Kamis, 07 Juni 2018
Planning your cycle route is made easy with CycleMaps, which uses a host of sources such as OpenCycleMaps and CycleStreets to plot the most direct and safest route for you and your bike. You can plot a simple A to B route, or include multiple stops or ‘via’ points. You can also tailor the routes it uses, so that if you fancy a slow, scenic ride it will find the right path, or a more direct, quicker route for fast commuting or training. Also available as an online mapping tool. Map My Ride was one of the original ride-logging services, and despite fierce competition for space on your phone from the likes of Strava, it still offers a lot. The app records a host of data from your ride, including distance, speed, elevation and a detailed route. All of this can be uploaded to the Map My Ride site for detailed analysis and sharing with other users, if you wish.
Like Strava, Map My Ride also includes timed sections, called Courses, where you can try and set the fastest time. Perhaps this is a bit of a cheat, as MyWindsock isn’t available as a phone app yet, but the desktop version works well. The founder - Ben Norbury - wanted to check how weather conditions would affect his upcoming time trials, hence creating the application. MyWindsock can tell real-time data on the weather along your planned route, if you upload a GPX file. Alternatively, you can copy and paste the URL for a Strava segment into this clever piece of software to see what sort of conditions you can expect - nearly all UK time trial courses have a segment if not several. You can also feed MyWindsock a Strava leaderboard, to see which weather conditions have produced the fastest times. Does what it says on the tin. If you’re using your phone as a cycling computer, this app pretty much gives you all the data that you might want.
It’s Strava compatible, has the capability to call a chosen contact in case of emergency and claims to operate 12% more efficiently compared to any other mobile fit tracker app - saving battery life. Use the Wahoo app to track your rides, and pair it with Bluetooth sensors like heart rate monitors, speed sensors and some power meters. Wahoo has a Wahoo Key plugin you can use to pair them too. Wahoo’s app is compatible with others - like Strava, MyFitness Pal and Training Peaks, so you can upload your ride there too. There’s a multitude of customisable pages so you can see all your data, plus GPS maps on board too. This app allows experts and enthusiasts alike to add routes, which users can browse from anywhere in the world. In app purchases mean that users can buy premium maps provided by the Ordnance Survey. The files are quite large so you’ll need to ensure there’s plenty of space on your smartphone. A big plus of this app is its versatility: use it for road riding and mountain biking, but also for walking and hiking.
This comprehensive fitness app utilises the GPS functions of Apple devices to create a host of statistics to help you log and improve your cycling performance. Records speed, time, distance and has an extensive array of workouts to follow, making it a virtual training partner. The app also includes built-in announcements, so that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to know how you’re doing. Recorded data can be uploaded to Strava and other ride sharing websites. Rather than just tracking and logging your activities, Endomondo is designed to be your personal trainer and as such features ‘audio encouragement’ to motivate you during exercise, including how you are performing against pre-determined goals. As well as cycling and running, the app can also track around 40 other sports. Garmin’s Connect software provides a link between your mobile device and Garmin GPS device to share data. The connection can work both ways, with a compatible Garmin GPS able to display weather data and notifications on your handlebars.