One part Butler Maps, one part interactive ride tracking; the Rever app solves problems that you never knew you had. It allows you to plan a ride on your computer utilizing Butler Maps, track that ride and then share it with friends/fellow riders. Keep tabs on your epic adventures (or trips to Starbucks) and then share them later via social media or in the Rever online user community.

This app is built on the rock solid foundation of Butler Maps. If you are not familiar with Butler stop reading this immediately and check them out at ButlerMaps.com. They develop motorcycle specific maps that showcase ideal roads and areas for riding that come printed on a rugged waterproof Teflon paper. Butler also produces all of the Backcountry Discovery Routes maps along with being big supporters of the organization. Needless to say this app has good roots!

The two main functions of the Rever app are ride tracking and ride planning. Tracking a ride with Rever is as simple as tapping the “track ride” button in the app and then riding away. You can watch the map, stay on the “stats” screen or just throw the phone into a jacket pocket. It will auto pause tracking when you are stagnant for more than a minute or so and resume when you start moving.

Once the ride is over you select “finish ride” and it is moved to the “tracked” section in the app. You are then able to share it, rate it or ride it again. Once completed you have the ability to look at stats from the ride including: time, distance, max speed and average speed. Your friends in the Rever online community will also be able to see the rides you’ve tracked.

To plan a ride you log into your Rever.co account and use their tools to make an appealing route. The format is pretty similar to other GPS mapping programs but it has some very cool features that make it stand out. One obvious advantage is the integration of Butler Maps allowing you to customize your route with the best motorcycle roads scouted by Butler. It also allows you to avoid highways, avoid tollroads, set waypoints and create routes where there are no roads on the map.

Create routes by entering your start and finish locations or by dropping waypoints on a desired route. Once you have finished planning you save said ride, name it and then it appears in your “planned rides” section in the app. No need to transfer or download it to your phone just let technology do its thing. You also have the option at this point to download your route in GPX format to be imported into a GPS unit.

The best part about the Rever app is downloading maps before a ride and navigating without cellular service.

The beauty of the Rever app for us adventurous types is once you have planned a ride you don’t need cell service to navigate. You can select the offline button in the app to download the route to your phone. The built in GPS will keep tabs on you and allow you to navigate without cell service. This feature works great as long as you don’t stray too far from your pre-planned route. Phones are not a replacement for your GPS unit just yet, but I would not be surprised if they were in the near future.

I started using Rever a few months ago on a whim and I’ve become more impressed with each use. I had not been tracking my rides or sharing GPS files before discovering this app. Previously friends would ask what rides I’d done over the weekend. I would shrug and then proceed to spend hours in Garmin Basecamp trying to remember exactly what routes I had used or where I had been. With Rever all of the rides I have tracked are saved and organized online and in the app. So when someone asks for a route I am able to look up my ride by name or date and then share it.

Another great function is planning rides with friends. Creating new routes then sharing it with other riders is streamlined. Everyone has an idea how long we will be out and what kind of miles we are going to put up. Being able to keep an eye on what sort of riding my friends have been doing is also fun. In this sense I use Rever as a motivational tool to ride more.

Speed, elevation, distance, and simple route recording are the greatest features of the Rever app.

I am not a huge stat junky when it comes to miles ridden or fastest time from A to B but I can see how this app would be the perfect tool for someone who is. Rever even encourages this type of thing with competitions and cool prizes. Even though stats are not something that often crosses my mind, this feature is a pretty cool way to get people more involved in the sport and get them riding more.

I think that Rever is a cool app that can be a useful tool for the majority of riders. With just a $5.99 monthly subscription fee for the premium version, it’s easy to get your money’s worth. The more I use it the more I find other ways it is useful. Having access to digital versions of Butler Maps alone makes it worth it for me.

If you are on the fence about it though you can always play around with the free version. This app and its technology are only going to improve as time goes on and I’m excited to integrate it into my ride planning and tracking. MSRP: Free or $5.99/monthly subscription fee Rever.co

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