With the iPhone now onto its sixth incarnation and great new Android smartphones launching regularly, there are more cycling apps than ever – ranging from highly analytical training tools to simpler social apps and useful navigational resources.
For some – Google Maps, for instance – you’ll need to have your device on the handlebars to take full advantage. For others, like Strava, you can just press Start, put your phone in your jersey pocket, and go.
With Bluetooth accessories such as heart-rate monitors, speed sensors and even power meters becoming more common, you can get your smartphone’s BT connection and processor to do the work that used to require a separate computer and, not so long ago, wires.
Here are our picks of the nine best Android and iPhone apps for cycling. Some are free, some are not, and some are free up front with an option to buy more bells and whistles. Fair warning: any GPS-based app will tax your phone's battery, so these are generally better suited to shorter rides.
Wahoo FitnessWahoo won't hold your data hostage
Perhaps the biggest draw of this app is the fact that is plays nicely with others. It pairs easily with Bluetooth sensors like heart-rate monitors, speed sensors and progressive power meters such as Stages. (With a Wahoo Key plugin you can pair with ANT+ sensors, too.)
In a world where many companies defensively guard your data in their various ecosystems, Wahoo Fitness uploads to all the good sites – Strava, MapMyFitness, TrainingPeaks, MyFitnessPal – and, if you like, can push your data in your choice of five file formats via email or Dropbox. If you’re an engineer, or just a data hound, you’ll love the number-heavy presentation of the app, too, with eight customizable pages of data on speed, power, heart rate and more. Plus, there’s a GPS map – though it burns through the battery pretty quickly.
We also use this app indoors — with the Kickr power trainer, a best-in-class indoor trainer
CyclemeterCyclemeter turns your iPhone into a great cycling computer – if you’re down for putting your iPhone on your handlebars. It is similar to Wahoo Fitness in its wealth of customizable options during the ride, but you also get a smorgasboard of post-ride analysis. Plus, you don’t have to log in to any site: the data stays on your iPhone.
You can start/stop rides with your iPhone earphone remote button, and integrated Google Maps can assist you in unfamiliar areas. Want to compete against a prior time on a course? You can do that. Want to configure audio alerts for time, heart rate, distance or other variables? No problem. Want to set up a training program with intervals, power and heart-rate zones and online calendar integration? Yep, you can do that too.
Cyclemeter also plays nice with Strava, Facebook, Twitter and more – and importing and exporting routes is easy.
Read Entire Article: http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/best-iphone-and-android-apps-for-cycling-35227/
For some – Google Maps, for instance – you’ll need to have your device on the handlebars to take full advantage. For others, like Strava, you can just press Start, put your phone in your jersey pocket, and go.
With Bluetooth accessories such as heart-rate monitors, speed sensors and even power meters becoming more common, you can get your smartphone’s BT connection and processor to do the work that used to require a separate computer and, not so long ago, wires.
Here are our picks of the nine best Android and iPhone apps for cycling. Some are free, some are not, and some are free up front with an option to buy more bells and whistles. Fair warning: any GPS-based app will tax your phone's battery, so these are generally better suited to shorter rides.
Wahoo FitnessWahoo won't hold your data hostage
Perhaps the biggest draw of this app is the fact that is plays nicely with others. It pairs easily with Bluetooth sensors like heart-rate monitors, speed sensors and progressive power meters such as Stages. (With a Wahoo Key plugin you can pair with ANT+ sensors, too.)
In a world where many companies defensively guard your data in their various ecosystems, Wahoo Fitness uploads to all the good sites – Strava, MapMyFitness, TrainingPeaks, MyFitnessPal – and, if you like, can push your data in your choice of five file formats via email or Dropbox. If you’re an engineer, or just a data hound, you’ll love the number-heavy presentation of the app, too, with eight customizable pages of data on speed, power, heart rate and more. Plus, there’s a GPS map – though it burns through the battery pretty quickly.
We also use this app indoors — with the Kickr power trainer, a best-in-class indoor trainer
CyclemeterCyclemeter turns your iPhone into a great cycling computer – if you’re down for putting your iPhone on your handlebars. It is similar to Wahoo Fitness in its wealth of customizable options during the ride, but you also get a smorgasboard of post-ride analysis. Plus, you don’t have to log in to any site: the data stays on your iPhone.
You can start/stop rides with your iPhone earphone remote button, and integrated Google Maps can assist you in unfamiliar areas. Want to compete against a prior time on a course? You can do that. Want to configure audio alerts for time, heart rate, distance or other variables? No problem. Want to set up a training program with intervals, power and heart-rate zones and online calendar integration? Yep, you can do that too.
Cyclemeter also plays nice with Strava, Facebook, Twitter and more – and importing and exporting routes is easy.
Read Entire Article: http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/best-iphone-and-android-apps-for-cycling-35227/