1. How do I install the app?

The iPhone version of the app can be found in the App Store: search for Track My Velo.

2. It's asking me to login - what's that about?

To use Track My Velo you need an account. Your account keeps the information you collect private, and modifiable only by you. The login process ensures that only authorised persons can access that information. Your club or school may have created this account already, in which case they will give you the username and password to use to login to the shared account. You can also create your own, private accounts if you wish.

3. Do I have to login every time I use the app?

No. The app remembers your credentials and uses them automatically the next time you open it. It will only forget the account credentials if you delete (uninstall) the app, because this causes the deletion of all data stored on your phone for the app.

4. How does it work?

When you start the app, it obtains a ride identifier, a unique number, from the Track My Velo application server. While you are riding your phone periodically sends GPS updates to the server, quoting this identifier so the information is stored correctly. The same identifier forms part of the URL of the web link sent out to your follower/s, and so if they open this page they will view your ride. The page periodically asks the server whether a new location is known for the ride. If so, the web page updates itself with the new information, extending the route line and moving the location marker.

In short, your phone uploads location updates to Track My Velo, and your followers download them from there.

5. How do I use the app?

To start a ride you must press the Start Ride button, AND send the resulting SMS to at least one person (yourself, if you like). If you have riders defined, the Start Ride button will be disabled until you select at least one rider.

When you have riders selected the app prepares the SMS to be sent to all the registered contact numbers for all the selected riders. If you have no riders defined (perhaps you've just downloaded the app), the app recognizes this and simply allows you to start a ride at any time: the Start Ride button is always enabled. In this mode, you will however need to choose at least one follower 'manually' from your phone contacts.

The ride only starts when an SMS is sent out. If you cancel from the SMS page, you are returned to the app and no ride is started.

You are free to add or remove contacts and reword the generated tracking message before you send it.

While the ride is in progress you will see a summary of its activity, and can tap a link to see the ride on a map. You'll see the same view your followers are seeing. To end the ride, tap End Ride and confirm. Location updates will cease and the web server will report the ride as complete. The web page offers a download link (serving the ride as a file in GPX format) and a way to replay the ride.

6. How do I start a group ride?

You can be the beacon for any number of riders as long as they stick together! The usual scenario is where coaches or parent riders supervise training rides involving younger or less experienced riders that are required to stay together as a group. Use the portal to define your teams and riders. Select the riders who have turned up, and start the ride.

7. Can I set up my own riders?

Definitely. There are several possibilities here depending on your existing arrangements.

7.1. You have a private account already and you want to add riders to that account

Just login to the maintenance portal at https://www.trackmyvelo.com/portal to make changes to your existing account. It's easier to use a computer to do this as the screens are more usable at higher resolution.

7.2. You are using a shared account but want to create a new account with your own riders

If you've downloaded the app as part of an organisation such as a club or school, the login credentials you will have been given will not be suitable for setting up your own riders - you'll want to sign up with your own, private account to do that.

Signing up using your computer

This is the easiest option because the maintenance portal is more easy to use on a larger screen. Open https://trackmyvelo.com/portal/home. If you have logged in before (e.g. to your shared account) then choose Logout from the top of the screen. Now login using the SIGN UP option. Choose (carefully) an email address and password that you want for your new private account. Create the teams and riders you want. To try them out, go back to your phone, and login to your new account. You do this by tapping the account name (in black at the top left of the app's main page) and choosing "Select A New Account" from the resulting menu. There is a reload option in the account menu which you can use to make the app reload your teams from the server, useful if you've edited them since logging in to the app.

Signing up using your phone

Open the app, tap the account name (in black at the top left of the app's main page) and choose "Select A New Account" from the resulting menu. Use the SIGN UP option and choose an email address and password that you want for your private account. The app will load the account details for that new account (which will start off with no riders, and a single team named "All"). Follow the prompt that offers to take you to the maintenance page. Return to the app to test your teams. There is a reload option in the account menu which you can use to make the app reload your teams from the server, useful if you've edited them since logging in to the app.

8. Can I see other rides within my account?

Yes. When there are several rides underway for the same account (school, club, family, etc) TrackMyVelo privacy rules allow each ride to "see" all of the others. If you are in the Track My Velo mobile app, navigate to the Extras page (...) and click "Map". You will see a map of all current rides in your account. If you are following the rides from a browser, navigate to http://trackmyvelo.com/resources/rides/xxx - where xxx is the short code associated with your account. You can find (or even change) the short code for your account on the "Home" tab of the TrackMyVelo portal. You can bookmark and share this URL because it only changes if and when you change your short code.

9. Can I switch between my accounts easily?

Yes. The mobile app doesn't require that you logout from one account just to login to another. Simply tap the account name itself (it's at top left on the main page). An account menu will be displayed. It allows you to refresh your teams from the current logged in account (useful if you've been editing them since starting the app), edit these teams on your phone (not as easy as using a desktop machine but possible nonetheless), switch to other accounts if you have any already, and finally an option to sign up again for a completely new account. If you are currently using a shared school or club account, and wish to create a private one for your family to use, this last option is the one you would use.

10. Why does it pester me for a nickname?

Track My Velo was originally conceived as an application for schools and clubs that might undertake several rides at once. The nickname simply helps these groups to understand which ride is which on the "all rides" Map and also in the recent rides list.

11. Why does it ask to use GPS?

It needs to know your position in order to report it to the server so that your followers can see your location on a map. The application simply won't work if you don't allow it to use GPS. It wants to use GPS in the background because this means it will keep working when you switch to other apps (for example to make calls or take photos) during your ride. If you withdraw this permission you can grant it again by selecting TrackMyVelo on the Settings main page and adjusting its Location option.

12. Why does it ask to use my data?

It needs to be able to continuously report your position to the Track My Velo server. This is an HTTP(S) web request, which requires an internet connection. If you withdraw permission for it to access your mobile data, you can grant it again by selecting TrackMyVelo on the Settings main page and adjusting its Mobile Data option.

13. Will it chew up my data?

It need not. There is an economy option on the Extras page of the mobile app. Use this to select the less frequent updating strategy configured for your account. You will slow the rate at which the app updates your position to the server, and therefore use less mobile data. Your account has been set up with "reasonable" defaults for both the accuracy (higher data consumption and more accurate tracking) and economy (less frequent updating so slightly less accurate tracking) settings. You can easily alter these, however. Go to the TrackMyVelo portal if you want to modify the precise effect of the accuracy / economy option. You can adjust the maximum amount of movement (in metres) that the app should allow without triggering an update (this applies while you are moving) and also the amount of time (in seconds) that the app should allow you to stay in one location, again without updating.

For example if you set 100 meters for movement, and 120 seconds for time, then TrackMyVelo will wait for the rider's phone to move 100 meters before reporting a change of position, and will update (reporting the same location) every two minutes while the rider is stopped. The latter option is so that followers can be sure the tracking information is up to date even while the ride group is stationary. (Remember how much cyclists like to stop at cafes!)

14. What if I run out of data during a ride?

The app (from v1.2 onwards) can recover from a loss of mobile data coverage, or the exhaustion of mobile data in your phone account, during a ride. If attempts to report your position fail for any reason, the unreported GPS positions are saved and included in the next reporting attempt. While you are offline, your followers will see your status as "OFFLINE" and your position as at the last successful update. The tracking page also reports how long ago that was, to show exactly when contact with your ride was lost. Once you are able to re-establish contact with the server (by coming back under mobile data coverage, topping up your account, etc) the app will clear its position reporting backlog instantly. Your followers will see a "jump" in your map as the ride information is brought up to date.

15. Can I reword the tracking invitation?

Yes. You can change the text sent out in the SMS message by visiting the TrackMyVelo portal and modifying the Ride Announcement field. Because the app understands that you are likely to want to mention the riders in the group, and the web link that can be used to follow the ride, these special values are available to you as {riders} and {link} tags respectively. A typical example showing the use of these tags would be:

An East Coast Bays Cycle Club ride is starting right now! The group comprises {riders}. You can follow the ride at {link}

16. Is there an Android version of the app?

Not yet, but we plan to develop one in the first half of 2017.

17. My question's not listed here - who can I ask for help?

Please email your question to Track My Velo Support.