Route sharing with others - navigation app?

[drossall]

This is actually walking, but the apps tend to be similar. I'm involved in marshalling a sponsored walk/hike. Traditionally, paper instruction sheets have been given out, with monochrome and rather rough photocopied maps at tiny scales, and that's been OK. But, in these days of smart phones, I thought a link that worked for an app (with a QR code to show off) might be better.

I've tried Komoot, but I can't see how link recipients would navigate without buying map packages. Unless it's just messing around because I'm ten miles from the start, sitting here at home. I think I'm looking for this:

• Share a link (via the QR code) and people have it open the app in their smartphones
• Invited automatically to install app if you don't have it already
• No requirement to create a sign-in account (many people may not need it again until next year)
• Just press a button immediately to navigate, no messing around with loads of options and stuff
• Turn by turn navigation ("Go right here!") is more important than mapping, as folk won't necessarily be map readers anyway
• They are getting a route sheet with numbered points, so a real bonus if I can add waypoints to confirm that they are now at Point 9

In other words, scan this QR code, hit Go!, and your phone will confirm you're on the route and tell you about each turn, all the way round.

Any thoughts? I suppose I could just use Google Maps, but I'm not sure about offline if we go out of decent reception. (Not that this is anywhere remote.)

[Feanor]

On my epic ride across South America, they used RWGPS.
They had set it up in some kind of way that the tracks were only visible to people they had sent an invite link to, or somesuch.

Users can either download the tracks to use on their own GPS devices, or use the RWGPS app on their phone.

[Lightning Phil]

RWGPS can do this with spoken directions. But you’ll need a premium account to do the custom spoken cues etc. You don’t need a premium account to use what’s created. I think they’ll need to sign up for a basic account.

[grams]

You need a premium account to navigate on your phone using the RideWithGPS app.

I made an app called BikeGPX that does fits most of your requirements, with the caveat that it doesn't do turn-by-turn instructions, only "here is a big red line to follow".

[telstarbox]

Is this a town or country walk? If the latter are you sure turn by turn will help without street names etc?

[Kim]

On my epic ride across South America, they used RWGPS.
They had set it up in some kind of way that the tracks were only visible to people they had sent an invite link to, or somesuch.

Users can either download the tracks to use on their own GPS devices, or use the RWGPS app on their phone.

This seems reasonable.  Ask 10 GPS users what they want to use and you'll get 20 different answers.  If you make a GPX track (waypoints, etc) available, they don't have to learn your pet software, or use a phone when they've got a perfectly good Garmin, or whatever.

[perpetual dan]

I think that the paid for maps on komoot are just sport specific maps. The basic local map is free.

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[Pingu]

On my epic ride across South America, they used RWGPS.
They had set it up in some kind of way that the tracks were only visible to people they had sent an invite link to, or somesuch.

Users can either download the tracks to use on their own GPS devices, or use the RWGPS app on their phone.

I found the Love Velo RwGPS routes before they sent us a link to them 

[drossall]

Is this a town or country walk? If the latter are you sure turn by turn will help without street names etc?

My idea is that all people need to know is (1) I need to turn right at point A and (2) I am now at point A. No mapping needed, although RWGPS has it, which is helpful. Especially if they aren't natural map readers anyway.

I've tried setting it up in RWGPS and it's definitely an improvement on Komoot. You have to turn on the location marker. The mapping does work, though prompted navigation requires a paid account. However, you can turn on a cue sheet that, combined with that location marker, should be OK. You just have to fiddle with settings to make these things happen, which is a shame for the less technologically literate, but the nearest I've seen to what I outlined.

[L CC]

On my epic ride across South America, they used RWGPS.
They had set it up in some kind of way that the tracks were only visible to people they had sent an invite link to, or somesuch.

Users can either download the tracks to use on their own GPS devices, or use the RWGPS app on their phone.

I found the Love Velo RwGPS routes before they sent us a link to them 

If you pay for a club account or an event account you can make them invite only.

£250/year. VC167 have decided it isn't worth it for us.

[perpetual dan]

Is knowing that you're at point A necessary, eg for getting a stamp? Or would voice instructions "turn right here" be enough?

I suspect sign up will be something most services will want, but is probably a more familiar process than than fiddling with settings for a new user.

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[drossall]

Knowing you are at a point is only necessary to know that this is the correct place to turn left, or whatever. There are no stamps, and not necessarily marshals at every point (a few of us will be dashing round to the main ones). Voice instructions do seem to need sign-up on every app I've looked at.

The walk attracts all ages. For some, signing up won't be at all familiar, and installing an app may be something of a novelty. For the younger ones, if they can get more by signing up, and choose to do so, then great - but, from what I've seen, to get full service you typically need to pay as well. So I really wanted an app that gives some basic service without sign-ins/payment.

RWGPS remains front runner by some distance. I tested it today on a trivial walk around town, and it gave as much as I think I can expect. Pity you don't get a marker to say which cue card you're one - so, you've a list saying turn right, then left, then right, and it's easy to lose track of which instruction is next. But the map is there with a marker showing where you are so, as long as you can look at a map and see that you need to turn right at your current location, it should be OK.

[Feanor]

Yes. You seem to have quite a list of very specific requirements, all of which must be provided for free.

There will not be anything that matches that 100%.
The best you can do is compromise on what is already out there which best fits your use scenario.

FWIW, I've had to do something similar for a guided tour of neolithic sites.
I used RWGPS.
For GPS non-users, it makes no difference: They won't be using any GPS devices anyway. Anyone with the ability to use GPS will be able to use the RWGPS tracks one way or another.

[drossall]

I'm probably being unreasonable, but it's the realities of an event aimed at a range of people, many of whom may not walk the rest of the year, and some of whom may not have discovered the GPS receivers on their phones yet

So they aren't going to pay for an app, or even register.

Some of course may want to use it again, and even do both.

[perpetual dan]

I agree, it sounds like you're expecting quite a lot for an app that is apparently non-commercial.

Is the "owns a smart enough phone for such an app but won't register an account" crowd much the same as the "people that would rather have a photocopied map"? That might simplify things, and if they're up for a walk for your event and own a smartphone, it might well be that they'd enjoy other walks e.g. on holiday.

I've no idea how complex or unfamiliar the ground is, but I'm assuming you're not sending anyone into the distant wild with this inexperience and setup!

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[drossall]

They are getting a photocopied map. This is an experiment to see what the interest is in doing it digitally. I could report back if you like.

This walk starts and finishes in suburban Hertfordshire, and goes at least 300 metres from the nearest road accessible by ambulance, so pretty remote and wild, yes

[Lightning Phil]

You might want to consider simply putting some discrete arrows around the route. Put them up a day or two before, take them down after. If using an app is going to generate a thousand queries and still see some getting lost.  You question whether it’s the right option.

[drossall]

The app is just an additional experiment. Everything that's happened for decades is still happening in terms of directions and copied maps. It was more a case of reacting to people being less used to looking at those maps.

I'll report back

[Lightning Phil]

It was more a case of reacting to people being less used to looking at those maps.

Less used compared to using an app for walking directions? In which case ask them which apps they use?

You could of course write a simple turn by turn Route sheet, audax style.  Make it a pdf and they can stick it on phone or e-reader if they want to view electronically