revtothelimit - motorbike forum

In another thread, someone was trying to flog a bike tracker. I had something like that and it never worked properly and was put off getting anything similar. However, I do like to keep my wife informed of where I am (actually, I don't but she insists and if I want to keep riding which I do- and if I want to keep her - which I also do, I just shut up and try to do what she wants).

I used to use a wonderful service provided through an iOS app that gave her the ability to follow me on a web page (full track shown but that service vanished during the pandemic. I still use something similar on Android, called Loctome and there is one on iOS called Bluelane (Loctome is better) but neither are as good as the one that used to use.

If there were a device I could plug into the bike and that provided continuous tracking that others could see on the web, it would be great but all I have found at an affordable price are flimsy Chinese gadgets that have put me off spending on another.

Has anyone found something that works well for them as a continuous tracker- visible to others on the web?

Google maps. Share my location

WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger have "share my location".

Garmin satnavs have a share location - I've never used it.

WhatsApp "share my location".

On a sort of related note, 5 mins ago I got a text from my Mum's Garmin saying it had detected "an incident". It gave me a location of where she and everything.

Turned out she'd just stumbled and the Garmin had interpreted that as a fall I'm making her sound like one of those pensioners with an alert necklace, but she was out running a 5k at the time.

After i lobbed the Multi in 2018 my missus went from complete ambivalence to where i was on a bike even when away for long trips to always wanted to be kept up to date that i was "ok" every couple of hours

My helmet now has an intercom to listen to music and the odd satnag guidance. It also allows phone calls so on my annual Wales trip she can call and check in that i am ok.....really helps as beyond about a 20 mile radius of where we live she would be completely lost. So phone goes, i answer , she asks where i am, i say "on the A40, far side of Oxford just passing Brize Norton and hang on a second, just going for an overtake"

She is happy i am "ok", hasnt a fucking clue where i am talking about and i carry on riding ....sorted

I should have specified that it must show the track taken, not just current position like Google shows. Also updates should be frequent- for example, Loctome updates every 10 seconds. As Bigyin suggests I do have a connected headset but I hate taking phone calls on it. Occasionally I will call my wife to tell her what I am doing but more often, it's to call a hotel to book a room or something.

I have used satellite trackers on occasions when in some far-flung part of the world but these are expensive to operate and updates are 10 minutes apart at best. More affordable are less frequent updates but then the track is a collection of points joined by straight lines that can miss out a lot.

dosruedas wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:20 pm keep my wife informed of where I am

Is it the continuous location that she wants or actually knowing the moment a ditch holds more interest for your wheels than the road?

If the latter, as I'm presuming that she doesn't sit glued to a screen watching, then you might need a 'call assist' type system, triggered by impacts etc.

dosruedas wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:56 am I should have specified that it must show the track taken, not just current position like Google shows. Also updates should be frequent- for example, Loctome updates every 10 seconds. As Bigyin suggests I do have a connected headset but I hate taking phone calls on it. Occasionally I will call my wife to tell her what I am doing but more often, it's to call a hotel to book a room or something.

I have used satellite trackers on occasions when in some far-flung part of the world but these are expensive to operate and updates are 10 minutes apart at best. More affordable are less frequent updates but then the track is a collection of points joined by straight lines that can miss out a lot.

If you want to record the route you're taking, then that's probably a different service (something like ViewRanger used to be able to do that, for walking, but it would work just as well for riding).

Why does the wife need to know the exact route? If she's checking up on you THAT much then......

Can you use Strava to track motorcycle journies, or does it complain you're going too fast?

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 9:11 am Can you use Strava to track motorcycle journies, or does it complain you're going too fast?

Probably, but never actually tried it. It would get grumpy when uploading though for sure and I'm not sure I'd want some of my speeds fully registered via GPS

Would Waze do it?

Any one of the fitness apps would do it, so things like Garmin, Fitbit, Strava etc. I'm not sure they'd like the speed involved and they'd probably keep throwing tantrums as weeksy says. Basic Strava is free though, so you could give it a go.

The image below is a bit of a track that Loctome provides. As can be seen, it is a continuous track and the refresh interval is 10sec. The track can be seen by anyone with the right web address - which is generated by Loctome when I start the app. I send this to my wife or occasionally to friends and they can follow my progress in a web browser.

I am happy with the app but would like the same functionality from a tracker I can fix on the bike.

dosruedas wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:30 am The image below is a bit of a track that Loctome provides. As can be seen, it is a continuous track and the refresh interval is 10sec. The track can be seen by anyone with the right web address - which is generated by Loctome when I start the app. I send this to my wife or occasionally to friends and they can follow my progress in a web browser.

I am happy with the app but would like the same functionality from a tracker I can fix on the bike.

That would be funny on a trackday

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:26 pm Google maps. Share my location

This but the whole scheme feels unworkable to me. What are you/she going to do if you stop for a brew? Is she going to live on her nerves while you're out? Not wishing to tell you your business but I'd be looking to resolve these concerns as I would view that as unsustainable.

Police acquaintance said to his wife early on. 'No matter what you hear or see on the news, I will not phone you and say I'm OK while I'm on shift. If we start that stuff you'll just be waiting for a call every time something kicks off. Get used to it'. That's pretty much how I feel about riding a bike.

dern wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:04 am

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:26 pm Google maps. Share my location

This but the whole scheme feels unworkable to me. What are you/she going to do if you stop for a brew? Is she going to live on her nerves while you're out? Not wishing to tell you your business but I'd be looking to resolve these concerns as I would view that as unsustainable.

Not me... i was just providing the information. I've used it a few times for the wife or the boy when out MTBing so they know when i'll be back, rather than "is he lying in the ditch somewhere".

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 2:03 pm

dern wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:04 am

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:26 pm Google maps. Share my location

This but the whole scheme feels unworkable to me. What are you/she going to do if you stop for a brew? Is she going to live on her nerves while you're out? Not wishing to tell you your business but I'd be looking to resolve these concerns as I would view that as unsustainable.

Not me... i was just providing the information. I've used it a few times for the wife or the boy when out MTBing so they know when i'll be back, rather than "is he lying in the ditch somewhere".

Yeah, sorry. I was replying to the OP.

Count Steer wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:45 pm Police acquaintance said to his wife early on. 'No matter what you hear or see on the news, I will not phone you and say I'm OK while I'm on shift. If we start that stuff you'll just be waiting for a call every time something kicks off. Get used to it'. That's pretty much how I feel about riding a bike.

Foal works on the no news is good news basis but is very good and open if there are problems.

Unfortunately, sometimes not quite the level of detail needed.

Like the message one morning:
"It's ok. I didn't get stabbed"

After every trackday I had to send a simple text. "All done. Safe"