The creation of the quad trail network, carried out by the Fédération québécoise des quads quads with its member clubs and their volunteers, has ensured that today we can travel long distances, experience quad holidays and much more.
To help quad riders and provide them with safety and peace of mind while traveling, Federation officials have developed the iQuad application, now renamed iQuad Pro.
“You should know that Quebec is considered the place in the world where there is the largest network of quad trails in the association,” explains the association’s geomatist for 10 years, Patrick Dubois. If we add up the summer routes, the winter routes and the all-season routes, we get a network of almost 33,000 kilometers. It’s huge, almost as big as the Quebec Ministry of Transportation’s road network.
“The big difference is that our network is run entirely by volunteers. All these details that I tell you show the importance of the quad world in Quebec. »
BIRTH OF iQUAD
With the trail network becoming a very large machine, it could be a real challenge for some quad riders to find their way around.
“This is how the iQuad application was born in 2012, which allowed us to offer quad riders a tool to help them practice their activity.
“As the world of mobile telephony has evolved, it has become increasingly difficult to utilize the full power of our application. We have therefore worked to create a new interface that meets people’s needs and, above all, can adapt to the new cellular reality. This is how the new version of iQuad and the iQuad Pro were created.
“We needed to be able to create a program that meets today’s standards and those of the future, especially when cell phones can get a satellite connection. »
NEW FEATURES
The Pro version of the application brings very interesting new features.
“This new version 4.0 allowed the addition of context menus that can slide from top to bottom and right to left, but at its core it remains an iQuad.” The old version still works, but is different from the Pro version.
“So with the iQuad Pro you can record and save the routes in the application, unlike before where the route was no longer available after the hike was completed. Now we can plan our movements.
“We can also use a third-party application like Track Map, create and import our routes, always with the iQuad Pro version. We can also share our routes with another quad rider. Once the hike is finished, we can export all the details of our hike to the mobile phone and then send it to a friend via SMS or email. »
Thanks to the iQuad Pro application it is also possible to form groups when traveling in groups.
“The group leader sends an invitation to all quad riders in the group. All you have to do is accept the invitation for automatic membership, always on the condition that they all have iQuad Pro. At this point we see information bubbles that tell us, for example, where the quad riders in the group have arrived. If someone is late, we can find out and wait for them.
“If there is a mechanical or other problem, the person can send a message to the other members of the group. It becomes important for the person having a problem and for others. This is really a very important security feature. »
If you want, you can even allow someone to track you live during your hike, with data updated every 30 seconds.
AND THE FUTURE
Even though this app already offers many possibilities, the developers are always thinking about improving the user experience.
“We’re always thinking about innovating and staying on the cutting edge for quad riders,” says Dubois. Therefore, we are trying to set up a discount coupon system where merchants have registered accordingly. The quad driver can therefore benefit from this when visiting this company.
“We are also thinking about categorizing the different types of trails and more. We would like to find a way to increase funding for this application, which is very expensive for an organization like ours. Some companies have developed their own application, with financial resources significantly exceeding those of the association.
“Yes, we charge a $20 fee to purchase the iQuad Pro, but it is not profit-making. All amounts are reinvested in research and updating the application to offer the best to quad riders. »
