¿What is the best app for running, cycling and hiking routes?
Ghostracer is the best app currently available on Wear OS to monitor your running or cycling (also trekking or hiking) workouts. I consider that it is currently way ahead of other apps for Wear OS maintained by big sports brands like
Nike Run Club,
Adidas Running o
Strava. These apps and others designed for hiking (which I will talk about later) such as
Locus Map ,
Oruxmaps ,
komoot o
Outdooractive have fantastic versions on Android, but their Wear OS versions suck, they barely get the attention of these companies. Ghostracer is developed by someone who uses Wear OS watches. and it shows,
gives the feeling of running all at once with a better sports watch. The app is developed by an active British Wear OS watch user who updates it frequently. The app is not new, in fact, it was released for Wear OS a few years ago, in 2014, so it is very refined.
Personally, to an app for running, cycling or hiking with the watch
I ask at least three conditions, that is, that it is
autonomous from the phone, that it
supports offline maps and that it can
follow routes with GPX files. Ghostracer meets these and more:
- It is optimized for use from the phone, and from the watch, even standalone from the phone. Using the application from the watch does not require a GPS signal from the phone, nor does it require carrying the phone with you or having an Internet connection.
- You can download offline maps from MapBox Maps, both on your phone and on your watch (Premium version only).
- Allows you to view/track routes on the map (even offline).
- You can navigate with maps from Google Maps or Mapbox.
- You can add GPX files from your phone to follow the marked route also from the watch on the map.
- The information displayed on the watch screen (fully customizable) is clearly visible when you train. Up to 6 fields of information can be displayed per screen. Provides a lot of training data, more than 40 parameters that you can view in real time.
- Allows you to automatically upload your workouts to Strava, SmashRun or RunKeeper.
- Allows you to export your workouts in GPX or TCX format.
- You can compete against virtual opponents (Ghosts) through Strava segments or GPX files.
- Compatible with Bluetooth and ANT+ accessories such as speed, heart rate, cadence and power sensors. It is also compatible with the Wahoo RFLKT Bike GPS.
Ghostracer has a
free version, which is fully functional
and another premium version, which I recommend, as it has a one-time payment of
€3.49, but it activates in the free version, 3 very interesting features
- Allows you to download offline maps from Mapbox Maps to create a truly offline experience both on the phone and on the watch, for me the most essential feature of these 3, which just for that alone already deserves to buy the premium version. If you really use the app in places where there is always internet, the free version is enough.
- Allows you to enable unlimited ghosts per activity (the free version only allows two ghosts).
- Allows you to add more screens on the watch (the free version only allows 3 screens).
I. Installation and setup.
- Install Ghostracer from the Play Store on your Android phone and Wear OS watch.
- Make sure the phone is paired to the watch via Bluetooth.
- On the watch, open the app and grant location and sensor permissions. Swipe to the right to enter the settings window:
- Select standalone or paired mode, whether you want the training to be synchronized on the watch and on the phone at the same time, or not. If you choose standalone mode, the sensor settings are enabled.
- You can choose the type of training (running or cycling). You can also download offline maps to the watch that must be previously downloaded to the phone.
- In the display settings, select whether you want to keep the display on permanently or not. If you have a Ticwatch with the TFT display it gives compatibility problems, so I recommend selecting for these cases "Display always on" and then restart.
4. On the phone, open the app and grant location permissions. Go to settings (top right):
- Select the type of activity you want between running and cycling, if you select running it is also valid for hiking or trekking activities.
- Fill in your personal data (age, maximum heart rate, etc).
- If you have it, link your Strava, Smash Run or RunKeeper account, this way your workouts will be uploaded to your account.
- In sensors option, you can connect for example your chest heart rate monitor.
- In display option, you can customize the workout information display with your phone as you like.
- In Map option select the type of map between Google Maps and Mapbox and the style (Satellite, offroad, Streets, etc). From here you can also download offline maps.
- In Android Wear option, you can customize the watch screen with a multitude of options, for example the font size of the screen and force the use of the GPS of the watch. I recommend looking at this option carefully, and adapt it to your needs.
II. Description of Ghostracer on the watch.
When you open the app on the watch, you will see several options by swiping from top to bottom:
- Main Screen: From this screen, you will be able to start/stop the training. You can also see the quality of the GPS signal (other apps just report and if there is GPS coverage or not).
- Training information screen: Sliding screens from left to right you will be able to see in real time, distance run, race pace, heart rate and your position on the map. From here you can choose the parameters that best suit you among more than 40 alternatives.
- Ghosts screen: From this screen you can choose the virtual opponent of your choice, such as a GPX file, a Strava segment or a custom interval. In order for you to select them, you must add them from the phone.
III. How to use Ghostracer for hiking and trekking.
Until a while ago I used Viewranger as a hiking app on my watch, but shortly after it was bought by Outdooractive they deactivated the app. The truth is that there are not too many alternatives that are similar, however I consider Ghostracer and although it is not a specific app for hiking, it is the one that best meets my needs.
A. ADD ROUTES TO THE WATCH AND FOLLOW THEM.
Before following a route, you have to get it and add it to the app.
- Get the track of the route to follow, for example, from a Wikiloc route that you download. The track must be in GPX format (not KMZ). To download Wikiloc tracks from your phone in GPX format, log into Wikiloc from the browser and search for a wikiloc route, inside the web page click the green "Download" button, select the "file" tab and finally "download".
- On the phone, start Ghostracer click on "+" at the top and then on "GPX file". Select the GPX file you have downloaded from Wikiloc and finally click on "Add Ghost".
- On the watch, open the app and swipe to the "Ghosts" screen, click on the icon to update and select the GPX track.
- The track is now displayed on the map, on the watch start the workout (not mandatory to follow the route, go to the workout info screen and swipe right until you see the map, this way you can follow the route on the watch (also simultaneously on the phone if you wanted to).
B. CONSIDERATIONS WHEN FOLLOWING A ROUTE.
- What is a track? A track is a record of the itinerary where you have moved. Within the track it contains statistics such as length, speed and elevation.
- You can see the location where you are on the map. View the route itinerary on the map, and zoom and pan the maps.
- While following a route, you can start, pause or stop the activity.
- When recording the route you can view live route statistics such as distance traveled, trip duration, altitude, total ascent, walking speed and heart rate.
- When you finish following a route, go to the main screen and select "Stop".
- Here is a video generated by the app developer explaining how to add offline maps to the watch.
IV. Alternatives to Ghostracer for hiking.
There are not really too many alternatives, and none of them meets all the conditions (offline maps, independent of the phone, follow GPX routes and free), however there are several interesting apps besides Ghostracer:
I have omitted in the comparison
Outdooractive and
Komoot. In the case of Outdooractive you pay a monthly subscription which means that you would pay up to €60 per year! and in the case of Komoot you pay for having maps of regions (very few square kilometers in each region), if you make a bike route, and you leave that region, which is very easy, you will have to pay for another region. Each region has a cost (except the first one), which means that if you do long routes when you realize you have spent 30 or 40 euros in maps. As I don't like this business model, and I'm not willing to pay so much money, I haven't tested them and that's why they are not in the comparison, the others are because I have tested them personally.
From the comparison of this type of apps on Wear OS I think it can be extracted that:
- If you just want to see your position on an offline map without depending on the phone, the most appropriate is Wristmap (Free) and GPS Navigation (paid).
- If you want to see your position on an offline map without depending on the phone and also follow GPX routes, the most appropriate are Ghostracer (paid) and Standalone Wear Maps (paid).
V. What Ghostracer needs to improve.
Although Ghostracer is the one I like the most among the running and hiking apps for Wear OS, it's not perfect, especially for hiking (I know, the developer didn't create it for that). Although it is not essential (for me) I would ask for future updates that:
- Enable a button to add Waypoints when I am recording the route or training.
- Upload training logs to Google Fit.
- That when I click on my location on the map it shows me the UTM coordinates of where I am.
- When starting a route provide navigation instructions, i.e. 'at 10m turn left' and similar.
- Fix bug on Ticwatch watches with TFT screen, probably there is some incompatibility with this type of screens. Ghostracer's display settings prevent the secondary display from being activated and it stays black, and you can only reboot to see the screen content again.
