Cycling is brilliant, and it’s only gotten better with the rise of smartphones and fitness trackers. Here are nine of our favourite apps for cyclists for both iPhone and Android, to help you get the most out of your biking experience!
Strava — ride logging, stats and sharing
Strava is probably the best known cycling app on the planet, but it’s for good reason. The app offers excellent tracking and a popular social network, allowing you to easily share your rides with friends. Challenges encourage you to keep moving, photos let you show off your favourite haunts and smartwatch apps let you access the essentials from your wrist. If you could only choose one app for your cycling needs, this would probably be it.
Fill That Hole — report potholes in the road
Fill That Hole is an app that you won’t use every day (hopefully), but it’s definitely one that you’ll want to have on your phone. Basically, you can report potholes in the road, then share these reports with other users and local councils in order to get them fixed. You can also see other potholes reported in your area or on a route you’re about to take, in order to better avoid them. Super helpful; it’s easy to see why the app has been sponsored by the national cycling charity CTC.
Cycle Hire — rent bicycles easily in London
iPhone (£0.79)
The Cycle Hire app lets you easily find bikes to hire through London’s city-wide scheme. As well as showing nearby bikes, you can also get cycle-friendly directions and see your Cycle Hire account. If you don’t like this app, you can download the official Santander Cycles app instead.
Bike Gear Calculator — optimise your gearing
iPhone (£1.50), Android (free)
The well-described Bike Gear Calculator is a great way to tune your bike’s gears, ensuring you’re getting maximum efficiency and a setup that suits your riding style and environment. If you’re heavily into your cycles, this app can save you a lot of work calculating by hand.
Dark Sky—up-to-the-minute rain reports
iPhone (£3)
Is it raining? How about in fifteen minutes? Answering these questions is pretty important for most cyclists, so a good weather forecasting app is essential. I like Dark Sky, which offers incredibly accurate and precise rain forecasting, including notifications when rain is starting or has stopped. You can easily see periods of light or no rain, and how long they’ll last, so you can get out there without getting too wet.
St John Ambulance First Aid for cyclists —medical guides
If you fall off your bike and sprain your ankle, do you know what to do? How about a nasty scrape? What about a head injury? The talented folks at St John Ambulance have the answers to these questions and more, and they’ve packed their knowledge into a helpful app. It’s designed just for cyclists, so you’ll be able to find information and treatments for common cycling injuries easily.
Cyclemeter — advanced stats and tracking
iPhone (free)
If you’re heavily into the quantitative side of biking and exercise, then your best friend could be Cyclemeter. It offers incredibly extensive tracking options, and provides a lot of very valuable information in return, including maps, graphs and training plans. The app includes Apple Watch support too.
Bike Doctor — bike repair guides
This app shows you how to properly maintain and repair your bike, with simple instructions and plenty of illustrations. If you want to ensure your bike is in tip-top condition or fix that annoying squeak, you’ll be well covered here.
Size My Bike — buy the right-sized bike, make adjustments
Android (£3.77), iPhone (£1.50)
Size My Bike is another app that you won’t use often, but it’s definitely worth the cost of admission. Input your body measurements, and you’ll get recommendations for the size of bike you should buy or rent. Once you’ve gotten your bike, you’ll get instructions on setting it up to suit your anatomy. A well-fitted bike makes a big difference to comfort and performance, making this app a strong choice.
Conclusion
Thanks for checking out our recommendations! Did we miss your favourite app? Let us know in the comments below!