My girlfriend was selected in the Iowa Wind and Rock lottery, so there's going to be a lot of training miles this fall and winter. That means long rides in the dark, not to mention potential snow and ice. Possibly even some overnight riding to simulate the final 150 miles.
Because of this, I'd like to add an extra safety net beyond the cell phone and GPS. Has anyone here used a Spot Tracker or similar device? The Spot Gen 3 seems to have pretty good reviews, and it seems to fit the bill of what we're looking for. The unit itself is $150, and the service plan is $200 or $300 yearly (depending on the package).
I've been using a Garmin inReach since it was available 5 or so years ago. I had the original Spot before that. The inReach allows back and forth texting via satellite which can be a huge advantage. For instance, if she uses that to contact you for help, you can let her know an ETA. With the Spot Gen 3, she can send a text for help but not receive a reply. The latest Spot trackers do allow back and forth texting. Spot has a spotty customer service reputation especially if you have a problem or try to cancel. Garmin has a service plan where you can put your service on hold and reactivate it when you need it, and then put it on hold again.
I've used both the Spot and Delorme InReach and vastly prefer the Delorme.
Both were purchased for alpine climbing/mountaineering so that my wife could follow my progress from home and to keep from worrying.
The spot dropped tracks and often didn't report for periods of time, causing opposite reactions in my wife from what I was intending. Since switching to the Delorme, the tracks are consistent and accurate, and my wife can text me on it at any time.
I ride with my SPOT pretty much any time I'm going to be further out than my normal training routes, which can get me into areas with no cell reception.
Thanks all, I ended up getting a Spot Tracker for a killer deal, so I went with that. We'll probably give it a try for a year's worth of subscription service, and if we're not satisfied we can change it then. I just figured for the price difference between the InReach and the Spot, the Spot was worth a try even if it turned out to be a complete loss eventually.
If she has cell service then you both could use Life 360 phone app. My wife and I use when we are riding separately or just trying to locate the other. You can always know where the other person is located and even the route and time to get there. Have used SPOT for other stuff but like the idea of InReach. It is heavier though.
