I’m juggling too many map apps, and I’m curious what others do about this.

RideWithGPS is good for planning biking routes, but I don’t trust it’s automatic routing as much as I trust OsmAnd+. The latter is just better at picking routes than any other app I’ve tried.

For example, one of my regular trips is from Castro Valley, CA to Hayward. RideWithGPS takes me on A St to 2nd St. I happen to know that IMO A St is not safe for riding west of 4th. This makes me think RideWithGPS will take me on routes where I won’t feel safe in places I’m not so familiar with.

RideWithGPS route on A St

With OsmAnd+ I have options depending on the riding style I select. All of the results are safer:

  • “Balanced” and “Prefer Shorter Routes” styles switch to B St at 4th - there is a lot of car traffic on this route, but it’s ok OsmAnd+ route on B St

  • “Prefer byways” takes me on a pedestrian bridge over the freeway, and then takes side streets. This is the route I and my acquaintances usually take because it is much safer, and more relaxing than other options OsmAnd+ route on byways

If I want to go out and ride a certain trail in would be great to ask RideWithGPS to pick a route to the start of the trail, and to pick a route home from the end of the trail. But because I don’t trust it I’ve been doing a fiddly process of looking up directions on OsmAnd+, and making manual adjustments to match in RideWithGPS.

OsmAnd+ also has a route planner, but when I used it before instead of following streets it just drew straight lines between waypoints. Oh! But when I’m looking again now I see I just didn’t understand how to use it!

Ok, maybe I’ll do my planning in OsmAnd+, and see how that goes.

Those are just two of the mapping apps that I can’t seem to do without. There’s also:

  • Citymapper: plans mixed bike & public transit trips
  • Google Maps: has street view for previewing on-the-ground conditions ahead of time
  • Plot A Route: I’ve been using this for running routes for years. It can do bike routes too. But I don’t think it has a mobile app, or turn-by-turn directions
  • hanrahan@piefed.socialEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    Bit of a shit show I use Komoot for route plannning but ever since the bending spoons take over it seems to be enhitifying. i also use OSMAnd+

  • Korhaka@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    3·
    3 days ago

    I like Comaps as it works completely offline, just download maps before leaving home.

    • hallettj@leminal.spaceOPEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      That’s a helpful tip; thanks! OsmAnd+ also works offline - searching for locations, generating routes, and navigation all work if you download a regional map ahead of time.

      • Korhaka@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        I tried OsmAnd+ on an old tablet but it ran really slowly, often running out of memory (I assume) and crashing to desktop. Switched to comaps which was far more responsive. Probably got the hardware for both now but may as well keep to comaps.

  • MrWrinkles@leminal.spaceEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    I’m using Beeline with a Velo 2. I keep my phone stashed in a bag. I look up routes in Trailforks and either import as GPX or plan a similar route in the Beeline app. It has a road rating system, so I can thumbs down dangerous roads. I’m not sure what Beeline does with that. Which reminds me, I need to rate more roads.

    • hallettj@leminal.spaceOPEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      Rating roads sounds like a useful way to crowdsource! I noticed that RideWithGPS has heat maps, which I think is a similar idea in that it’s data on which roads cyclists prefer. But I didn’t see any indication that the app takes heat map data into account for generated routes.