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ends at home, inRoute rises to the occasion. The app nicely provides the mileage and estimated time to complete the route as designed.
Misfires On the downside, inRoute’s import func- tion is imperfect, though still highly man- ageable. Because inRoute only allows 25 waypoints per route, the same applies to imports from other GPX programs. For instance, when uploading a GPX file from another program, the 25-waypoint limita- tion in inRoute means that the full details of a more elaborate route cannot be imported. inRoute gets the gist of the route, but does not get every turn with perfection. I had mixed reactions about inRoute’s
ability to improvise when I deviated from the planned route. I liked that the app stayed focused on navigating to the next waypoint. (Google Maps and Apple Maps could do this seamlessly.) However, inRoute frustratingly repeats, “Recalculating, return to route when possible,” when I spontane- ously changed course during navigation. This can be particularly annoying after the fifth announcement. The good news is that it will stop the chant when the shortest dis- tance to the next waypoint is ahead of you and not behind you. inRoute does not include a route tracker.
Therefore, I recommend purchasing Speed- ometer by Stanislav Dvoychenko (free with limited features or $3.99 for full features), which is only available for iOS, to work along with inRoute. By recording routes, Speedometer allows the user to view where he or she has been, share routes with other riders, and export routes into GPX and KML (Google Earth) files. Don’t waffle on this decision; splurge for the full-feature app.
Comparative apps During my pursuit of the perfect app, I extensively tested Google Maps, Apple Maps, Ride Planner, GPSies+, Scout Maps, Rever, GPS Drive, MotionX-GPS, MapQuest, and Garmin. These apps range in price from free (such as for Google and Apple Maps) to $60 for Garmin.
Google Maps was the closest to providing
a complete set of routing features. At one point, Google Maps allowed uploads of routes from the desktop to the app. Aside from the random disappearance of that function, it was not capable of maintaining routes shaped like loops (for instance, where the start and end points were the same). However, it is by far the best app when looking to go from point-to-point with little or no planning, especially with its non-highway options. Garmin’s app turns off voice instructions
when the rider deviates from the planned course. In addition to its high price point, creating waypoints is difficult and time consuming on a mobile device. It also can- not import a GPX file. Mapquest also completely fails to handle
deviations from the planned route, which is significantly limiting when the rider is in the mood to meander and explore or acci- dently misses a turn. When this happens, Mapquest tries to navigate the rider to the start of the route. The only solution is to completely shut down Mapquest and switch over to Google Maps or Apple Maps.
The path forward Next up, I look forward to using inRoute to getting my riding companion and me to Hamburg, N.Y., for Das Rally. An eight- hour journey featuring carefully selected backroads should appropriately test inRoute’s limits. For a total cost of $11.99, inRoute pro-
vides a complete suite of routing function- ality, including route creation, voice navigation and waypoints. Compared to the cost of a navigation device that can easily reach $800 or more, inRoute definitely out- weighs buying a separate GPS unit and pro- vides smooth, voice-directed navigation.
PROS: voice navigation, adaptability when there is a change in route, ability to upload and export GPX files CONS: “Recalculating, return to route when possible;” allows 25 waypoints (which can hinder GPX imports); not available on Android
May 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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