Glenn Reed Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Somehow, google thought I needed to know about the Eat Sleep Ride App for iPhone. So I took a look, and there are some pretty neat features for everyday riding, as well as an add on called Crashlight which can be programmed to call and text pre-set contacts (including 911 if you want) with info that you have crashed and giving your location. There is a built in three minute delay so you can keep it from making the calls if it gets triggered accidentally. It does use your cellular voice and data connection, so if you're riding in remote areas, this feature will not be of any use, they still recommend a Spot Tracker in that case. There are other features like recording your rides, including speed and lean angles, not just which roads you were on. If anyone has experience with it, feel free to share. Otherwise, take a look and see what you think. No affiliation at, I am just thinking about loading it on my phone and thought I would get the thoughts of this group. Link to comment
Smidsy Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Read up, sounds great, and will install it just as soon as I figure out why the app store keeps telling me my payment method was declined. Link to comment
Glenn Reed Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Smidsy, I did try it's logging feature out on a ride last Friday, and it was very neat. You can go back afterwards and see the lean angle and speed along the way, and switch back and forth between that and the map. This way you can remember where you were and why you slowed down. I am not sure about the lean angle though. There were times when I think it was probably spot on, but others where it didn't correlate, at least to my memory and the map. I have the iPhone flat in my map pocket, I might try it vertical and see if that works any better. The next thing I want to try is it's Spot emulation (my term). I will have to buy it and install it on my wife's iPhone and go through the steps to Ride With a Group, and then she should be able to see where I am. Caveat, only when I have cell signal. Around here, not an issue, when I get to the mountains of WV or NC, that's another story. Let us know how it does for you once you get it installed and running. Link to comment
ESR Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Hey guys, Glad you are liking the app! You will probably discover exactly what the app can do as you use it more; people tell us its like 5 apps in one, so there is a lot to see. Glenn, thanks for starting the discussion! You are right about cellular reception; for people who often travel in very remote areas, there are other GPS technologies that are better suited for their use. We built our App for life on the road, and we wanted to provide riders with an affordable option by building the app that uses hardware and software they already own; their smartphone. In terms of getting an accurate reading for lean angle, we recommend keeping your phone in your pocket, top side up. This is so we can get accurate data readings but is also in case the rider gets separated from their bike, if you are using CrashLight. Smidsy, sorry you're having trouble. If you want to send us an email to feedback@eatsleepride.com, we could help you find a solution. Thanks and ride on! Link to comment
Glenn Reed Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 First of all, thanks for visiting and contributing to the discussion. The email conversations I have had with some folks from your outfit (Marina and Chris) have been positive, and showing up here to contribute is consistent with that. In terms of getting an accurate reading for lean angle, we recommend keeping your phone in your pocket, top side up. This is so we can get accurate data readings but is also in case the rider gets separated from their bike, if you are using CrashLight. The problem with this approach is that I might very easily lean in relation to the bike, and the data logged would not be accurate. To confound things further, I might not feel the need to lean in relation to the bike sometimes, so the data could be inconsistent with itself. See discussion here about the technique referred to as "kissing the mirrors" as taught in RidingSmart and others like Lee Parks Total Control, also referenced in that thread. I do understand about the Crashlight feature, and the general thought process of keeping the phone with the rider in the worst case scenario, it's just not something I have been doing. Link to comment
lkraus Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 On the Android side, the Pirelli Diablo Super Biker app also records GPS position (linked to Google Maps), speed and lean angle. I found I record the most believable lean angles with the phone vertical in my RAM mount, facing me, or packed in a similar orientation in my tank bag. As Glenn pointed out, any body movement with the phone in your pocket will distort the reading. Link to comment
Glenn Reed Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I found I record the most believable lean angles with the phone vertical in my RAM mount, facing me, or packed in a similar orientation in my tank bag. As Glenn pointed out, any body movement with the phone in your pocket will distort the reading. I was thinking that I would try it out vertical in the tank bag next and see what it looks like. Link to comment
ESR Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Hi everyone, Glad for your feedback. Here is a story we wrote about how we calculated lean angle http://eatsleepride.com/c/15299/ It should self-calibrate after you are going down a straight stretch at 15km/hr for longer than 20 seconds, which should help you get accurate readings, even if the phone moves. We get our most accurate lean angle readings when the phone is mounted on your handle bars, but we don't want you to get distracted when you ride. Where do you guys ride for the most part? And what version of the iPhone are you using. Any feedback is appreciated. Link to comment
ESR Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 We wrote a follow up piece because of your feedback. Keep the comments coming, especially as you start to use the other features. http://eatsleepride.com/c/18910/ Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I'm a road cyclist as well as a motorcyclist. Will this app work whilst ridding my bicycle? (Street only/no off road). My phone sits in a cradle attached to the bars with the screen facing up. Link to comment
Rougarou Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I've loaded the app on my iPhone but haven't used it yet. Is there a real-time or close to real time tracking that can be utilized for someone to "watch over you". I generally ride alone and while my wife knows about "where" I'm going, I think she would like it better if she could check in with me. Link to comment
Glenn Reed Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 Note - This is me as a user responding, not as a Mod! I have no affiliation with ESR other than being a user. The way this would be done would be for her to load the app on her iPhone or iPad as well, and then you could use the Group Ride option and only list her as being able to see where you are. The difference between this and a Spot tracker is that you need to have cell data service where you are riding for her to see you. Link to comment
Rougarou Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Note - This is me as a user responding, not as a Mod! I have no affiliation with ESR other than being a user. The way this would be done would be for her to load the app on her iPhone or iPad as well, and then you could use the Group Ride option and only list her as being able to see where you are. The difference between this and a Spot tracker is that you need to have cell data service where you are riding for her to see you. Thanks,.....I wonder if it could be tweeked a bit so that she could log onto my account via a PC to check my status. Link to comment
Glenn Reed Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 You might check with them to see. We haven't seen them around in a bit. They have a tech support link on their site. If you do find anything interesting, let us know. Link to comment
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