Verizon GPS Tools
I’m a minimalist…well, I like to get multi-function out of devices, gadgets and tools, more than having 8 tools with similar functions. For that reason alone I’ve never morphed into “Garmin Bike Guy”. There up upsides to specialized devices, but for the cost and clutter this one doesn’t make sense to add another dedicated GPS tool. But I do carry my phone on a ride for a couple of reasons.
- It’s good to get a call out to my wife if I get in trouble
- I like to sneak out of the office for midweek rides (a 10 minute rest/work break at my favorite remote office Cocktail Rock on San Juan Trail allows me to stay connected with my DroidX), all on the same “GPS” / Phone device.
- Now I can track my progress on the same DroidX- (Now that I have all kinds of Apps available on my phone I can get free and low-cost alternatives to the expensive GPS hardware I once coveted)
So if weight savings, convenience and multi-function aren’t enough reasons, here’s my favorite free and paid App for GPSing my way home.
My Tracks- By the Google Team tracks your GPS tracks and shows live statistics such as time, speed, distance, and elevation. Once you get all of your information in for the hike, bike, run or other outdoor activity you can upload it to your Google Spreadsheet, and share with your Twitter followers or Facebook Friends, all from your handheld device.
I like the My Tracks program because it’s free and uploads it to a spreadsheet. It was the first program I used on my first Droid HTC Incredible, but I found it a little clunky because the data was recorded into as standard XCEL spreadsheet stored on Google Docs. While all of the information was there, it was harder to read than the All-Sport GPS data I’d previously collected and uploaded from my now “hung up” Blackberry. The maps get viewed on Google Maps, which is a fine feature, and you can edit or delete points to adjust your map if desired. It does not however create a “.gpx” which some programs use to plot or record waypoints for future use.
So I jumped into the Android Market to find an appropriate program, and fortunately AllSport GPS, made by Trimble Outdoors had an Android solution. I installed the application, input my old user name from the AllSport GPS website (you get a free account when you log in to the website), and found all my previous data that I now am adding to. All your trips are recorded for you privately on theAllSport GPS website, or you can set your preferences to share with friends. You can even Tweet them and Facebook them if you’re a Manny Prado, or think anyone will care. I usually keep mine to myself, so people don’t know how I go from fit to fat at least once every other month.
AllSport GPS: The cost? $9.99. One time on Android Market…for you Blackberry Devotees, there’s a AllSport GPS application for you, check out AllSport GPS to download your specific GPS enabled phone software. Already using aDroid or Iphone? Scan here…to download.
It’s always cool to have a map of where you’re going, and a quick reference of elevation along the way. i can view the same map on my Droid as you see here.
During the ride AllSport GPS give me the speed and distance, (though I pocket it, rather than the optional DroidX bar mount to further clutter my handlebars). It also give average speed, max, elevation gain and loss, location, map of my current location and tracks ridden. I like to know how far I’ve gone and how long it took me to get there.
When you’re done, you click “STOP”, and AllSport gives you the option to “SEND”, and honestly that’s my highlight! I press send, hang up the bike in the garage, and the trip is immediately on the web to compare that same route to the last time I rode it…progress? Slower? More elevation because of slight route change? It’s all there…directly from my phone, with no wires to plug in, no data to sync or upload from my computer to a device’s website…again, less steps in my cluttered (wishfully minimalist) world to reduce the mess is important to me. So, one device being smart, helps me not need to be.
The AllSport web portal also tracks the different type of trips you’ve recorded for ease in tracking looking back later, and corresponds your weight to calories burned during that activity, based on the variables of your route. In my case, different tracking for Mountain Biking and Road Biking. Here’s a shared Mountain Bike Trip and a shared Road Bike Trip (note on the road bike trip the handset read 2205 feet elevation gain while the web data uploaded reads 4,189…found an AllSport bug). The 2200 is the closest to my friend’s 2300 Garmin reading.
Advanced fetures include downloading, or uploading GPX routes, and plotting your future course. I used a Marine Garmin GPS stuck in my pack the first time I road Palm Canyon Epic Trail, site unseen. Good news is it worked, and I made it out. Bad news, it took up half the space I allocated in my pack for water. Next time, I’ll be able to do the same thing with the route: download the file, send to my AllSport GPS program, and it will be readily available to track back the route I’ve borrowed from Mountain Bike Bill.
Looking to save a little cash on the hardware, and win on the weight savings, convenience and multi-function while tracking your cycling workout progress. The Droid gives you a ton of options, of course well beyond what I’ve shared here. There’s RunKeeper Free, Cardio Trainer, and tons of other Apps breaking everyday to compliment your mobile activities. Need to throw 5 minute check-ins into the workout so you’re not letting the world fly by? Check out Docs to Go, Dropbox, or Rooftop. Since I’m now an “other guys” to Verizon convert, and using the Android devices, there’s literally a world of Apps just waiting to be discovered.
1 Comment
Thanks for the review, Matt. We’ll double-check our elevation process but to explain it further we use two sources to help plot elevation. 1) What the phone captures with its GPS chip. 2) On our website, we take the route that your phone collected and run it against elevation survey data that the United States Geological Survey provides. There are several ways to calculate elevation gain and losses. Some sites subtract the high point and the low point to find the difference. We calculate every little bump, hump, hill, drop, and mountain to provide a cumulative gain and loss. -Kris @ AllSport GPS