App Showcase: Ride with GPS

What it does

Ride with GPS is a powerful tool for cyclists who want to plan, navigate, and track their rides. The app's core function is its robust route planner, which allows users to create detailed, custom bike routes by simply tapping on a map. It also serves as a GPS navigator during rides and a logbook for tracking stats like distance, elevation, and time.

Where it shines

The app truly excels in its route planning capabilities. The process of creating a route is remarkably intuitive. At 01:42, the user taps points on a map, and the app intelligently snaps a path to the roads, instantly calculating metrics. This turns a complex task into a simple, visual exercise. Another standout moment is the interactive elevation chart (02:10). Scrubbing along the chart moves a pin on the map, giving a tangible sense of the terrain ahead. Finally, the community features, like exploring routes created by others (07:44) and following fellow riders (07:16), add a valuable layer of social discovery.

UX highlights

• Direct Map Manipulation: Instead of text inputs, the primary way to create a route is by tapping directly on the map, which feels fluid and natural.
• Real-Time Feedback: As a route is built, distance, time, and elevation are updated instantly, providing a constant and useful feedback loop.
• POI Integration: Users can long-press anywhere on a route to add custom Points of Interest, like water stops or cafes (02:44), adding a rich layer of personalization.
• Contextual Actions: After saving a route, the app smartly prompts for a review (04:20), capturing feedback when the user is most engaged.
• Powerful Filtering: The route discovery feature includes robust filters for length, elevation, surface type, and route type, catering to specific cycling needs (08:10).
• Layered Map Views: The ability to toggle various map overlays like POIs and global heatmaps (10:17) allows for deep customization depending on the user's goal.

Monetization & growth

The app uses a soft paywall approach. After a brief onboarding quiz and mandatory account creation, the user is presented with a free trial offer (00:53). The paywall screen itself is preceded by a full-screen benefits page (00:40) that clearly outlines the value of upgrading. The plans are tiered into Basic and Premium, with discounts offered for annual commitments, a standard but effective strategy to increase lifetime value.

Who it’s for

Ride with GPS is geared toward dedicated cyclists, from commuters and weekend enthusiasts to serious tourers and racers. Its detailed planning tools and in-depth metrics appeal to users who are data-driven and want precise control over their rides. The community and route discovery features also make it valuable for cyclists looking to explore new areas or find proven local routes.

Notes & opportunities

The onboarding flow, while logical, requires both account creation and a subscription decision before the user can access the main app, which may be a point of friction for some. The functionality of the 'Save' button changing from saving to pinning/downloading (04:13) could be slightly confusing on first use. Adding a 'smart route' suggestion on the main hub based on the user's location and preferred ride length could offer a quicker path to value for new users.