Smart Watch for Bike Directions
March 26, 2022 11:38 AM Subscribe
How effectively do smart watches (such as Apple Watch) provide directions for bicycling in cities?
I have an opportunity to buy a used Apple Watch for a low price. Normally, I would have no need for such a thing, but I recently learned that they can provide turn-by-turn directions for walking and bicycling. I hope to get more experience with city biking this year (mainly in Minneapolis, in case that makes a difference). Ten years ago, getting a GPS for my car completely transformed my experience of city driving in terms of safety and efficiency. Would a GPS for biking have some of the same benefits?
I'm wondering whether the suggested routes are in fact good ones, whether the UX is distracting or helpful, and whether bicycle trips, being shorter and slower by nature, are even improved by having GPS.
If someone has experience with a non-Apple smart watch, I'd be interested in that, too. Likewise if someone loves smart watch directions for walking.
I have an opportunity to buy a used Apple Watch for a low price. Normally, I would have no need for such a thing, but I recently learned that they can provide turn-by-turn directions for walking and bicycling. I hope to get more experience with city biking this year (mainly in Minneapolis, in case that makes a difference). Ten years ago, getting a GPS for my car completely transformed my experience of city driving in terms of safety and efficiency. Would a GPS for biking have some of the same benefits?
I'm wondering whether the suggested routes are in fact good ones, whether the UX is distracting or helpful, and whether bicycle trips, being shorter and slower by nature, are even improved by having GPS.
If someone has experience with a non-Apple smart watch, I'd be interested in that, too. Likewise if someone loves smart watch directions for walking.
Only Apple Watch series 3 or later has built-in GPS. If it doesn't, then you'd need your phone to navigate anyway.
posted by kschang at 2:06 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by kschang at 2:06 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
My experience is with Apple Watch.
There are several apps that will give you turn-by-turn bike directions on an Apple Watch. If you specifically want audible turn-by-turn directions --like a voice telling you to turn left at the next intersection-- there are no watch apps that do this as far as I know. Instead it'll be either a beep or haptic feedback (a tapping sensation on your wrist) when you're supposed to prepare for a turn. The problem is that you won't know what direction to turn based on this alone and you'll need to glance at your watch to get that information. Not a big deal in many situations, but if you're moving fast or in a hectic environment you may not want to take your eyes off the road.
As an alternative you may want to look into mounting your phone on your handlebars, since it'll have a bigger screen and you can also have audible turn-by-turn directions. Another option is to use bluetooth earbuds so you can hear the directions from your phone if it's in a pocket or backpack. Don't do this if they block the ambient sound around you (it's dangerous!) -- so use "transparency mode" or whatever similar feature your earbuds may have.
Note that Apple Maps doesn't have bike directions for Minneapolis yet. You'd be using a third-party app such as Google Maps (free), Ride with GPS (free, but pay for navigation) or Strava (free, but pay for navigation). All of these have good bike routing features, but Google Maps is easiest to use for your purposes.
posted by theory at 3:27 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
There are several apps that will give you turn-by-turn bike directions on an Apple Watch. If you specifically want audible turn-by-turn directions --like a voice telling you to turn left at the next intersection-- there are no watch apps that do this as far as I know. Instead it'll be either a beep or haptic feedback (a tapping sensation on your wrist) when you're supposed to prepare for a turn. The problem is that you won't know what direction to turn based on this alone and you'll need to glance at your watch to get that information. Not a big deal in many situations, but if you're moving fast or in a hectic environment you may not want to take your eyes off the road.
As an alternative you may want to look into mounting your phone on your handlebars, since it'll have a bigger screen and you can also have audible turn-by-turn directions. Another option is to use bluetooth earbuds so you can hear the directions from your phone if it's in a pocket or backpack. Don't do this if they block the ambient sound around you (it's dangerous!) -- so use "transparency mode" or whatever similar feature your earbuds may have.
Note that Apple Maps doesn't have bike directions for Minneapolis yet. You'd be using a third-party app such as Google Maps (free), Ride with GPS (free, but pay for navigation) or Strava (free, but pay for navigation). All of these have good bike routing features, but Google Maps is easiest to use for your purposes.
posted by theory at 3:27 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have used Google Maps to check out urban bike routes, and found that it's surprisingly smart—it knows shortcuts that only a cyclist would think of and some paths that are only available to bikes. Others have found it to be not-so-smart.
And although I have used turn-by-turn directions for riding out in the countryside, I don't really use them in town. I prefer to study the map ahead of time and keep the noteworthy navigation points in mind. If I need to stop and remind myself what to do on the road, that's OK.
Ride with GPS is great for planning routes and finding routes drawn by other people, but it's not great for automatically generating routes. And a big difference between it and Google Maps is that it will tell you when you're off-route, but it will not recalculate your route on the fly. It will just beep at you in a disappointed manner.
Also, for spoken turn-by-turn directions, I use a bone-conduction headset (this one, FWIW).
posted by adamrice at 4:44 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
And although I have used turn-by-turn directions for riding out in the countryside, I don't really use them in town. I prefer to study the map ahead of time and keep the noteworthy navigation points in mind. If I need to stop and remind myself what to do on the road, that's OK.
Ride with GPS is great for planning routes and finding routes drawn by other people, but it's not great for automatically generating routes. And a big difference between it and Google Maps is that it will tell you when you're off-route, but it will not recalculate your route on the fly. It will just beep at you in a disappointed manner.
Also, for spoken turn-by-turn directions, I use a bone-conduction headset (this one, FWIW).
posted by adamrice at 4:44 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
FWIW with the Apple Watch you can know which direction to turn without looking down: the watch will make a different beep for a left or a right turn (and there will be a different tap pattern for a left or a right turn). I find it takes a little getting used to which signal is which, but it can be done.
posted by sriracha at 6:18 AM on March 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by sriracha at 6:18 AM on March 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
Just another vote for bone conduction headphones if you want to hear voice directions and podcasts on a bike while still hearing everything around you, just fantastic. (bit pish for music but that's sort of part of the whole dea) in london i look at google maps onscreen before i set off, then just work off of the audio directions, like an incredibly janky video game. It's an entertaining enough way to get around.
posted by ominous_paws at 8:12 AM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ominous_paws at 8:12 AM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
sriracha's comment led me to this page explaining how turn-by-turn directions work with Apple Watch. Relevant section if you're using only haptic feedback and not headphones:
After you head off on your first leg, your Apple Watch uses sounds and taps to let you know when to turn. A low tone followed by a high tone (tock tick, tock tick) means turn right at the intersection you’re approaching; a high tone followed by a low tone (tick tock, tick tock) means turn left. Not sure what your destination looks like? You’ll feel a vibration when you’re on the last leg, and again when you arrive.posted by theory at 1:51 PM on March 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
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