Just as advancements in cycle manufacturing have allowed us to increase speeds and efficiency, cycling apps give us added tools to measure performance and inform training plans. If you like running and cycling, these apps have become indispensable, whether you are training competitively or simply take part in cycling as a way to increase personal fitness and enjoy the outdoors. These Android and iPhone apps can be used to map routes (and share them with other cyclists), monitor performance, and manage rides in any terrain, for anyone from road biking commuters to mountain biking adventurers.

Here are some popular as well as lesser-known iPhone iOS and Android apps you may wish to incorporate into your two-wheeled adventures.

Strava

Strava is a very popular tracking app for your road bike or mountain bike used by cyclists. It can be used to track speed, time, and distance, and cyclists can also keep track of calories burned during a ride as well as elevation. The stats are uploaded to your online Strava profile, and the app is free (whilst a paid version can upgrade you to Strava Premium member status). Strava is popular as a social media platform as much as a training and data app and remains one of the cycling community’s most widely used apps.

Cycle Tracker Pro

A paid app service, Cycle Tracker Pro is another favourite for its numerous handy features. The program syncs with Google Maps and allows users to see a street view of their routes. For added enjoyment on the ride, the app syncs with your music and even has a native camera function to capture all of the fun! The customizable screen includes maps, times or graphs, and the app can be used for interval training. Cycle Tracker Pro also estimates calories burned during a ride and offers long-term ride storage.

Map My Ride

Like its sister app Map My Run, this is a wildly popular app among cyclists as a way to collect and store vital stats (and share them with others). The data recorded in the app includes distances, times, speeds, and elevations; users can sync the data to their accounts and also upload photos. The premium version of Map My Ride offers more training plans and advanced route options, as well as live tracking (not to mention it does not include the ads that come standard with the free version).

Bike Gear Calculator

This one is definitely not for the occasional cyclist or newbie; the Bike Gear Calculator is more for the mildly (to wildly) obsessed cyclist/tech nerd! If you are interested in everything from comparing gear ratios to figuring out the right number of teeth for your cassette, this is the app for you.

Bike Citizens

The Bike Citizens app has a continuously updated database of maps where cyclists can submit their own rides; users benefit from others’ route tips and highlights, making this not only a useful navigational app but a sort of cycling “travel guide”. Hundreds of European cities are included in the database (and others worldwide).

Komoot

Appealing to the more adventurous cyclists, Komoot allows you to key in a destination and offers various options for reaching it. Some options will take longer and perhaps cover unfamiliar terrain, offering cyclists an opportunity to get out and explore. Komoot records and saves your rides as completed tours and the app allows you to share your routes with other Komoot users.

Cyclemeter

Cyclemeter allows users to start/stop rides with an iPhone earphone remote button, compete against prior race times, set up training programs as well as various automated alerts. Post-ride analysis is plentiful in the app as well, which comes integrated with Google Maps. Users can import and export routes with Strava, Facebook, Twitter, and other programs.

Bike Doctor

Just as the name implies, this app is a great tool for diagnosing and better yet fixing any problems a cyclist encounters with equipment. It can save expensive trips to a repair shop with the trade-off of a low-cost app. Step-by-step guides walk cyclists through some of the most commonly needed repairs with cycles.

Wahoo Fitness

Wahoo pairs with Bluetooth sensors to measure speed, heart rate, and other factors, and it also uploads to other sites such as Strava, and Map My Fitness. It includes a GPS map and eight customizable pages of data, for those interested in keeping track of numerous stats. In addition to cycling, the app can be used for other activities, which is handy for cyclists who cross train.

Endomondo

Another popular app that can be used for various fitness activities including cycling, Endomondo can be connected to compatible heart rate monitor. Both free and premium prescriptions are available for users.

Sleep Bot

A sleeping app for cycling? This app can actually serve as an important tool as cyclists train, with quality sleep being an imperative part of the rider’s success in a race. The app can be used long-term to track a cyclist’s sleep patterns. Nights with lower quality sleep might be used to inform tweaks needed in a training plan (or in diet or other activities).

Google Maps

While most of us use Google Maps in our daily lives and would not necessarily think of it as a cyclist’s tool, it does allow you to create routes and export them to your cycling computer. Additionally, cyclists use Google Maps to look for traffic issues or road closures, and the “street view” affords bikers a more realistic view to determine whether a road is passable or should be avoided. Of course, it can be also helpful in finding a café or a pub for a much needed mid-ride break, too.

Fitness and cycling apps are a competitive market, which means the apps are constantly being improved for a better user experience. No matter which ones cyclists use, they are sure to benefit from the ability to gather and record data, which will inform future rides and training plans. Plus, the social media-geared apps let us show off our achievements to the rest of the cycling community.