A few days ago I asked for feedback regarding the Jepster app and another one (Cadence). I didn’t get any, however most comments were moslty saying that it was a terrible idea, that a phone battery would be dead in a couple of hours and that I should use a proper bike computer instead.
So I gave it a try in the best possible conditions: with a dedicated phone I had sitting around, running offline, specifically setup to just run this app and nothing else. (Samsung Galaxy J5 2016, barely used, 3100mAh battery, amoled screen at 50% brightness).
It went perfectly well, after a 2h 42min ride I had 75% battery left. This means that the phone could safely hold up for a big ride, even in cold conditions (temp was 6°C).
Fucntionnaly, the Jepster app did everything well, connected to my HR belt and my cadence sensor via ANT+ within seconds.
Before the ride I connected the app to my Strava account to download my route so I could follow it on the map. I had also downloaded the map area for offline use. After the ride I could upload my ride straight to Strava.
I enjoyed being able to navigate on the map (no turn by turn, just following my route), swipe to the elevation profile, and to a climb screen when needed so see what the rest of the climbs looked like.
At 50% brightness the screen was perfectly legible, but the weather was cloudy not sunny.
So overall a great option for those not willing to invest just yet in a proper cycling computer and who happen to have a dedicated phone they can repurpose. The big benefit was the bigger screen allowing me to see a big map + 6 data fields at the same time. Of course the consequence is a much bigger device on the handlebars, and less aero.
Last, the app is free and the dev is working on implementing Strava live segments and turn by turn.
Next I’ll try the Cadence app which looks fantastic. However you can’t download offline maps yet, so I’ll have to setup a Bluetooth hotspot on my main phone to minimize battery drain. And you have to import GPX routes manually, not straight from Strava like Jepster. We’ll see how it goes.
