Pointz: Plan Safer on Bikes

This app is amazing for cyclists that worry about getting pancaked by distracted drivers. No other apps come close to letting you not only adjust how safe you want your route to be, but also allow you to adjust said route manually. My only gripe is sometimes the app will launch on its own. You know how when you’re navigating somewhere, iOS will give you a blue bubble over your clock in your status bar indicating you’re on route via gps? Pointz does that even if you have forced the app closed. It does this even if you aren’t on your bike. It’s a little creepy. I only want to use this app if I have deliberately opened it. I emailed the developer about it a week ago and still haven’t heard anything. My quick fix, even though it isn't ideal, is to uninstall the app when I’m not using it.

As an alternative to Google Maps for bicycle navigation, Pointz is wonderful. I’m very impressed with the routing algorithm, and I’m sure it can only get better. If you cycle only for commuting or recreation, then this is probably your best choice. For cyclists who even care a little bit about things like statistics, speed, etc. though, it falls a little short. There is a limited route history section, but that’s about it. No detailed information, no recording of routes, no sharing location with others, etc. I don’t think it needs to reinvent the wheel or be the new RideWithGPS, Komoot, or Strava, but at least some more powerful recording features would be greatly appreciated.

I love the idea of this app so much and have used it a few times, however I needed to use some workaround for selecting my destination. I’m not sure what underlying library or API the team uses for getting map data, but it seems like certain destinations just don’t exist that you’d normally find in most map applications like Google Maps. For example if I wanted to visit a friend at 12 Example St in Townsville, I may need to choose 50 Example St as the other option just doesn’t appear.