# Bike Hub - Free Sat Nav for Cycles



## Bungle73 (Apr 9, 2012)

Saw a feature about this in the Sunday Times "In Gear" supplement. It works just like a car sat nav, but for bikes, using crowd-sourced routes(not just roads, but cycle paths too): points of interest, quickest/shortest/quietest route, voice turn-by-turn directions etc.

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bike-hub-cycle-journey-planner/id391782662?mt=8







Battery drainage could be an issue though - I read one review on iTunes that said it drained the battery in 15 minutes, I'm sure that can't be right. 

Android version available too btw.


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## London_Calling (Apr 9, 2012)

Becasue of traffic noise, I assume it can only really work with 'phones or earpieces?

tbh, I'd really worry I'd chill out and get into this and momentarily forget the psychos on 4-12 wheels approaching over my right shoulder. It just needs me to do that once....

Still, if enough people have positive experiences I'll give it a whirl.


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## Bungle73 (Apr 9, 2012)

London_Calling said:


> Becasue of traffic noise, I assume it can only really work with 'phones or earpieces?


Probably, but I only read about it yesterday, and haven't actually tried using it in anger myself yet. There's a lot of quiet country roads where I am anyway. You could always rely on the on-screen map (of course you'd need a handlebar mount for that).


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## joevsimp (Apr 9, 2012)

I've only used it to scout a route in advance, trying to memorise it, and using it to double check where I am. Unfortunately though, the route planner doesn't have the ability to set waypoints like google maps, which is a pain if you're trying to plan a detour on the way home from work to get a good long trip


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 10, 2012)

That's pretty neat...I know a few people who'd like this, cheers!


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## ExtraRefined (Apr 12, 2012)

http://www.cyclestreets.net/ has done this for a while. All navigation apps are huge battery munchers, especially the ones that constantly update and leave the screen on: under those cirumstances I usually see 2 hours.


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## IC3D (Apr 12, 2012)

I've used a free satnav in the car and found the directions often came too late hope this better, will look for a handlebar mount I think. I've got a battery booster thing that helps runnings a lot on a fairly rinsed 3GS


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## mrs quoad (Apr 12, 2012)

joevsimp said:


> I've only used it to scout a route in advance, trying to memorise it, and using it to double check where I am. Unfortunately though, the route planner doesn't have the ability to set waypoints like google maps, which is a pain if you're trying to plan a detour on the way home from work to get a good long trip


Is it odd / archaic that I take one-sheet printouts for this?

Additional advantage of presenting no worries at all if sweat-damaged, and being able to take one heck of a crash should all go wrong.


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## Piers Gibbon (Apr 15, 2012)

I've got bike hub..and tomtom as well..and I'd like to use 'em on bicycle and motorbike...but I have yet to find the right solution that means I have the iphone in front of me when I want to see it...but not stealable!

Have been trying putting the iphone in an armband thingy designed for jogging but tomtom/iphone does not allow you to lock the screen in landscape mode so it keeps shifting modes and is therefore dangerously distracting...


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## Bungle73 (Apr 15, 2012)

Why the hell would you leave the iPhone on the bike??


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## Piers Gibbon (Apr 15, 2012)

"Have been trying putting the iphone in an armband thingy designed for jogging but tomtom/iphone does not allow you to lock the screen in landscape mode so it keeps shifting modes and is therefore dangerously distracting..."


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## Bungle73 (Apr 15, 2012)

Piers Gibbon said:


> but tomtom/iphone does not allow you to lock the screen in landscape mode


Yes it does; but what does that have to do with leaving the phone on the bike?


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## Piers Gibbon (Apr 16, 2012)

I'd be grateful if you could let me know how to lock the iphone tomtom app into landscape mode

I'm not leaving the iphone on the bike...I am wearing it on an armband thingy...and I tend to take my arms with me when I leave the bike. The armband thingy keeps the phone itself in landscape mode so I'd love to know how to do that with the app!


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## Orang Utan (Apr 16, 2012)

i got it a while back and only used it a couple of times as i found it annoying and it directed you to go down shitty cycle lanes instead of the most direct routes. as a stubborn road user/cycle path avoider, it just wasn't for me.


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## Bungle73 (Apr 16, 2012)

Piers Gibbon said:


> I'd be grateful if you could let me know how to lock the iphone tomtom app into landscape mode


Double tap the Home button, scroll left and tap the left most icon (see image below).

 



> I'm not leaving the iphone on the bike...I am wearing it on an armband thingy...and I tend to take my arms with me when I leave the bike. The armband thingy keeps the phone itself in landscape mode so I'd love to know how to do that with the app!


You said you were looking for something to have the phone in front of you (ie on the bike) but so it wasn't "stealable". There are a few gadgets that let you attach the phone to the bike's handlebars, but they're not going to be thief-proof because only a fool would leave a >£500 phone laying unattended on their bike for all to see.



Orang Utan said:


> i got it a while back and only used it a couple of times as i found it annoying and it directed you to go down shitty cycle lanes instead of the most direct routes. as a stubborn road user/cycle path avoider, it just wasn't for me.


Even if you ask it to show you the shortest or fastest route?


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## Orang Utan (Apr 16, 2012)

Can't remember tbh - I didn't find it very user friendly or very accurate. It would often place you ahead or behind your actual location on the road and it made a very annoying bleep when it wanted you to turn


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## Piers Gibbon (Apr 16, 2012)

Bungle73 said:


> Double tap the Home button, scroll left and tap the left most icon (see image below).
> 
> View attachment 18230
> 
> ...


 
Thanks but that is how to lock the iphone itself (not tomtom) into PORTRAIT mode...what I am after is a way of locking the tomtom app itself into LANDSCAPE mode...very different

And no I didn't say that at all...I think you misread my post...having the iphone on my arm does keep it in front of me but it is not actually on the bike... my arms tend to stick out in front when I ride my bike

Anyway, thanks


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## Bungle73 (Apr 16, 2012)

Piers Gibbon said:


> Thanks but that is how to lock the iphone itself (not tomtom) into PORTRAIT mode...what I am after is a way of locking the tomtom app itself into LANDSCAPE mode...very different


What are you on about?  That locks the phone into whatever orientation it is in.  By definition that will lock the TomTom app.



> And no I didn't say that at all...I think you misread my post...having the iphone on my arm does keep it in front of me but it is not actually on the bike... my arms tend to stick out in front when I ride my bike
> 
> Anyway, thanks


So where does the "not stealable" bit come in then?

Why can't you just attach the phone to your handlebars?


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## Firky (Apr 16, 2012)

I couldn't use that app, I'd constantly be worried about getting squished or going into the back of a car.


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## Piers Gibbon (Apr 17, 2012)

Hello Bungle73...I think we are having two misunderstandings that would be very quickly dispelled if we were having a conversation in person

When I wrote my original post above it referred to my plan to use the armband holder - rather than fixing the iphone to the handlebars in the normal way

My use of the phrase "not stealable" was referring to the fact that I wanted to explore a way of NEVER leaving the iphone attached to the bike..y'see!

(this is simply a personal preference idea..I am not saying that your way is wrong or anything, of course I could just attach it to the handlebar)

With reference to the Portrait lockability of the iphone: I honestly believe that this is all it does - locks the iphone into portrait mode only (but this doesn't lock my tomtom app into Portrait mode btw)

I may be wrong. If you know of a way to lock the iphone into Landscape mode I'd be interested to hear it.

And if you know a way to lock the tomtom app into Landscape mode I'd be delighted to hear it!

thanks


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## Orang Utan (Apr 17, 2012)

you can lock it in landscape but you'd have to jailbreak it first.


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## Piers Gibbon (Apr 17, 2012)

thanks Orang Utan...given that tomtom takes no notice of Portrait lock in a locked phone I am guessing it will refuse to be cajoled into Landscape lock in a jailbroken one... I may be wrong


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## joustmaster (Apr 29, 2012)

well that was fucking useless. 
it had no idea where i was, the robot voice lady kept giving conflicting advice, it pissed half my battery away in 25 mins.

any one got a suggestion for an ok gps navigation thing. like one of those garmin jobs.


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## Piers Gibbon (Oct 13, 2013)

OMIGOD

After all that...there IS a way to lock my non-jailbroken iphone tomtom  app into landscape mode - and therefore use it in a jogging armband on both motorbike and bicycle

Basically - lock the phone in portrait...then open Accessibility - Assistive Touch - and use the icons to rotate your Device to the right....then open TomTom and invoke that Assistive Touch via the moderately annoying white circle that appears on your screen from now on

BINGO

Yipppeeee 

etc


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