Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apps Best Trail Navigation App

koerk

koerk

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 14, 2013
134
19
Hi.

Currently not in possession of an Apple Watch but contemplating getting one again in the near future.

I am a mountainbiker and sometimes like to look up gpx tracks on the internet and let me navigate along these routes, sometimes even as a vacation over multiple days.

I have a stem mount for my iPhone which is not ideal in the way that I miss turns when I'm riding at higher speeds and cannot look at the route or hear the navigation voice.

I use an app called komoot (don't know if internationally available, i am from Germany) which does offer navigation on imported tracks. They offer an Apple Watch app that shows the navigation and taps your wrist if you need to pay attention - which is what gets me exciting, in theory.

ViewRanger and OutdoorActive seem to offer similar functionalities with Watch support.

I just would like to know if anyone has any experience in using those apps with the watch in similar scenarios.
Does it work in practice and is it a superior experience?

Thank you very much.

koerk
 
koerk said:
Hi.

Currently not in possession of an Apple Watch but contemplating getting one again in the near future.

I am a mountainbiker and sometimes like to look up gpx tracks on the internet and let me navigate along these routes, sometimes even as a vacation over multiple days.

I have a stem mount for my iPhone which is not ideal in the way that I miss turns when I'm riding at higher speeds and cannot look at the route or hear the navigation voice.

I use an app called komoot (don't know if internationally available, i am from Germany) which does offer navigation on imported tracks. They offer an Apple Watch app that shows the navigation and taps your wrist if you need to pay attention - which is what gets me exciting, in theory.

ViewRanger and OutdoorActive seem to offer similar functionalities with Watch support.

I just would like to know if anyone has any experience in using those apps with the watch in similar scenarios.
Does it work in practice and is it a superior experience?

Thank you very much.

koerk
Click to expand...
I have used Viewranger, GPS Tracks, RunGo, Trails and a few other apps with mixed reviews for biking, hiking, running and walking.

Viewranger isn't bad. The app interface is crap on the phone, but does allow you to download maps and customize your gps experience. The watch app is "meh". Used it on a 15 miler in Yosemite and it compared favorably to my Garmin. You can use it to navigate but it's rather cumbersome in my opinion.

RunGo allows you to create route or run/ride along routes. You can create them on the phone or on the web. Works fairly well.

GPS Tracks is similar to Viewranger with a better interface, but I have Distance accuracy concerns. Same with Trails. Both apps offer a ridiculous amount of customization however.

There doesn't seem to be a perfect app. Even Strava's app doesn't work with the phone any longer, so that option is out too.

Wish I had better news. I run/ride with my Garmin and AW2 and will continue until the AW2 apps are better.
 
dallison13 said:
I have used Viewranger, GPS Tracks, RunGo, Trails and a few other apps with mixed reviews for biking, hiking, running and walking.

Viewranger isn't bad. The app interface is crap on the phone, but does allow you to download maps and customize your gps experience. The watch app is "meh". Used it on a 15 miler in Yosemite and it compared favorably to my Garmin. You can use it to navigate but it's rather cumbersome in my opinion.

RunGo allows you to create route or run/ride along routes. You can create them on the phone or on the web. Works fairly well.

GPS Tracks is similar to Viewranger with a better interface, but I have Distance accuracy concerns. Same with Trails. Both apps offer a ridiculous amount of customization however.

There doesn't seem to be a perfect app. Even Strava's app doesn't work with the phone any longer, so that option is out too.

Wish I had better news. I run/ride with my Garmin and AW2 and will continue until the AW2 apps are better.
Click to expand...

Gps tracks doesn't seem to display the navigation on the watch, does it?

The ideal thing would be to let the phone in my backpack do the heavy lifting, maybe connected to a powerbank, and just let the watch be my interaction device, telling me with taps when to pay attention not to leave the route.
Hoped there would be this kind of app

ViewRanger kind of disappointed me at their AW keynote that there all that info crap about the location I'm currently hiking, I don't need that when I'm on my bike. Or is that a misconception?

Thanks for your reply!!
 
Well,I use viewranger or motion-x gps for outdoor activities. Both has their drawbacks,but if used the right way,they seem to be ok. Of course it's easier when navigating on public roads,there Apple maps works best.
As people say,there is no such thing as the perfect app.
 
Forget about the wrist tap's when mountainbiking. When you are being bounced about on your bike on a gravel road or other uneven surface you won't allways notice the subtle taps the watch makes.
 
Craiguyver said:
I use Gaia GPS and have come to really like it. They just changed their pricing model to an annual subscription. Believe $9.99/year
Click to expand...

I love Gaia for hiking, not sure the watch app will do the tap to guide you, and like Der Keyser said seems like you never notice it. It has a watch app that I sometimes use to mark Waypoints, but that's all.
 
Der Keyser said:
Forget about the wrist tap's when mountainbiking. When you are being bounced about on your bike on a gravel road or other uneven surface you won't allways notice the subtle taps the watch makes.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input, that could actually be the case
It's strange, I got an AW in December and returned it three days later and now I'm looking for scenarios where it could make sense again. I'm weird
 
jjk454ss said:
I love Gaia for hiking, not sure the watch app will do the tap to guide you, and like Der Keyser said seems like you never notice it. It has a watch app that I sometimes use to mark Waypoints, but that's all.
Click to expand...

You're right. I was thinking of the waypoints feature but that's not what the OP was asking...
 
Good discussion... How about track recording and exporting? Do any of these allow you to save a track during an activity and then review it later? How about exporting it to a standard format or allowing viewing on the phone or a computer afterwards?
 
CobraPA said:
Good discussion... How about track recording and exporting? Do any of these allow you to save a track during an activity and then review it later? How about exporting it to a standard format or allowing viewing on the phone or a computer afterwards?
Click to expand...

Gaia does all of this
 
  • Like
Reactions: CobraPA
I have written a workout app called WorkOutDoors that shows a fully functional map whilst exercising. It is particularly useful when hiking.

I am in the process of adding the ability to review the route on the iPhone and export it for use elsewhere. It is not in the current version but will be in the version to be released in the next few weeks. The route is stored on the watch and transferred to the iPhone when they are next paired. The screenshot below shows the current development state of this functionality.

If you want more information then see www.workoutdoors.net or check out the dedicated thread on this forum.

IMG_5274.PNG
 
  • Like
Reactions: CobraPA and jjk454ss
cfc said:
I have written a workout app called WorkOutDoors that shows a fully functional map whilst exercising. It is particularly useful when hiking.

I am in the process of adding the ability to review the route on the iPhone and export it for use elsewhere. It is not in the current version but will be in the version to be released in the next few weeks. The route is stored on the watch and transferred to the iPhone when they are next paired. The screenshot below shows the current development state of this functionality.

If you want more information then see www.workoutdoors.net or check out the dedicated thread on this forum.

View attachment 709804
Click to expand...
Just purchased! Doesn't show up on my watch though. Is that a bug?
 
Thanks for buying the app. Have you used the "Watch" app on the iPhone to set it to be installed on the watch? It may be that it defaults to new apps not being installed on the watch.
 
cfc said:
Thanks for buying the app. Have you used the "Watch" app on the iPhone to set it to be installed on the watch? It may be that it defaults to new apps not being installed on the watch.
Click to expand...
It finally showed after a restart. I do have a few questions, however, which I will email you about. Thanks!
 
cfc said:
Thanks for buying the app. Have you used the "Watch" app on the iPhone to set it to be installed on the watch? It may be that it defaults to new apps not being installed on the watch.
Click to expand...

just bought your app....very impressive. can't wait to use it for cycling and for my upcoming hiking trip in Scotland! Why isn't anyone else doing this?!
 
hankdu said:
just bought your app....very impressive. can't wait to use it for cycling and for my upcoming hiking trip in Scotland! Why isn't anyone else doing this?!
Click to expand...

Thanks for buying the app!

I think that the reason other that watch apps do not have a vector map is because Apple do not make their map available for developers to use, like they do on the iPhone. They only provide it for snapshots rather than an interactive map as in their Maps app. And even if they did make it available then their maps do not have trails and therefore wouldn't be much use for outdoor activity apps.

Also they do not provide OpenGL on the watch, which is the graphics system that most third party vector maps are written in. This means that it is not easy to convert any existing code that is used to draw vector maps on the iPhone.

This meant that the WorkOutDoors map renderer for the watch had to be written from scratch. As far as I know it is still the only third party vector map available on the watch, even a year later, but I have no idea for how long that will last. Although I obviously want it to last as long as possible!
 
  • Like
Reactions: CobraPA
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back