These are the best apps for cyclists to improve training, track speed, see stats and avoid getting lost

As a means of transportation, cycling might not be the quickest way of getting to your destination but it saves the environment from some of the strain it is currently under. However, the advantages of this activity go beyond environmental friendliness to influence our personal health directly. The benefits of cycling as a form of exercise cannot be understated and modern technological advancements have made it easier for us to leverage this exercise for better results. One of such advancements is the development of cycling apps/apps intended to aid locomotion.

What are the best iOS applications for cyclists and bikers?

The functions of these apps are far-reaching and innovative with some of them capable of monitoring heart rate, mapping out routes, and even determining the safety of routes. That said, some are more functional than others, and here are my 10 best biking/cycling apps for iPhone users.

Cyclemeter

Cyclometer is developed especially for cyclists and is based on GPS data, Cyclometer tracks your trips, displays the speed in analog and digital format, and lets you race against a ghost of yourself. Also calculates time, average speed, and calories. So you can record all activities that make cycling maintain a temporal evolutionary history and know how you are progressing in “training”.

Apple Health

It’s hard to start a compilation of cycling apps on iOS devices without first touching on the default app on said device. The health app doesn’t come with the bells and whistles that other cycling apps possess though.

Apple are devoted to making devices that provide enough functionality to be daily technological companions and their health app is an extension of such devotion. However, the app isn’t solely concerned with tracking cycling data and all it offers in this regard are trackers for cycling distance on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.

Kinetic Fit

Kinetic fit is dedicated to improving the fitness of cyclists alone and was made for integration with smart trainers from the same company. As such, where some other apps might be focused on virtual racing experience, this one sticks to simply helping increase performance. What you get from kinetic fit would consist of workouts designed by real-life coaches and a post-workout analysis containing more than 50 data points to help identify potential areas of improvement.

Google Fit

This is another one of the total health and fitness watch packages. Google fit isn’t intended for cycling alone but it incorporates a partnership between the app, WHO, and the AHA to develop activity goals that improve the health of users. The app would connect to cycling apps like Strava if cycling is your activity of choice (as it most likely is if you’re on this page) for staying fit and healthy. You would then be able to access workout analysis and a journal of your activity whenever you wish.

Wahoo SYSTM

While this isn’t exactly a biking app that is particularly aimed at people using cycling as a means of transportation, it is still highly effective for the fitness community. The SYSTM helps users to customize training plans to meet their fitness goals. It also provides cyclists with a catalog of workout plans and utilizes its proprietary 4DP technology to further tailor this workout according to the individual strengths and weaknesses of customers.

RGT Cycling

Casual fitness cycling apps, route navigation apps, and most of the other cycling apps on this list are quite exceptional in the way they facilitate rides and share relevant info but if you want a cycling app that provides the ultimate virtual racing experience, RGT cycling should be among your top options.

If you’re interested in fitness, it would still be very useful just as it would be if you intend to train for a professional competition. What’s most lovely, however, is the ability to race friends in virtually near real-life situations while on a smart trainer at home.

FulGaz

FulGaz is an excellent cycling simulator app for iPhone. Just like some of the online virtual cycling apps that have been touched on above, the FulGaz app is capable of interacting with your smart trainer to adjust cycling speed and mimic expected resistance.

These adjustments would be made according to which one of the over 1000 POV videos you have decided to use for your workout. These videos are designed to provide different levels of difficulty to the riding experience and many iconic ride routes from around the world are available to users of the app.

Citymapper

This is an out-and-out transport/navigation app and not a devoted cycling app but it would come in handy for people cycling as a means of transport or fitness buffs looking for the best routes. It is a tool that city dwellers would do well to possess.

The app could help identify faster routes, quieter routes, or the most common way to move from place to place. In addition, it gives an indication to cyclists of where they can rent bikes if they are without one or if theirs has sustained some damage.

Komoot

Notice how the name of this app sounds very similar to the word “commute”, that might not be a coincidence. Komoot allows users to plan their biking/cycling ahead of time and information on routes that include distance, elevation and even surface are provided on the app. You can also access its turn-by-turn voice navigation during rides if you don’t like being distracted while on your bike. In this ultra-connected world, this app also allows users to share their rides and experiences with a community of like-minded riders.

Strava

A big name in the outdoor fitness space, Strava is widely recommended for both runners and cyclists. It doesn’t matter whether you’re performing the activity for competitive training or just as part of a fitness regimen; the app has something for you. Strava allows users to track their rides with data that includes calories burned and elevation gained alongside the more basic distance and pace-related info. It’s a great Track activity & map routes app that would also come in handy if you’re looking to explore a new route or challenge yourself.

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TrainingPeaks

If you’ve been waiting for it, here is a cycling app dedicated solely to sports and health in a way that few others can hope to achieve. Whether you’re looking to consistently burn calories or prepare a training plan for a competition, this is for you.

Training peaks is also compatible with many popular apps and devices (including the apple health app, the apple watch, and other dedicated fitness watches). The real plus of this app, though, is the longer-term vision it brings to your cycling plans.

iBiker Cycling

This is fairly a complete application for cyclists and bikers. It shows the distance traveled, the route made, the time you’ve used, the velocity at each point of the route, and also can synchronize it any accessory such as a heart rate monitor. It also serves to calculate calories burned depending on age, weight, and height that you put on your profile. There is also support for many other third-party apps such as Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, or RunKeeper, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

With these iPhone cycling apps, every cyclist will have the opportunity to use iPhone as an assistant when riding a bike around the city or the mountains. There was a temptation to stick to the letter of the title and focus on conventional biking apps alone but cycling goes beyond that and every facet from the route navigation to health motivations deserves to be served. I hope I’ve served yours well.