Offline Mode
Offline maps do not need to be activated. This works automatically when no internet connection can be established. You can easily try this out by activating the flight mode.
To download offline maps, click on the map icon (with arrow) on the map view to go to the overview. The free premium section, as well as sponsored (free) maps can be easily downloaded at any time. If you have a premium membership, you can download a custom map section at any time (max. 50x50km or 1GB Date
Routing
The selection of the routing profile influences whether detours are accepted to avoid less bike-friendly routes (e.g. busy car roads).
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In the "Comfortable" profile, a lot of emphasis is placed on choosing dedicated bike infrastructure or small residential and side roads. If possible, alternative routes are preferred if "uncomfortable" road sections can be avoided - even if this makes the ride a little longer.
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The "Fast" profile is aimed at experienced cyclists who tend to ride at a brisk pace and feel safe even in lanes that are open to motor vehicles. The calculated fastest route is not necessarily the shortest one if it can prevent turns.
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The "Normal" profile is a middle ground between the other two profiles and is aimed at reasonably experienced cyclists who want to reach the destination without too many detours, but still reasonably stress-free.
When you plan a route, you can adjust the route guidance to your personal needs during the planning process by means of various settings (e.g. if you are traveling by e-bike, want to ride your road bike only on asphalt roads or want to avoid streetcar tracks). You can also choose your preferred route between different route suggestions.
You can find these settings directly on the routing screen.
Feedback & Issues
Of course we are always happy to receive feedback. Just send us a message to
info@bikecitizens.net
Please send us an error description including your smartphone, operating system version and your username (if available) to info@bikecitizens.net . It can also be very helpful for us if you send us a screenshot of the error message or the problem view. We will take care of your request immediately.
Data usage
We do not share data with third parties, except for projects that directly or indirectly benefit our users - for example, by improving cycling infrastructure (e.g., sharing aggregated data with city governments to identify points in need of improvement) or by improving routing/navigation (see, for example, the ESSEM research project). In case of transfer to third parties, recorded data will be anonymized as a matter of principle. There will be no passing on of data for advertising purposes.
The collected data will be used for the following purposes:
- Statistical and visual processing for personal and collective views
- Data analysis to gain information for the improvement of routing
- Creation of personalized and collective visualizations (e.g., One Year of pedal power).
- Calculation of aggregated data (e.g. at city level) and their presentation on web pages
- Mini dashboard in the app
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Allow users to download data in GPX format (and other formats if necessary).
The location data is stored on our servers in a personalized manner. This means that individual trips are linked to the login data and can then be viewed in a personalized view in a dashboard. The transfer of personalized data between your smartphone or computer and our servers is always encrypted. In addition, the password is stored in the server database in encrypted form (using Salt). The database servers are located in Germany or Austria.
Along a driven route, the following information is collected periodically: Position, timestamp, current GPS accuracy, sea level, and direction according to the compass sensor. The following information is also sent per trip: a randomly generated serial number when the app is installed (in order to be able to assign different trips), the smartphone model, operating system version, app version, and the time (e.g. at the beginning and end of the trip).
Tracking
By activating Smart Tracking in the settings, you allow our algorithm to calculate the probability that you are currently cycling based on the sensors in your cell phone. If the probability is high enough, tracking will start automatically.
Smart Tracking works for most users with an accuracy of more than 90%, but unfortunately there are users for whom it does not work at all. If you notice that it doesn't work at all, then you should use manual tracking.
General solution options when Smart Tracking does not work:
- In any case, Smart Tracking must be enabled in the settings and all necessary permissions must be granted in the battery and location settings.
- Experiment with the position of the smartphone: often smart tracking works best in your pocket, but works worst when the device is mounted on the handlebars.
- For our app, all power saving options must be disabled.
- It is helpful to launch our app from time to time, otherwise it will be classified as unimportant on some devices, and launching Smart Tracking will no longer be allowed.
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Smart Tracking only works with Play Services, and these should always be up to date. Therefore, check in the Play Store (Settings/Network Settings) whether automatic updates are enabled.
Your journeys are automatically uploaded after arrival at the destination or completion of the recording. If the upload does not take place immediately, the saved trip is of course not lost, but a new attempt is made the next time the app is started.
The amount of data to be transferred per trip depends on several variables, especially the trip duration. Experience shows that the amount of data per minute is just under 10 kB.v
If ride recording is enabled in the app settings, your rides will be recorded both when using navigation and when using the bike computer.
Yes, trip logging can be enabled and disabled in the app settings at any time.
1) On the one hand, the trip log enables you to view the trips you have made with your bike in retrospect in your dashboard - among other things, visually displayed as your very own personal heat map. On the one hand, this is intended to motivate you to get on your bike even more regularly, and on the other hand, with the help of the visual representation, it also shows how well the bike is suited as an urban means of transport.
2) With a sufficiently large database, a lot of valuable information about the bicycle infrastructure in a city can be extracted. For example, the data can be used to better assess where infrastructure improvements would be most needed or where traffic light timing should be better coordinated. For this reason, we make the data generated by app users available in anonymized form for bicycle-friendly urban planning and research projects.
3.) Bike Citizens routing itself can also be improved with the help of the recorded data. For example, average waiting times at intersections can be calculated and route suggestions can be further optimized accordingly.
App
The premium membership allows unlimited and worldwide use of all features of the Bike Citizens bike app:
- Route planning with any number of stopovers and online navigation with voice prompts
- Custom map download for offline use of route planning and navigation
- Extensive personalization of app and routing settings
- Custom tags for your saved trips
- Your personal heatmap in high resolution
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Edit your profile
The free premium area is set and exists itself and has 7km in diameter. The area can only be set once for free. In this area you can use many premium features, such as route planning with stopovers, navigation with voice prompts, download as offline map, set tags. If you like the features of the app and want to use it worldwide, sign up for a premium membership in the market!
General
Our map packages are based on OpenStreetMap data, OSM for short. This data is generated by users and has a high level of detail, but can also sometimes contain errors. We do not make changes to the maps ourselves. For example, if there are new roads or path changes, it takes a little time until these changes are also entered in the OSM. We update the OSM data on a regular basis. Errors in the map can be reported directly to OSM. But if you want to try mapping yourself, you can do it here:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/
Common cause: battery settings (power consumption).
Some devices "optimize" battery consumption, preventing us from fully recording the journey. On most devices, there is an option in the battery and/or location settings to exclude our app from these "optimizations". Even if you have done this before, the settings may be reset by the manufacturer at irregular intervals. Please check if you can find something suitable in the battery and location settings. At
https://dontkillmyapp.com/
offers solutions for many models with Android operating system, which have already helped many users.
You can download your recorded tracks as GPX file here:
https://my.bikecitizens.net
Coupon codes can be redeemed here: www.frontend.bikecitizens.net/voucher/.
You have to log in to this website with your Bike Citizens account and enter the coupon code.
You will activate a premium membership for the specified period. After this period the membership ends automatically.
Bike Citzens can be used in the following languages: English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch and Hungarian.
Online route planning and navigation with Bike Citizens is available worldwide. So you can get started right away, no matter where you are.
The Bike Citizens bike app can be downloaded free of charge from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The basic functions (tracking, route planning without stops, navigation without voice prompts, trip overview) can then be used immediately free of charge and worldwide. In addition, a personal premium area can be created for free by using many premium features of the app. If the app convinces you and you want to use all functions worldwide, then sign up for a premium membership in the market!