Anyone use phone GPS for biking? [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

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Aggie_Ama

03-23-2009, 10:30 AM

I saw an ad in Bicycling for a GPS application for Blackberry that looks pretty interesting and reasonable. I would rather have a Garmin but right now I don't have a wad of cash. I thought I might try this out though and keep using my Cateye since I already have a Blackberry Curve I carry every ride. Anyone familiar with it? Like it? Think it is worthless?

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/TrimbleOutdoors.aspx

PscyclePath

03-24-2009, 06:23 AM

I've got a GPS utility on my cell phone that I use occasionally for navigational purposes when I get "lost" somewhere... doesn't have all the mileage/speed features. but sure helps sometimes to figure out which street or road is the right one, or how to get from where I've gotten off to, to wherever it was I was supposed to be going in the first place. (I have a bad habit of always wanting to try out "new roads"... )

Tuckervill

03-24-2009, 06:45 AM

I use the Google nav app on my BB Curve. It doesn't have GPS coordinates, and it uses cell phone towers to pinpoint your location. So, if you use "your location" as a starting point, it will say something like, "turn down country road 19..." and three more steps until it gets you to the interstate or major highway. In the context of a 1400 mile car trip, that's okay. On a bike ride, it could be a hindrance.

On the other hand, you can just look at the map it shows to figure out where you are. That has its drawbacks, too, when, in rural Oklahoma, the street signs don't match the street names on the map, but you *know* you were in the right place two blocks ago.

Karen

Aggie_Ama

03-24-2009, 08:02 AM

Maybe at $5.99/month I am going to have to be the guinea pig for the board. :p I could try it for a month, I guess?

chicago

03-24-2009, 08:07 AM

I am purchasing a Garmin Edge 705 very soon:D

Aggie_Ama

03-24-2009, 08:15 AM

:p Well my lack of about $600 bucks is why I am thinking $6 is more my budget. Plus I am going to wait for them to fix all the crud they can't seem to get right on them because I have zero patience.

uforgot

03-24-2009, 09:54 AM

I had ATT navigator for a one month trial. Decided I wasn't paying for internet on my phone just for the GPS. I have my son's garmin nuvi right now and it seems to do the same thing the ATT did. No speed or anything, but I have a computer on my bike anyway. Those nuvis run from $100-$200. way cheaper than the $35 month internet/navigator. If you already have the net on the phone, then the $5 per month is certainly reasonable!

BabyBlueNTulsa

03-24-2009, 10:27 AM

I haven't heard about Curve specific GPS application stuff like for the iPhone (MapMyRide has an iphone app that i hear works okay). But..maybe it does have something like that for free like iPhone does. ???

I picked up my 705 from CompUPlus for a little under $400 last year (the HR monitor version)...and then later got the street maps for $100 from Garmin.

Those puppies don't have to cost you an arm and a leg.. (though $500's bad enough, I guess! just not as bad as it could have been)

CycleTherapy

03-24-2009, 12:29 PM

I use an iPhone and an application called RunKeeper (It has options for cycling, walking and hiking too). It has two levels; a free version or a Pro @ $9.99 version. The Pro gives you the added feature of an audio feedback. Using the iPhone's GPS it tracks your route, time, speed/pace, distance. Further it downloads the info. automatically to a website: http://www.runkeeper.com/

It is an awesome application, also MapMyRide is available as an iPhone application. I prefer the RunKeeper. With the iPhone I really have no need for something like a Garmin.

chicago

03-24-2009, 12:31 PM

BabyBlueNTulsa

03-24-2009, 12:35 PM

hey BabyBlue... do you have cadence?

So are you telling me I can get the GPS with only the heart rate option and add the SD city card later??

Yup! That's what I did! I don't have the cadence monitor, but after using a Powertap before this, I figured I could do without. :-)

Mr. Bloom

03-25-2009, 01:03 AM

I have an iPhone with iMapMyRide...but battery life is the issue. Both Silver and I are sticking with our Garmins

BabyBlueNTulsa

03-25-2009, 04:50 AM

You gals looking for a 705 on the "cheap".. My tip is to vary the way you search for prices on the thing.

I remember that when I found my 705, I tried getting back to it from different search engines. Doggone if I didn't get different prices. Makes sense, I guess.. they probably have different "sponsored result" deals with different search engines.

Be patient and keep at it. The super-duper price I found seemed too good to be true ($390-something like that)... for a 705 w/HR ?? It was nuts. I checked out the website to make sure it was a real place and then snagged that puppy up.

I've checked the site where I got mine and it says they're out of stock/backordered right now. Its not giving a price at the moment. I get "deal" emails from them every week though and maybe there'd be an extra discount linking through that when the things get back in stock. If anyone wants... send me a PM with your email and I'll send you my next "deal" flyer so you can have a backdoor-style "in".

They CAN be had for less than $600, ladies. :) No reason to settle for less than what you really want - if the 705 is what you really want. :D

Aggie_Ama

03-25-2009, 05:28 AM

I still think I am going to try it because once I get a Garmin it is NEVER going mountain biking and this would also work for running. I have seen now 4 Garmins meet unfortunate demises because people use them on the trail and I am not Ama Moneybags.

Plus I probably won't be getting a Garmin until at least Christmas because no point buying the basic one when I want all the bells and whistles on it and then if I get one DH gets jealous and wants one for himself, we are like kids about stuff like that. :p

Thanks for the tip Baby Blue. I now know to start watching because the Garmin is already on my radar as Christmas present.