jefmcg
Guru
I love using my android phone to track my rides, so much so that I was about to write a blog post about using Android for Audaxes: then my little phone died, just inside warranty. I've sent it off for a repair but that's going to take 5-7 business days, which means there is pretty well no chance of having it back by next weekend. Presuming that it is a warranty repair, the phones been dropped more than a few times.
And next weekend is another audax: I've gotten used to programming the route into Osmand and following the voice navigation, checking the screen as needed. I'm not sure how well I'll navigate without that help.
I've got handlebar mounts for my current phone, and an ANT+ HRM. As far as I know, there's no other handlebar mount for any phone that's as good as this http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/01/review-of-sportypal-sony-ericsson.html: my phone sits on the handlebar looking like a gps, albeit was a shorter battery life, but I've got around that with an external battery.
I've revived an old android to get me through until my phone comes back, but it's pretty broken: I can use strava to measure distance, but I don't think I can make Osmand work (the menu button doesn't work). Also, I don't have a great way of getting it on the handlebars.
One more bit of background; I've signed up for LEL, so I've got a lot of rides over the next 6 months.
So, what do I do for my Audax?
And next weekend is another audax: I've gotten used to programming the route into Osmand and following the voice navigation, checking the screen as needed. I'm not sure how well I'll navigate without that help.
I've got handlebar mounts for my current phone, and an ANT+ HRM. As far as I know, there's no other handlebar mount for any phone that's as good as this http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/01/review-of-sportypal-sony-ericsson.html: my phone sits on the handlebar looking like a gps, albeit was a shorter battery life, but I've got around that with an external battery.
I've revived an old android to get me through until my phone comes back, but it's pretty broken: I can use strava to measure distance, but I don't think I can make Osmand work (the menu button doesn't work). Also, I don't have a great way of getting it on the handlebars.
One more bit of background; I've signed up for LEL, so I've got a lot of rides over the next 6 months.
So, what do I do for my Audax?
- Pop the old, faulty phone in my pocket, and rely on strava distances, the route sheets and maps (last audax finished with only 15 minutes to spare, so getting lost would be bad)
- Buy another Xperia Active (it's not perfect, battery is small and they haven't update the UK ones to ICS. Also, if I get another one and the warranty repair comes through, I'll be stuck with two)
- Buy a new model Xperia, they seem to be the only one with Ant+ but they won't fit the mount.
- Buy some other phone
- Garmin - but I don't really want one, and they are pretty pricy - I need mapping - and I'm not sure how suitable they are for LEL, as you can't use them while the battery is recharging, unlike a phone. If I go that way, it may be the 810 I want, which won't be available in time. And I'll still have a phone in my pocket, playing my podcasts on long rides, so that's two devices to keep charged.