We’ve rounded up a collection of the top iPhone and Android apps that aim to make your cycling life easier.
Smartphones are an integral part of everyday life for many women; on average, users devote over two hours per day interacting with them.
There seems to be an app for everything – from the useful, informing you of travel delays and changes to your commute, to the downright bizarre. Harry Styles My Boyfriend, allows you to “date” the One Direction star, definitely an app we won’t miss from our phone.
However, if like many of us, you are prone to Tweeting on the move, posting photos on Facebook that you’ve just edited on Instagram whilst Shazamming the song you heard in the lift, these cycling-related apps might well be for you.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced club cyclist, these affordable apps, available for both iPhone and Android-based phones, aim to enhance your cycling experience and help you get the most out of your ride.
1. Map My Tracks
Using the GPS capability of your smartphone to track your rides, the Map My Tracks app allows you to upload ride information online including distance, average speed, elevation and calories burnt. It’s a really useful app for discovering new routes that others have uploaded, as well as keeping track of your rides and charting your development. The online training plans are also a great way to structure and plan your rides.
Arguably Map My Tracks’ standout feature however is the live tracking of an event or race, where you or your friends, coaches or family can follow progress live with real-time tracking at the click of a button. Very useful when running late for a group ride, or providing parents with piece of mind when your children are out riding.
Price: Free (Pro version £1.49), Compatible with both iPhone and Android.
Where to download it: Map My Tracks
2. Strava
Strava is a hot topic of conversation in cycling at the moment. The app incorporates an element of community and competitiveness by placing your time over a certain ‘segment’ – a stretch of road, usually uphill – in a leader board-style ranking system which lets you see how you rate against everyone else.
It’s a great way to motivate yourself to ride that little bit harder in training; however, it’s perhaps not as much use on an easy, ‘recovery’ ride.
Price: Free (Premium service available), Compatible with both iPhone and Android.
Where to download it: Strava
3. BikeHub
Designed for rides up to 100miles, BikeHub is essentially a sat-nav for your smartphone. The app helps you find the quickest or quietest routes from one location to another by bike.
BikeHub also has a handy feature to locate your nearest bike shop, useful if you suffer a mechanical while out on a ride in an unfamiliar area.
Price: Free, Compatible with both iPhone and Android.
Where to download: BikeHub
4. Bike Doctor
Covering road bikes, hybrids and mountain bikes, and written with the complete beginner in mind, Bike Doctor is a bicycle repair manual in your pocket. Offering “bicycle maintenance for everyone”, the app takes you through repairing your bike in a step-by-step process that is easy to follow. Common problems that are covered include: puncture repair, adjusting gears and wrapping handlebar tape.
Price: £2.99, Compatible with both iPhone and Android.
Where to download: Bike Doctor
5. WeatherBug
Having an accurate weather forecast can be key to planning your training. WeatherBug is a reliable, useful app that contains a wealth of relevant data. Feeding from thousands of weather stations, the app provides you with a detailed weather report wherever you are. Features range from a basic seven-day forecast, to hourly updates, weather cams and interactive maps.
Price: Free, Compatible with both iPhone and Android.
Where to download: WeatherBug
Headline image by Nokton via Flickr
