The Bike Hub journey planner app finds quickest or quietest cycle routes.
AS SEEN ON: Treehugger.com, Macworld.co.uk, The Register, BikeRadar.com, Road.cc, BBC.co.uk and CTC.org.uk
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A car satnav uses roads only, the Bike Hub cycle satnav uses roads *and* cycle paths, including Sustrans routes. Bike Hub app also uses bike-friendly cut-throughs and short-cuts.
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"Discovered new, pleasant & direct routes that are right on my doorstep!" @KarlonSea
"I thought the fastest way to work was 18:40 minutes but after 2 years doing various different routes, you showed me a path and a couple of shortcuts that have reduced it to 16:50! Gob smacked!" Andrew Norton, by email
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TURN-BY-TURN
App features true turn-by-turn navigation, with voice instructions and vibrating alerts.
BICYCLE NAVIGATION
The cycle routing - note: UK-only - is done via CycleStreets.net. This bicycle journey planning website uses mathematical graph theory algorithms to quickly work out great bike routes. But it's not just nodes and networks, Bike Hub mapping benefits from local, expert 'community' knowledge.
ROUTE/SPEED OPTIONS
Choose ‘Quickest route' and you’ll be directed via roads (although not dual carriageways or motorways). Don’t care to mingle with motorised traffic? Choose ‘Quietest route' and the app will use OpenCycleMap to guide you along back-streets and, where available and sensible, cycle routes. The 'Balanced route' provides a good mix between the two extremes of 'Fastest route' and 'Quietest route'.
The Bike Hub app avoids hills where possible.
BIKE SHOP FINDER
Fire up the Bike Hub app to locate the nearest bike shops in a six mile radius.
TOURING OR TRAINING
Journey planner can suggest A to B routes of up to a maximum of 100 miles. For A to B to C routes use the 'via' function with + sign.
EXTRAS
* Info on the Cycle to Work scheme
* Cycling and the law
* Best ever quotes about cycling.
SAFETY
Do not pedal & navigate. Instead use a handlebar mount for your phone. If you decide to follow this app's suggested journey take extra care on any unfamiliar sections. Proceed at your own risk as routes change and quality cannot be guaranteed. Dismount when routing suggests using footways as shortcuts. Do not use when driving a car: routing is bike-specific.
TECH SPEC
Route finding requires access to online mapping so, to use the journey planning, the Bike Hub app requires wifi or a mobile phone signal.
CROWD-SOURCED DATA
App relies on the network node coding of the Cyclestreets chaps and they, in turn, rely on the dedicated volunteers who upload fixes and new points of interest to OpenStreetMap. Please consider signing up to OpenStreetMap.org and using a free OSM editing app such as Mapzen POI Collector which lets you add businesses, local amenities and other places of interest to OpenStreetMap, direct from your phone. Or consider becoming part of the OSM community by adding data via your desktop with online services such as mapzen.cloudmade.com.
WHY FREE?
This app is free because it was funded by the Bike Hub levy. This is a voluntary levy on most of the bicycles and bits sold in UK bike shops. The Bike Hub levy is operated by the Bicycle Association of GB and the Association of Cycle Traders. BikeHub.co.uk is the news and features website funded by the levy scheme. The Bike Hub app was commissioned by BikeHub.co.uk editor Carlton Reid and produced by Tinderhouse.
FEEDBACK
Feedback on this app is welcome. Contact editor@bikehub.co.uk or @bikehub on Twitter. Please consider rating the app. Thanks.
