Using phone rather than GPS watch - tips?

Triathlon Forum
1

I got tired of buying a new GPS every few years and still having hard-to-use technology that was very expensive for what it could do. I’m now using apps with my phone and am enjoying the big colorful screen and computing power of my phone, plus the rapid updates on apps.

I am looking for advice and tips from others who have also gone this route-- which apps, which sensors, how to carry, how they’ve got app screens configured for different sports or kinds of training, etc.

As for me, this is what I’m using now:
Phone: iPhone 6
Running app: Wahoo Fitness
Cycling App: Wahoo Fitness
HR sensor: Wahoo Tickr X
Phone/app remote: Magellan Echo (not the Echo Fit)
Cycling Computer: torn between Wahoo Protkt case and Wahoo Rflkt or Rflkt Plus
Speed/cadence sensor: none yet
Hiking/outdoors app: Gaia GPS
Running pouches for phone: SPIbelt dual pocket and AmphiPod Beltpod Smartview Sumo for other belts/packs

I’d be especially interested in hearing how others configure their app and Magellan Echo screens for training runs and races. I’ must coming off an injury, so don’t have much time tweaking my settings yet.

Anyone using running metrics much (Garmin’s or Wahoo’s)?

Thanks,
Tom

2

I got tired of buying a new GPS every few years and still having hard-to-use technology that was very expensive for what it could do. I’m now using apps with my phone and am enjoying the big colorful screen and computing power of my phone, plus the rapid updates on apps.

I am looking for advice and tips from others who have also gone this route-- which apps, which sensors, how to carry, how they’ve got app screens configured for different sports or kinds of training, etc.

As for me, this is what I’m using now:
Phone: iPhone 6
Running app: Wahoo Fitness
Cycling App: Wahoo Fitness
HR sensor: Wahoo Tickr X
Phone/app remote: Magellan Echo (not the Echo Fit)
Cycling Computer: torn between Wahoo Protkt case and Wahoo Rflkt or Rflkt Plus
Speed/cadence sensor: none yet
Hiking/outdoors app: Gaia GPS
Running pouches for phone: SPIbelt dual pocket and AmphiPod Beltpod Smartview Sumo for other belts/packs

I’d be especially interested in hearing how others configure their app and Magellan Echo screens for training runs and races. I’ must coming off an injury, so don’t have much time tweaking my settings yet.

Anyone using running metrics much (Garmin’s or Wahoo’s)?

Thanks,
Tom

I tried to do this, but the end result was me going back to the watch. The phone is clunky and invariably SOMETHING happens to it during the workout to screw up the data.

I have always felt that phones are good for “everything”, but they suck at specific things. One of the specific things they suck at is GPS tracking. My phone took me 1.5 miles farther than I was supposed to because of bad data.

When it gets down to the nuts and bolts of it, I have found it cumbersome to make a phone happen. Besides…you can’t have them in races so it is better to train with a solution that you can use on raceday.

3

My understanding from reading DCRainmaker and a couple of other sports tech blogs is that the more recent (current and maybe one previous generation) phones actually have quite good GPS chips/signal. Ray Maker has said that the software error correction/smoothing done by the apps can be hard to do well and is done poorly by many apps. He mentioned that Wahoo’s was good, which is one of the reasons I’m using their app.

In the few runs I’ve done so far, the data quality has been excellent.

4

phones actually have quite good GPS chips/signal.

Iphones since the 4s have been using GLONASS for additional satellite info. I also have great experiences with using my phone. The combination of cell phone, wifi, and satellite GPS has given me better GPS than any watch.

To the OP: It seems like you’re already doing it right. I just put my phone in a pouch and forget about it. I turned the audio alerts on in the strava app, and I’m golden. If you have a good belt, it doesn’t bounce at all if you put the pouch by your back. Beyond that, what does would you want?

As for biking, I prefer to use another device due to safety (Garmin 810.) If anything happens, I want my phone battery high in case I need to call someone.

5

I currently use Runkeeper on an iPhone 5. I keep the phone in a bento or jersey pocket, depending how I’m set up on a given day. I set it to give me an audio cue every X minutes if I want to know time, distance, current speed, average speed, etc. Works great. I don’t measure HR or power.

6

I got tired of buying a new GPS every few years and still having hard-to-use technology that was very expensive for what it could do. I’m now using apps with my phone and am enjoying the big colorful screen and computing power of my phone, plus the rapid updates on apps.

I am looking for advice and tips from others who have also gone this route-- which apps, which sensors, how to carry, how they’ve got app screens configured for different sports or kinds of training, etc.

As for me, this is what I’m using now:
Phone: iPhone 6
Running app: Wahoo Fitness
Cycling App: Wahoo Fitness
HR sensor: Wahoo Tickr X
Phone/app remote: Magellan Echo (not the Echo Fit)
Cycling Computer: torn between Wahoo Protkt case and Wahoo Rflkt or Rflkt Plus
Speed/cadence sensor: none yet
Hiking/outdoors app: Gaia GPS
Running pouches for phone: SPIbelt dual pocket and AmphiPod Beltpod Smartview Sumo for other belts/packs

I’d be especially interested in hearing how others configure their app and Magellan Echo screens for training runs and races. I’ must coming off an injury, so don’t have much time tweaking my settings yet.

Anyone using running metrics much (Garmin’s or Wahoo’s)?

Thanks,
Tom

I’m doing pretty much the same thing. iPhone 6, Tickr Run, use the Wahoo app for tracking. For a running watch I have a Casio Omnisync (like the echo but cheaper, waterproof, a full featured casio watch, but not nearly as nice/customizable a display). I’ve been having the watch display average pace, HR and distance, but I used to have it alternate between two screens and have cadence and a couple of other thing on there. I just put the phone in a pocket or water bottle belt for longer runs. It would be nice to not have the phone in my pocket for the shorter runs, but it’s not a big deal, and I haven’t had any issues with data quality. I don’t know what to do with the running metrics to be honest, other than thinking my new shoes have helped “smoothness” and my cadence is too low to be fast.

For cycling I have the RFLKT, I’d really recommend it. With the screen off the iPhone 6 battery drains only about 5% an hour (the 6 seems to have a much better battery than my 5 did). I then just stash the phone in a saddle bag or jersey pocket. It works great, and you can customize the screens a million different ways. You could also get the RFLKT+ but I think the iPhone 6 already has a barometric altimeter in it so unless you need an ANT+ bridge, there’s not much benefit. I also have the Blue SC speed/cadence sensor and it’s been great, it never drops and the battery seems to last forever.

I’ve been reasonably happy just using the phone, but for racing it’s not ideal. Obviously you can’t use it for anything swim related. I ran a tri with my setup (and you can use your phone, just can’t use it as an audio device so no headphones or music playing out of it, at least according to the race directors interpretation of USAT rules) and it worked ok but I probably lost a minute in transitions moving from one sport to the next. For a MOP guy like me not the end of the world, but a watch where you just push a button would be nice. Swim metric tracking would be nice too. But I’m not at all ready to drop $500 on a triathlon capable watch, especially when I don’t want to be looking at a watch while cycling. I’ve only been running tris for a couple of years so maybe my tune will change if I get more serious about it, but I’m reasonably happy with my setup now.

7

I use my iPhone as my cycling computer, nothing else. I use a quadlock case mounted on my stem, a Wahoo bluetooth cadence module, and a Wahoo bluetooth HR monitor. I only use Strava for activity tracking and I run my screen on at all times. I keep a small backup battery in my bento box with a 3" lightning cord that keeps my phone up and running for about 6 hours.

The only time Strava gives me hassles is after an update that changes the background refresh of the app off. When that happens, if I lock the phone, run mapping, pandora, messages, etc, it pauses Strava. If background refresh is on, it has been flawless regardless of whatever else is happening.

Once someone comes out with a retrofittable dual crank based bluetooth power solution, I’ll add that to the mix as well.

8

I’m currently using my iPhone 5s with Strava for both running and ciclying, but I’m gonna switch to the garmin 920tx. It seems like an easier way to track all of my workouts.

What do you think about the wahoo trickr? Can you track your indoor workouts with it?

9

I have an adroid phone (galaxy s4 mini). i bring it on long runs and bike rides.
i have used it as a gps watch, esp. since i only got my gps watch recently. but i found that with my phone, anyway, i didn’t like having to do it. it always worked out, but the problems i came across -
-i didn’t like touching it too much with my sweaty hands
-when i had to rely on it for navigation, i worried i’d interrupt the program tracking my workout (strava or mmr)
-sometimes when i’d look at it, it’d be doing something ridiculous, like askign to download a font or something
-if i’m tracking a workout i don’t want to turn the thing off and on again, which sometimes i need to do since my phone’s a POS
-sometimes i’m just going for a run, and i want to have my hands free and nothing in my pockets. ergo, the watch.

of the various run tracking programs, i wound up liking strava the best, for reasons having nothing to do with the segments. (but then i got addicted to the segments anyway). hated, hated runkeeper.

10

I dabbled with this but even with a newer phone, for anything but a short ride (1-2 hours) constantly using GPS kills the battery. I also hunt and after a couple seasons of using a hunting gps app on my phone gave up and bought a hand-held GPS for hunting purposes. Most days who cares if the battery drains? But then . . what if you need to make an emergency call?

11

Sorry I’m probably missing something here but what do you use GPS for when hunting?

12

Sorry I’m probably missing something here but what do you use GPS for when hunting?

When hunting big woods, finding your way to your hunting spot or back to your vehicle or camp. Marking good areas to hunt, etc. Typically you are going in and out of the woods in the dark. But even in daylight trying to find a very specific spot the GPS helps. Think geocaching . . . except the cache is your hunting spot.

13

I’m currently using my iPhone 5s with Strava for both running and ciclying, but I’m gonna switch to the garmin 920tx. It seems like an easier way to track all of my workouts.

What do you think about the wahoo trickr? Can you track your indoor workouts with it?

If you have the tickr run or X you can use it on the treadmill or for indoor running. I tried that out over the weekend- you run a 6 minute calibration on the treadmill at a few different paces (easy, medium, hard) and then tell it what speed you were running and that gives a calibration curve. I then ran a couple of miles at a fourth pace and it was pretty much spot on. Of course the engineer in me was thinking “I’m just getting a good prediction of my calibration data” so I need to see if going to different treadmills or an indoor track both worth as well, but so far so good.

14

I have an iphone 4 (two cans and a wax string I know). I use the Wahoo fitness app on occasion. I find the metrics to be very close to my V800 in terms of pace/distance, etc. With Wahoo YMMV with each and every Apple IOS that comes out. The upgrade tends to break the Wahoo app. Wahoo comes out with some upgrade to fix what doesn’t work anymore (in theory) and the cycle continues. I currently have IOS 7 on my phone and I can’t pair any BLE device to my iphone via Wahoo. I haven’t received any response from Wahoo concerning this. One thing that I do like about the app is the voice announcements that will give you your splits/pace, etc.

G

15

I currently use Runkeeper on an iPhone 5. I keep the phone in a bento or jersey pocket, depending how I’m set up on a given day. I set it to give me an audio cue every X minutes if I want to know time, distance, current speed, average speed, etc. Works great. I don’t measure HR or power.

+1

I gave up on the watch. I run at lunch in downtown Denver and I cannot get any watch to get a signal until I’m at least a half mile into my run and away from the buildings, then I need to stop and wait again for the watch to connect. I just carry the phone in my hand and run the headphones under my shirt. I have audio cues on the mile or 1/2 mile to give me average pace and split pace. It seems fairly accurate and I can get recording right at the start.

As for bike, I always carry the phone in my jersey or bento box but I rarely use it for a computer. If I do, I use mapmyride.

16

Sorry I’m probably missing something here but what do you use GPS for when hunting?

When hunting big woods, finding your way to your hunting spot or back to your vehicle or camp. Marking good areas to hunt, etc. Typically you are going in and out of the woods in the dark. But even in daylight trying to find a very specific spot the GPS helps. Think geocaching . . . except the cache is your hunting spot.

Thanks. How on earth did people manage to hunt without GPS?

17

Sorry I’m probably missing something here but what do you use GPS for when hunting?

When hunting big woods, finding your way to your hunting spot or back to your vehicle or camp. Marking good areas to hunt, etc. Typically you are going in and out of the woods in the dark. But even in daylight trying to find a very specific spot the GPS helps. Think geocaching . . . except the cache is your hunting spot.

Thanks. How on earth did people manage to hunt without GPS?

The same way they managed to ride their bikes or run before gps or computers were invented. The old fashioned way: Maps, Compass, Woodsmanship. All of these are still requirements. The GPS is just a convenience. The same can be said for marine use. I wonder how many boat owners still know how to use a chart or to plot a course?

18

I have an iphone 4 … I currently have IOS 7 on my phone and I can’t pair any BLE device to my iphone via Wahoo…

I’m pretty sure BLE only works with iphone 4s or later, so if you really do have wax and string, I believe this is a hardware limitation.

19

Sorry I’m probably missing something here but what do you use GPS for when hunting?

When hunting big woods, finding your way to your hunting spot or back to your vehicle or camp. Marking good areas to hunt, etc. Typically you are going in and out of the woods in the dark. But even in daylight trying to find a very specific spot the GPS helps. Think geocaching . . . except the cache is your hunting spot.

Thanks. How on earth did people manage to hunt without GPS?

The same way they managed to ride their bikes or run before gps or computers were invented. The old fashioned way: Maps, Compass, Woodsmanship. All of these are still requirements. The GPS is just a convenience. The same can be said for marine use. I wonder how many boat owners still know how to use a chart or to plot a course?

Well that’s the point isn’t it. They have no idea.

Anyone who can’t use a watch and the sun to work out North and South and doesn’t know what GMT / Zulu time is shouldn’t be allowed out on their own. Let alone with a gun.

20

So far I have the Echo buttons set up as: top right-start/stop, bottom right-next screen, bottom left-previous screen, top left- light. Primary screen is cadence, current pace, total distance, current hr. Separate screens focused on pace, running metrics, and heart rate.

I think the the Echo and Rflkt are essentially the same unit functionally, developed in parallel with Wahoo and Magellan and using the same Wahoo API. Whether to get the RFLKT or RFLKT Plus seems to depend on if you’ve got an Ant+ power meter. As mine are not (wired Powertaps, and not inclined to “upgrade” yet). I asked Wahoo if they were going to start using the altimeter data from the iPhone 6, and the sense I got was they would, but they weren’t sure when.

I got the Echo rather than the Echo Fit as it can currently be found much cheaper, and I don’t have any need for an activity tracker. What I’d like to see are a waterproof version of the Fit that could be enhanced enough to use for swimming - it could be a Garmin Swim plus a basic Echo.

If the 4iiii Precision power meters become cheap enough, I’ll probably try that out on my MTB.