IPhone GPS in background

[surfymark]

So I did a bit of searching but didn't really find what I was look for.

I am looking for an IPhone app that will track my progress in Google Maps.

I want to have the option to either see some info constantly (like current speed, average speed etc) but also to have the option to turn off the screen completely and it keeps tracking my progress in terms of positioning and also the speed etc.

My wife has a watch which she uses for running. It shows the current speed and average speed etc. She then plugs it into the home PC when she gets home and it downloads the info to both it's own program to show graphs and tables and stuff of the speed at various points along the route etc, and also to Google Earth to track where she actually went on the map.

I would like exactly this really for the IPhone. Is this possible? My wife's watch is a Garmin by the way if that is helpful.

Many thanks
Mark

[Johnny]

You need Cyclemeter... Myself & Gretch have both been using it and it's pretty bloody good. I've also now got a Garmin Edge and whilst it's maybe a bit more accurate than Cyclemeter, for £2.99 you can't go wrong.

Have a look http://www.abvio.com/cyclemeter/

[neilus]

I use Runkeeper, which then gives you an option to upload the info to the web so you can then view it from your computer. A mate of mine uses MapMyRide, not sure that allows you to upload the data though.

[NitroNick]

neilus said:

. A mate of mine uses MapMyRide, not sure that allows you to upload the data though.

It does.
My suggestion would be a garmin. They are pretty expensive but they record stuff like temperature, gradient, calories, speed, heart rate, cadence etc. You won't need a lot of the stuff but the cadence, heart rate and speed I find are excellent. I have the edge 500.

[Digga]

I've had a Garmin 305 GPS watch for just over a year now and it's been very good until recently, but to be fair I had a few heavy offs, during which it shut down and then spazzed out. Just updated firmware so crossed fingers as all seems well again...

My mate uses this from his phone: http://www.endomondo.com

Looks good (and free) but I don't know whether there's a catch to it.

[surfymark]

Thanks for all the replies.

I downloaded Cyclemeter last night and tried it out on the way home. It looks pretty good and seems to do everything I wanted so I will give that a go for a while and see how it goes.

cheers
Mark

[Pupp]

Does the phone need line of sight for these GPS apps to work, or can it be tucked away in a pocket?

[surfymark]

Nope, mine is sat in my pocket with the screen off. You have to obviously have GPS on and Wi-Fi off (as it may interfere).

It also has to be the app that is in the fore-front to work, i.e. if you are listening to music or something, you have to start the music first, then the app, then lock the screen.

HTH
M

[john_p]

Motion-X will do this, plus do a "screen lock" (and play from iPod)

It also shows OpenCycleMap (much better than Google Maps) and lets you download maps offline for fast viewing.

Who else hates sitting there waiting for Google Map tiles to download when you're not sure what way to go next

[mackie1]

I used MotionX GPS. It's brilliant. With OS4 you can now run it in the background too.

However I also have a Garmin Edge 205 which I use mostly for logging as it has a much longer battery life. I'll use the iPhone if I'm following an unfamiliar route.

[surfymark]

mackie1 said:

I used MotionX GPS. It's brilliant. With OS4 you can now run it in the background too.

However I also have a Garmin Edge 205 which I use mostly for logging as it has a much longer battery life. I'll use the iPhone if I'm following an unfamiliar route.

Hmm, it does look good. I would say it is more suited to off-road cycling etc. I guess I am more looking for on-road cycling stats and for that I think the Cyclemeter looks slightly better in terms of the interface etc.

I will prob give MotionX a go too though as it does look pretty good (and probably more accurate).

thanks
M

[Raven Flyer]

Another vote for Motionn X. For off road riding it is unbeatable, for road riding others come close but lack track recording resolution. Motion X is the only one that has kept a sat lock on for the whole of a ride.

These apps are all battery hungry so I have an external battery and a 'dock extender' lead. The phone sits in a Ram cradle on the bars and the battery sits in a pocket. For sub 1.5-2.0 hour rides an external battery isn't needed.