TM
It’s free but doesn’t work, shame 😏
Good free app
However the setting and editing of routes is rather clunky, and I can’t work out how to add remove way points after you’ve pressed plan route, or edit their order.
Best Cycle app for London
I’ve cycled in London for 15 years. And I found this app to be consistently better than any alternatives. I have always been super impressed by the quality and safeness of the suggested routes. The option to move between fastest, balanced, and quiet route is great.
Best to use the base map as Apple vector map for navigation. It takes one or two goes to get used to it, especially placing the start and finish points and saving the waypoint.
Best to use the base map as Apple vector map for navigation. It takes one or two goes to get used to it, especially placing the start and finish points and saving the waypoint.
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Great idea - impossible UI
The idea is great but the map is impossible to look at - how anyone can navigate using this is beyond me. The interface is incredibly unintuitive. The base idea is terriffic so I am rooting for you guys and the next version
Is this abandonware?
It doesn’t play nice on iPad for planning, and it feels quite outdated on iPhone.
Will apple remove it in the coming cull?
Will apple remove it in the coming cull?
Free and excellent!
Not much in life is free, and things as useful as this are hardly ever free (air is about the only thing I can think of), so I forgive it it’s little quirks. In short: excellent (once you get into the mi dart of the designer).
Can I give a 0 star
Maybe this app was made in 2008 cuz it has a nasty small squarish aspect ratio. Difficult to use. Laggy. Not smart. Was hoping to find a cycling planner app better than Strava or Google to help navigate county a-roads in a new area. Absolutely rubbish. Apple, take the app down. It’s not worth being on here.
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Great Routing
I’ve checked a fair few apps and this is the best for routing (in London at least). No other routing service incorporates purpose built Quietways, LCN, CS routes as well as CycleStreets. It’s so good Citymapper apparently uses CycleStreets routing!
I prefer using the CycleStreets app at the moment as it shows an overlay of wider cycle network (if you select the OpenCyclemap graphic display in settings) so it’s easy to start exploring outside of a routed journey.
Wish list:
-on the iOS app the choice of map graphics is cool, but it’s a shame the overlay of the cycle network (LCN, Quietways, CS etc) only appears on the OpenCyclemap style. It would be great if the overlay could be toggled on/off for all map styles.
-Apple Watch app 🤞🤞
-or lobby Apple to use CycleStreets routing on Apple maps 🥳
I prefer using the CycleStreets app at the moment as it shows an overlay of wider cycle network (if you select the OpenCyclemap graphic display in settings) so it’s easy to start exploring outside of a routed journey.
Wish list:
-on the iOS app the choice of map graphics is cool, but it’s a shame the overlay of the cycle network (LCN, Quietways, CS etc) only appears on the OpenCyclemap style. It would be great if the overlay could be toggled on/off for all map styles.
-Apple Watch app 🤞🤞
-or lobby Apple to use CycleStreets routing on Apple maps 🥳
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I love this app
I’ve cycled in Edinburgh for decades but this app has helped me find routes I would never have come up with on my own. The interface is maybe not the best but still, I love this app!
Best route planner for UK!
This is an app developed by UK cyclists and for UK cyclists. It’s true that the main effort has gone into getting the routing right and less into the interface. You need to practice a few times before using it as your sole guide.
It is just a route planner. If you want to have turn by turn instructions I recommend generating a gps track in the web version and uploading it to a GPS cyclecomputer or Bikemap on your ‘phone. Your device may generate its own routes, but they will be worse and sometimes ludicrous compared with this app.
This app deserves to have a good manual built in. For example, it wasn’t until I contacted the developers that I discovered how to route through intermediate destinations. (Just add them in turn before choosing “New”)
It is just a route planner. If you want to have turn by turn instructions I recommend generating a gps track in the web version and uploading it to a GPS cyclecomputer or Bikemap on your ‘phone. Your device may generate its own routes, but they will be worse and sometimes ludicrous compared with this app.
This app deserves to have a good manual built in. For example, it wasn’t until I contacted the developers that I discovered how to route through intermediate destinations. (Just add them in turn before choosing “New”)
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Doesn’t work on the go
This seems like a good app but it’s missing a major feature - there is no in journey mode so you can have it open as you cycle. If I have this open on my phone on the handlebars of my bike after a few mins my phone just goes to sleep because there is no way to tell the phone you are using it. Needs a ‘go’ button you could press that then puts app into sat nav mode
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Poor version of the web based application
I’m a big fan of the website and am generally very happy with the routes that are generated. However, the iOS app misses out a crucial feature. It doesn’t allow for downloading or exporting .gpx files of the route for using on navigation devices or other apps such as ViewRanger. Likewise, the mobile website is similarly nobbled. Shame, because the routing is excellent.
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Great but could be amazing
Only app I’ve found which has an option to keep you away from busy roads without having to pay a subscription fee. Only improvement I would suggest to developers is making it a little more user friendly. But overall a great app, especially for beginners who aren’t comfortable riding on roads.
Poor.
Very poor. Very poor indeed. In fact, useless.
Terrible!
Not intuitive, impossible to actually determine the planned route. Gives directions in bullet points of text rather than showing the suggested route on a map.
Good but not great
Took me on a route yesterday that definitely was not a cycle path. I was told to turn back and was annoyed but it wasn’t his fault. It was not the best path lots of rocks.
I had to say sorry to this guy who challenged me. I will be using it with care next time.
I used it before and it took me on bridleway correctly.
I had to say sorry to this guy who challenged me. I will be using it with care next time.
I used it before and it took me on bridleway correctly.
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Essential app for cycle trips
Hi. Awesome app, thanks for making it! I've been relying on it for my cycle trip (London to Liverpool), and it works brilliantly.
- When cycling, I've mounted my phone on my bike, with the app as a kind of sat nav; and I've also used it many times to reassure or correct myself when following the main (red) cycleways (e.g. if they have missing of confusing signs).
- The other use I've found is for checking the timings and planning where I can get to next - the estimates are really accurate for me, and the elevation graph is also really helpful to know what I'm going to be up against.
- I also like the reporting feature: when I find a problem, it's very satisfying to make a record of it. I'm naively assuming local authorities are looking at it to plan repairs - if not, they should, as it's a great way to crowd source!
I've got a few thoughts on potential improvements, too.
- The wiggly routes problem is still there. I realised this pretty quickly coming out of London - it's quite dangerous to be turning corners so much. (Gotta love a diagonal!)
- The map doesn't seem to have a key. It took me a while to realise the reddish routes are the national network, and the blueish ones are something else (with no signs, it seems!).
- The plotted route (purplish) is quite hard to distinguish, especially on the red. Some other colour or pattern would help there.
- Planning routes took a few goes to get used to. I was confused at first, because I wasn't sure why some actions I took had the effect they did: (1) tapping the location button selects it as a waypoint (unexpected); (2) tapping on a searched location selects it as a waypoint (unexpected); (3) if you're half way through plotting a route, there's no clear way to cancel (although I did discover the waypoints can be edited after a few days). Maybe having a pin for a potential waypoint, and a way to '+' it to your route would work better.
- I didn't find the saved/recent routes very useful, as the routes are saved by street name, whereas my interest was from town to town. Would have been really convenient otherwise, to save plotting the same routes over and over. (Perhaps there's a way I could have customises the naming myself.)
- Sometimes when I tap the "locate me" button on a plotted route, the map dances around indefinitely. Tapping it off and on again seems to fix it. This is when I get my phone out my pocket to check I'm still on course.
- When signing up for an account from within the app, I got persistent "failed" errors, which turned out to be due to me not verifying my email. Ended up reinstalling the app, before I twigged the verification might be the problem. Maybe there's a simple way to make the "failed" error more explanatory.
- The report categories are quite complex, and sometimes I wasn't sure which one to use (e.g. for "picture of route"). Since they only seem to change the icon, perhaps they could be simplified a bit ("Problem", "Observation").
- The reported photos have a date on them, but I couldn't find any way to comment, apart from posting another report. Some of the photos are from 2013, and are possibly invalid now. Particularly for temporary obstructions (trees), I was wondering how such reports can be audited.
- The routes can ignore the national cycle network, which sometimes has better quality surfaces for cycling. It would be good if the route options allowed me to express a preference to follow the national networks where possible.
I think that's all. All of the above are relatively minor suggestions, as none of them stopped me from using the app to meet my navigational needs. Thanks again!
- When cycling, I've mounted my phone on my bike, with the app as a kind of sat nav; and I've also used it many times to reassure or correct myself when following the main (red) cycleways (e.g. if they have missing of confusing signs).
- The other use I've found is for checking the timings and planning where I can get to next - the estimates are really accurate for me, and the elevation graph is also really helpful to know what I'm going to be up against.
- I also like the reporting feature: when I find a problem, it's very satisfying to make a record of it. I'm naively assuming local authorities are looking at it to plan repairs - if not, they should, as it's a great way to crowd source!
I've got a few thoughts on potential improvements, too.
- The wiggly routes problem is still there. I realised this pretty quickly coming out of London - it's quite dangerous to be turning corners so much. (Gotta love a diagonal!)
- The map doesn't seem to have a key. It took me a while to realise the reddish routes are the national network, and the blueish ones are something else (with no signs, it seems!).
- The plotted route (purplish) is quite hard to distinguish, especially on the red. Some other colour or pattern would help there.
- Planning routes took a few goes to get used to. I was confused at first, because I wasn't sure why some actions I took had the effect they did: (1) tapping the location button selects it as a waypoint (unexpected); (2) tapping on a searched location selects it as a waypoint (unexpected); (3) if you're half way through plotting a route, there's no clear way to cancel (although I did discover the waypoints can be edited after a few days). Maybe having a pin for a potential waypoint, and a way to '+' it to your route would work better.
- I didn't find the saved/recent routes very useful, as the routes are saved by street name, whereas my interest was from town to town. Would have been really convenient otherwise, to save plotting the same routes over and over. (Perhaps there's a way I could have customises the naming myself.)
- Sometimes when I tap the "locate me" button on a plotted route, the map dances around indefinitely. Tapping it off and on again seems to fix it. This is when I get my phone out my pocket to check I'm still on course.
- When signing up for an account from within the app, I got persistent "failed" errors, which turned out to be due to me not verifying my email. Ended up reinstalling the app, before I twigged the verification might be the problem. Maybe there's a simple way to make the "failed" error more explanatory.
- The report categories are quite complex, and sometimes I wasn't sure which one to use (e.g. for "picture of route"). Since they only seem to change the icon, perhaps they could be simplified a bit ("Problem", "Observation").
- The reported photos have a date on them, but I couldn't find any way to comment, apart from posting another report. Some of the photos are from 2013, and are possibly invalid now. Particularly for temporary obstructions (trees), I was wondering how such reports can be audited.
- The routes can ignore the national cycle network, which sometimes has better quality surfaces for cycling. It would be good if the route options allowed me to express a preference to follow the national networks where possible.
I think that's all. All of the above are relatively minor suggestions, as none of them stopped me from using the app to meet my navigational needs. Thanks again!
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Only map using opencyclemap to see national routes
Giving four stars and I’ve not used the app at all. Won’t use it for routing but its the only app that actual overlays the national cycle routes.
Incredible routing
You might think all you need is Google
maps, but think again. CycleStreets has surprised me numerous times with it’s innovative routing, finding shortcuts you wouldn’t know exist, and are still ideal for cycling. The interface maybe isn’t the most intuitive but once you’re tried to make a plan or three you’ll soon get the hang of it. Give it a try!
maps, but think again. CycleStreets has surprised me numerous times with it’s innovative routing, finding shortcuts you wouldn’t know exist, and are still ideal for cycling. The interface maybe isn’t the most intuitive but once you’re tried to make a plan or three you’ll soon get the hang of it. Give it a try!
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Mostly good
Decent app which will plot a cycle-friendly route between any two points. I think it tends to under-calculate distances however; two recent trips ended up a good 5 or 6 miles longer than displayed. Bit clunky moving between functions. Best way to use it I’ve found is to have it on a handlebar phone holder, get the gps location and then keep this on the displayed path, with the map in the background.
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