Top Cycling Apps and Gear to Elevate Your Ride: Explore Routes, Track Progress, and More

Health benefits, community and fun can all be achieved by going for a bike ride. Biking is less intense on muscles and joints than weightlifting and running but just as beneficial for the body. Cycling allows us to see beautiful landscapes and discover new paths – and the best part is bikes can essentially be taken anywhere.

Cycling apps make it seamless for users to find the perfect routes to explore their nearby area. There are a variety of cycling apps that offer countless paths to explore any location. The apps provide many different features that elevate experiences and boost enjoyment.

Read on for the Victra team’s top cycling apps, which will change the game for cycling as they utilize the latest smartphone and wearable technology to enhance rides.

 

MapMyRide

Cyclers who want an app with advanced route-mapping software and extensive tracking features should try the MapMyRide app. In addition to GPS-tracking rides, the app also tracks nutrition to ensure riders get the most out of the ride. The free option provides the basic functions of the app, while the paid premium version, available for $5.99 per month, offers more advanced routing options and live tracking that can be shared with family and friends to optimize safety.

 

BikeMap

A tricky thing about cycling outside is that riders are unaware of possibly dangerous conditions on any given route. The BikeMap app mitigates this issue with real-time updates, which allow one to alert other BikeMap users of any bad conditions within a path. This is especially useful for cyclists who live in an urban environment where conditions are ever-changing. Additionally, there are more than 7 million user-generated routes and route collections to choose from.

 

GoogleMaps

GoogleMaps is an excellent option for a simple and easy user interface that anyone can access through the internet. It offers bike-friendly routes, allowing users to find new cycling paths to explore. Hands-free cycling is an essential aspect of cycling, and this app has audio turn-by-turn features that perfectly lay out the route for the user in real-time.

 

Strava

Cyclists can struggle with finding the motivation to go for a solo bike ride, but the Strava app eliminates this issue by allowing users to follow one another, track their rides, comment and upload photos. Some other incredible features of the Strava app include GPS tracking of rides and automatic ranking of personal best times over popular routes.

 

Komoot

Komoot makes bike rides an adventure. This app allows users to plan road, mountain bike and gravel rides, and offers the most efficient route based on the individual user’s abilities. Komoot also allows one to prepare for their ride by providing the difficulty, fitness required, the anticipated road surfaces  to encounter and an elevation profile, ensuring safety and efficiency as users embark on their journey. Some additional features that Komoot offers include on-the-spot route changes, speed, distance traveled, distance remaining during the ride and route recommendations.

 

Training Peaks

Suppose a user prefers a structured plan and a coach’s advice when cycling, then the Training Peaks app is the solution. This app offers comprehensive tools for tracking fitness and fatigue. It serves as a cycling coach and allows users to create and schedule workouts and choose from a wide selection of training plans specially curated by coaches.

 

Cyclemeter

Cyclemeter offers various pre- and post-ride features, including a plethora of customizable options during the ride and in-depth post-ride analysis. Additionally, the ride data is saved onto users’ devices, which allows them to import and export their routes with ease.

 

Rouvy

For users that prefer to ride indoors, Rouvy is the perfect choice. This indoor cycling app offers real-life augmented reality courses to ride on, so users can still explore the outdoors while staying inside. Rouvy uses video recordings of real roads and combines that information with elevation data to craft an immersive experience. The app also offers route films to virtually ride on if the augmented reality is overwhelming.

 

Zwift

For a complete virtual video game-like experience, the Zwift app offers users the ability to virtually ride with and race each. Zwift also includes social features and virtual races to motivate users. Other features of Zwift include GPS tracking and health metric logging.

 

Top Tech for Cyclists of All Levels

Users can get the most out of their rides by gaining insights from their devices. Victra offers a full range of wireless devices from top providers including Apple, Samsung and Google. These gadgets allow bikers to thrive in their cycling endeavors. 

By having something enjoyable to listen to, cyclists can drastically improve the experience​ ​. Whether a pump-up playlist or an informative podcast, these content forms can help reach one’s health goals.  

The Google Pixel Buds are a great option that will stay in users’ ears throughout the entire ride. The Google Pixel Buds ​ ​have a moldable design that conforms to the unique shape of each user’s ear, creating a gentle seal for maximum enjoyment. Some key features they offer include a one-touch control of music and instant access to Google Assistant whenever needed, real-time translation when paired with Google Translate and one-finger control of music, answering phone calls and volume adjustment.​.​ 

In addition, Samsung has many efficient smartwatches that track cycling rides and pair directly with some of the top cycling apps. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 offers top-notch tracking ability and built-in features to improve users’lifestyles. The watch has an energy score feature that calculates daily physical readiness based on data from prior days. This personalized energy score improves transparency and ensures knowledge of each user’s daily capabilities.   

 Victra offers another smartwatch option for Apple users looking to improve their cycling experience. The Apple Watch Series 10 pairs perfectly with cycling apps to track workouts and much more. The advanced sensors in this watch help cyclists better understand their overall health through tracking sleep, activity, heart rate and more. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the ideal fitness watch because it provides the advanced metrics needed for riders to complete their everyday goals and beyond.

 

Explore new routes and reach new destinations with the best apps for cyclists and the latest wearable tech from Victra. All apps are available on both Google Play and the App Store, with premium content available for purchase. To learn more, visit www.Victra.com.