Anyone have any experience using an I-phone (on bike) for navigation(GPS)?

[mnbandit1200]

I'm wondering how well this would work, with the touch screen and gloved hands. Worth exploring or not? Thanks for any help, Keith.

[Aprilian]

The latest Aerostich catalog has leather glves with conductive thread in the fingers just for this very reason. Very hard to find on the web, but I found it.  http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-elkskin-roper-gloves-21.html

[Ray916MN]

I read a review (MCN?) on an Iphone bike mount. The tester commented that although the mount held the phone fine, the vibration was enough to make the phone act flaky and that it was very possible that an Iphone couldn't withstand regular use on a bike.

[supraman]

I read a review (MCN?) on an Iphone bike mount. The tester commented that although the mount held the phone fine, the vibration was enough to make the phone act flaky and that it was very possible that an Iphone couldn't withstand regular use on a bike.

A possible solution to shielding a phone from the vibes is the Ram "aquabox", it places your phone in a waterproof case with a foam backing. I have one on order right now: link.

They do say that the iphone screen can't be used through the silicone protector though.

[Greg]

The latest Aerostich catalog has leather glves with conductive thread in the fingers just for this very reason. Very hard to find on the web, but I found it.  http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-elkskin-roper-gloves-21.html

What a clever idea.
I just love the free market! 

[Elk]

And they are made of obviously wonderful elk hide.

[Chris]

RAM has a steam mount and a cradle for the iPhone, but the iPhone will not work with normal riding gloves. The aerostich glove looks like a good idea I just wounder how it holds up, sliding down the road.

http://www.ram-mount.com/CatalogResults/PartDetails/tabid/63/partid/082065077045066045051052050085/Default.aspx

[mnbandit1200]

Thank you for your insight...Lloyd.

[Elk]

While I agree with much of Lloyd's post, a GPS is a wonderful thing. 

At least for me it is a quicker glance down to see the picture than it is to find my place on a route sheet and convert this info into the upcoming turn and distance to it.

Route sheets are not difficult, but a GPS makes it brainless to navigate - leaving more brain power to ride.

I don't like smart phone navigation software nearly as much as a dedicated GPS but I can easily imagine that they can work well.  The capacitive touchscreen issue would be hard to address however - hence the discussion.

[aschendel]

I dream of a tablet-sized screen rocking truely good maps, like an automatically moving regional map.  In my limited experience, when I zoom in close enough to see the tiny little road I'm on / near, I don't get much context...  and when moving at 102 fps, I'd like a cosiderable amount of context.

a.s.

[Tim...]

Yep, my zumo does.  Put in the tank-bag and hooked up to some bluetooth ear-buds.  Definitely safer than trying to read a route sheet.

Certainly if your GPS can actually talk to you, that has got to be safer than looking down at it or looking down at a route sheet. It is all about inattentiveness or possibly more accurately about distraction.

[flyinlow]

I find it easier to see the GPS than find my place on a route sheet, especially on roads I've never been on.

And some of us have jobs where we are basically on call 24/7, so being in touch with the outside world is a necessity. This gives me the opportunity to actually ride my bike without having to sit at home by the phone.

[Ray916MN]

GPS is definitely better than a route sheet in my experience, but they aren't perfect. As Tim says, "Definitely safer than reading a route sheet".

Almost all talk to you, with the primary refinement being whether just say "turn left in 100 feet" or whether they say "turn left on Oak St., in 100 feet'.

The difficulty with GPS is they are not all the same. There are two different providers of map bases for the world and while they are very close to each other, they are not exactly alike. So a route built on one map base will not necessarily transfer perfectly to a unit using another map base.

GPS manufacturers use different routing algorithms, so even with matching map bases, different units may route between different points differently.

So it takes a bit more prep to use a GPS route and it is typically helpful to have a traditional route sheet to compare against.

Having said the preceding if everyone uses the same GPS unit or at least GPS units from the same manufacturers thing become much simpler.

I just ponied up and bought a Garmin Zumo 660 and I know Roger just did the same, so Garmin users should be good to go on any routes we're involved with.

Back to the original topic, I have no idea how routes created on Garmins work with Iphones, although I'm sure an Internet search will turn up so useful info.

[Elk]

I've done some digging and there doesn't seem to be a way to transfer GPS files to an Android phone. I like my Garmin better anyway. Maybe iPhones do a better job.

[Chris]

I've done some digging and there doesn't seem to be a way to transfer GPS files to an Android phone. I like my Garmin better anyway. Maybe iPhones do a better job.

I have not found one yet that will allow me to build a route then give me turn by turn directions. MotionX GPS will allow me to upload from Google Earth but there is no turn by turn for it.