UKH

A while back my company decided to remove data from my phone contract. As i don't have a private phone this left me without access to strava etc.

Could someone suggest a cheap way of regaining access? ie get a low cost contract/PAYG phone or SIM and cheap phone to go with it? would a Fitbit (or similar) watch do the job? What about Garmin?


Thanks in advance

JB

In reply to johnboybuchan:

Depends what activity you like doing.

For cycling just get a GPS computer...cheepest are about £75 i think, i have a garmin 510 and it is great. If it is for walking/swimming/running then maybe a GPS watch might be better.

Most Fitbits dont have GPS i dont think but your phone still will record a GPS track using the strava or fitbit app you will just have to access via wifi to upload.

In reply to Nbrain:

It'll be running and cycling, maybe hill walking as well. I thought about the Fitbit Blaze (at least I can tell the time with that as well!) but do they just record the distance by no of steps or the route taken as well?
As you may have realised I'm a real techno numpty so simple is best for me!

In reply to johnboybuchan:

I think it just uses the GPS on your phone but will record stuff for you using that combo just you wont be able to upload without a data connection

In reply to johnboybuchan:

I'm also a techno numpty but I love my HR Fitbit charge. I don't think its mega accurate on the km though as it records steps and then converts them depending on your height/stride length I think.

Its also good for heart rate monitoring but I particularly enjoy seeing my sleep pattern....an activity I'm quite keen on at the moment as I'm quasi-hibernating.

In reply to johnboybuchan:

Use your work phone with wi-fi to set up strava and start it, go for your run/ cycle and come back to WiFi to upload it? That may work, just using your work phone for GPS once the data is downloaded.

In reply to johnboybuchan:


It still has WiFi, right? And gps?

So you can still run strata, etc. You just have to wait until you get wifi access before you can upload your track.

In reply to johnboybuchan:

You don't actually need mobile data to log Strava. So you could log as before and do all the uploading/ viewing when you get back to WIFI.
Defiantly the cheapest way.

In reply to johnboybuchan:

I am sure i have my phone set to only use wifi for strata data, there are live tracking features and other bells and whistles features on strata that use data but the straightforward record run/ride shouldn't need it, the phone just saves the data till its on a wifi network.
alternatively pick up a cheap second hand Garmin watch/cycle computer and update over cable(plenty of things like 200 cycle computer on eBay,UKC forums etc, put in pocket if running)

In reply to jonnie3430:

Would that work say for a park run or similar?

In reply to johnboybuchan:

Do you mean Park Run (i.e. an organised run, with their own system of timing tokens), or a run in the park?

GPS data logging does not need mobile data*, or even a mobile signal (for most sanely-designed phones). It just needs to be able to see the satellite constellation. Once you have logged your GPS data, you can do what you want with it; strava, google earth or any number of mapping or route-loging/analysis/bragging systems.

* mobile data can be helpful to get a hot start if you've only just turned the GPS receiver on; it can download ephemeris data from an A-GPS service, and start getting position fixes immediately. Otherwise, turn on the GPS receiver about 15 minutes before you need to start logging, or download A-GPS data via wifi no more than four hours before you need to start logging. 'GPS Status' is a useful app to have, as it does the A-GPS download, and shows you constellation, position and stats on signal strength, etc.

In reply to johnboybuchan:

Thanks for all the advice folks,

Just been for a walk to the co-op to try it out and get some washing up sponges and covered 0.7km in 8:43 apparently...

In reply to johnboybuchan:

Training is paying off then

b

In reply to johnboybuchan:

Blaze uses your phone to track GPS onto a google map. Presumably it will hold the data until you're next in Wifi range, but I have a niggling doubt about whether or not it will start without a data signal.