , or public to everyone.
I Plan all my rides, including touring the Alps/ South of France in recent years using Bikemap, ridewithgps or komoot loaded into hammerhead karoo1 on the bike, tried and tested faultless system in my humble opinion(A couple of Years ago I actually threw my garmin over a hedge in the south of France in pure frustration ...a long story)
Have a play around with all of them to find the one you prefer, you need to be confident it will get you back quickly and safely
Have a play around with all of them to find the one you prefer, you need to be confident it will get you back quickly and safely
Yes you can follow a pre-loaded route without data, but you can't modify your route or explore etc without data. Clearly not a problem for many people but I didn't like that.
Now I've tried OutdoorActive is doesn't seem as bad as I had feared. In particular, it's battery usage did not seem excessive (offline mode, screen off almost all the time, which I how I expect to use such an app when using it more seriously). It does appear to use GPS heights still which are always very inaccurate and lead to very overinflated height gained/lost figures. (Still that's a cheaper way of cheating height gained than buying an ebike is!)
For my usage (mainly walking not cycling) I'd use Orux as a free (or almost free) app if I didn't want OS maps, which Komoot doesn't offer. Not to say it's a bad app, but Komoot looks irrelevant to my requirements.
Another thumbs up for Osmand.
Cycle routes highlighted (including off road such as old railway lines and byeways).
Maps are in many ways clearer than OS, yet show loads of info.
Navigation really does keep you to the quiet back roads.
Best of all it is free!
Cycle routes highlighted (including off road such as old railway lines and byeways).
Maps are in many ways clearer than OS, yet show loads of info.
Navigation really does keep you to the quiet back roads.
Best of all it is free!
D
Deleted member 33385
Guest
It's cheap enough on places like freelancer, but time consuming if you want it done right:
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D
Deleted member 33385
Guest
Google Maps
Google Maps is free. You agreed to give your data by using it, just like every internet gift horse. Of course they monetise it - how else do you pay for mapping of that scale (and I don't mean 1:50000 scale
Quite horrendous:
Facebook says dump of 533m accounts is old news. But my date of birth, name, etc haven't changed in years, Zuck
Account info swiped in 2019, sold online, now given away for free
www.theregister.com
But the "proof of the pudding" will be when I try them out in areas I don't know well, it will all be either wonderful or my rotting corpse will be found several weeks later in some remote part of the Galloway Forest park.
Rise in people discovered dead and decomposed in England and Wales raises concerns
An exploratory study has raised concerns about the increasing number of people in England and Wales whose bodies are discovered so late that they have decomposed.
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