lifeHack: edit route in viewRanger, export gpx, upload to google drive, import into BeeLine app, follow route.

Went for a #within5km bigish cycle on the weekend.
I used the Beeline device and found that it worked quite well.

Long long ago with a motorola phone I found the Bluetooth and Beeline device lost communication with each other too often so it just didn't work :-(. Nowadays I have a Huawei P9 and it works well.

Happy with this process: Edit the route in viewRanger, exported to gpx, upload to google drive, import into BeeLine app, follow route. What I _actually_ did was start editing route in Beeline app, that was not great for the route up over the forest trails, so I looked into editing route in Strava. Found that yes, I could do that if I start a free 60 day Strava subscription. I found you can import any .gpx into Beeline**. (**later discovered any .gpx BUT Android app limits importing file from a small set of slightly inconvenient locations on phone AND seems to not find .gpx files in certain folders ? - that part of the app needs some work). So I edited route quickly in ViewRanger, routing for bike, turning off routing where open-street-map route did not know about connections. Routing for bike in ViewRanger on occasion actually finds some new cycle paths that I didn't know about and are good route options. So happy with that! Then as I have said importing the .gpx file into the Beeline app was not as straightforward as it might have been!! I used filemanagers to copy the .gpx file to various locations but the Beeline app still didn't seem to pick up the file. Finally putting the .gpx file into google drive and import into Beeline worked. Then follow route.

The route created: 55km circuit including some forest trails, mostly on road:
https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzA1MDc0Nw==

On following the route the beeline device is mostly intuitive.
It moves on automatically to next route point.

But if I skipped a part of route or bypassed a point the Beeline stayed pointing to the last route point.
(It sort-of makes sense you cannot automatically move on as routes could loop or re-use points but it would not be that hard to check in software that your route doesn't overlap or re-use points.) I found later how to do it on device. The route arrow should go black, then you can tap on the top arrow and re-route journey == move routing on to next point.
https://ridebeeline.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020956713-Route-Mode-vs-Compass-Mode
Or do what I did. In app on phone tap on arrow. There you can move forward or backwards through route points. Ok as I had phone in holder on my bike handlebars.

Anyway, track of the route: Within 5km Dublin Road Cycling 23 May 2020

18:40 to 22:43 == 4 hours.
Total distance: 54 km
Altitude gain: 831m
https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MTQzNDAzMzM=

Used Beeline device to follow the route.
On forest trails with my regular commuter bike.

Highlights: JUDDERY arms and ass area well rattled and massaged to itchy rash extreme heat point from the long gravelly downhill Three Rock to Kilmashogue without suspension.
Explored the new not open Tully Church Laghanstown Park area, amused to encounter working traffic junctions on the new disconnected roads.

Process or work flows:

#1 edit route in Beeline app, follow route.

Limited to Beeline app map views map/terrain/satellite/hybrid.
Which is ok.
Can turn Route mode on or off.

#2 edit route in viewRanger, export gpx, upload to google drive, import into BeeLine app, follow route.

Route editing in viewRanger is a bit clunky but it gives you nice cycling/hiking options, better map views, combined routing and non-routing control.

Importing .gpx into Beeline app on android was a bit annoying. It would import from certain folders only, Images, Videos, . . . Not from viewRanger folder. Not from downloads folder. Eventually putting the .gpx file into drive and importing from there worked.

#3 edit route in Strava, import route directly in BeeLine app, follow route. (requires 

Beeline imports Strava routes natively.
But you have to pay for a regular Strava subscription to be able to edit routes beyond the free 60 days.

Beeline here is not the Russian mobile telephone company but the Beeline bluetooth GPS device.

Not the Droids:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeline_(brand) Vimpelcom Russian telecommunications

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeline_(software_company)  SAAS Workforce Management

Yes the Droids:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ridebeeline/beeline-smart-navigation-for-bicycles-made-simple/posts

https://beeline.co/ Simple, navigation for bikes/motorcycles
Simple interface.
Good design.
An arrow, pointing at destination (or next route turning point) and distance.
Clear display visible in sunlight or backlit visible in the dark.
Cute and robust design (so far).

The phone does the grunt work GPS location on and Bluetooth to communicate with Beeline.