vanilla_nut 6 days ago

I've used ridewithGPS for multiple bike tours, the longest being a full month of unsupported riding. I also use it to scout out routes when I want to create a new ride somewhere in my area on roads I don't know already. ridwithGPS has a few features that really stand out, IMO:

* excellent, almost entirely bug-free routing on mobile

* heatmap data, because maps aren't entirely up-to-date

* multiple map styles, so you can pick what works best for your workflow and the country you're in

* easy GPX file export, I use it all the time with the bike computer (every day on tours)

* collection management, especially useful when I make per-day routes for a tour

* a healthy trial period so you can actually test it out and learn it

Basically it's just an excellent app (and site) that works reliably across every supported platform, that isn't full of spammy upselling garbage, that is clearly made by a competent team of developers who care deeply about the product they make.

Every tech product should be made like this. A lot of tech products used to be like this before enshittification really took off in the last 5-10 years.

I'm more than happy to support a great product like this, as a bicycle tourist and frequent router over unfrequented trails and dirt roads in the mountains around me. For road riders in cities, it's probably a whole lot less useful. But there are a lot of bicycle riding use cases outside of 'road riders in cities' :-)

1
wintermutestwin 6 days ago

>frequent router over unfrequented trails and dirt roads in the mountains around me

This is me as well. Thanks much for your perspective, it was helpful in me making the decision to jump in.

I do like the idea of supporting products and services that are staving off enshitificaiton.