Road ID going paid-...
 

[Closed] Road ID going paid-for - alternatives?

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I sometimes (probably not as often as I should) use the RoadID app to let my partner know where I am when I'm out for a ride. Works well because it's dead simple.

Had an email to say that soon they'll be charging $5 a month. I'm happy to support things like this financially, but that's quite a chunk.

There must be similar apps available? Have tried using WhatsApp live location before, but it doesn't really work because you have to actively check the location and there's no history.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 8:17 am
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Google Maps lets you share your location, Garmin Connect has LiveTrack and Strava and Viewranger both have 'beacon' features if you are already a subscriber.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 8:48 am
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My Garmin will (usually) tell my DW where I am. Sometimes it forgets to connect, but usually it seems to work pretty well.

I've used the Strava beacon feature on my phone, but it did seem to eat battery life. Fine for a few hours though.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 8:52 am
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Are you on Apple? It has an in built phone tracker or 'find my friends' feature. Often use it to confirm when kids have set off walking home from school.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 8:56 am
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Wahoo has a live track feature, another option in addition to above are Specialized Angi, not a live track but a crash detection system.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 9:20 am
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Lezyne has a live tracking feature, needs the phones connectivity to work. Also google maps can do a live position report.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 9:28 am
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I just use Whatsapp live location share. My Wife probably never checks it anyway...


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 9:37 am
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I just use the iPhone 'find my' built in thing, can locate the wife when she's out for a ride on her own etc.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 10:08 am
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I have Viewranger and a subscription, but it needs my other half to have Viewranger too. I need it to be as easy/passive for her as possible... maybe I should just find a more caring partner? 🤣

We tried using Whatsapp (would be ideal since we already have it and use it) but it's pretty limited. The time you really need it is when, say, she realises I should have been back two hours ago, and goes to check my location. If she hasn't checked it before, and it's since stopped (you can't get it to share indefinitely) or I've lost signal/battery, there's no way of seeing where I am, or even where I was before. I think we tried Good Maps and it was similar.

The estimated time, where you set how long you expect to be out for and it sends your contact a message, on RoadID was a nice feature.

I don't have a dedicated GPS unit either.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 10:17 am
 igm
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iPhone “Stalk my wife” feature here too.  Works well, and the bonus points for having the tea just about brewed as she walks in the door are fantastic.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 10:22 am
 5lab
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We have life360 on for both our phones, so we can figure out where each other is whenever we want. You can have alerts for whenever the oh leaves work to know when to put the dinner on.

Last time i suggested it on here i was branded a controlling stalker, so it'll be interesting to see if this thread is any different..


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 10:37 am
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Yeah I use Find my Friends on the iphone too so my wife can see where I am if needed when I'm riding. You can put it on "to the end of the day" if you don't want it on permanently.

I did use the Garmin version but it ate into the battery life (of my Edge 820 anyway) in a big way.

Unfortunately the iphone thing only shows where you currently are and not where you've been so my wife won't get to gasp in amazement looking at Google Maps as I heroically conquer another flat 40miler in Cheshire.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 11:06 am
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WhatsApp has a share location feature too


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 9:47 pm
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Glympse has been best for me in terms of accuracy and battery use


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 9:59 pm
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Garmin's livetrack works well.


 
Posted : 08/06/2021 10:09 pm
 IHN
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MrsIHN and I both have Google Location Sharing running on our phones. Simple, free.


 
Posted : 09/06/2021 7:26 am
 gray
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We've used Glympse, the Specialized ANGI thing (which does tracking separately from the crash detection gubbins) and a slightly different oddball one on Android that's been bulletproof for years and years and uses very little battery power indeed. That one's called 'Real-time GPS tracker':

https://www.greenalp.com/RealTimeTracker/

Once I switch it on, she can view where I am and where I've been via a Web page, which she's bookmarked, so she doesn't even need an app.


 
Posted : 09/06/2021 4:13 pm
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I leave my phone at home - freedom !


 
Posted : 09/06/2021 8:50 pm
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I'm having the same problem. I have a crash detection on my Garmin and also live track but it lacks a stationary alert feature that road id has. It is very helpful. I once broke my colar bone and the GPS didn't trigger the crash alert. I was alone in the Woods and the road id app sent a message to my friends Who then called me and helped me. Anyone knows a free app that has this kind of stationary alert?


 
Posted : 03/10/2021 12:41 pm
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Never mind


 
Posted : 03/10/2021 12:47 pm
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Not used either myself as I use free Lezyne Tracking between my GPS computers and my mobile, but Google has an option to track friends/family and the Strava Beacon has been free since around mid summer.


 
Posted : 03/10/2021 6:08 pm