There are so many apps for cyclists out there. Believe me, I’ve tried them all. But take it from a guy who’s done this for a few years now, they’re only useful if you use them!
BBC Weather
Price: Free
Ok, ok it’s a weather app. But what a weather app!
I love the BBC one for two reasons. Firstly, it shows the wind direction and strength. This really helps when planning routes before heading out. The clever cyclist always comes back with the wind behind them! Secondly, the sunrise and sunset times. Living in Britain this is particularly useful in helping to decide if there’s enough time for that sneaky post meeting ride when you get home. There are lots of different options available out there for a basic weather app, but for me this seems to get closest to what I actually see outside.
Bike Doctor
Price: £1.79
Stunning app produced by The London Cyclist, maintenance made easy. It doesn’t have everything, but it’s perfect for those little problems that come up whether on the road or at home. This has helped me through a lot of basic maintenance problems when I tackled them for the first time. Well worth £1.79!
Evernote
Price: Free
I love this app. I’m an organised guy, and this fits perfectly with my need for structure. I used it for everything, including cycling. There is so much info out there, don’t let anything pass you by. One of the great things about Evernote is you get allocated an e-mail address so you can forward on all those fantastic web clipping, articles and blog posts that you come across to save forever.
I split mine down into a few categories, so they are then easy to find when I need them.
Home And Dry
Price: £2.29
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”
This app is brilliant. Four hours worth of live rain data, playing out in real-time, right in front of your eyes. Take the chance out of planning those Autumn rides. I know it’s another weather app, but this one does something very different. When coupled with the BBC app you can make sure you avoid the rain and have the wind behind you on the way home. A cyclist’s dream!
Strava
Price: Free (Premium £59/yr)
I could hardly go through an app list without mentioning Strava! I love this site, and the app is perfect for keeping up with your club mates, and recording your rides when you haven’t got the GPS to hand. A great site, and, in my opinion, a must have app for any cyclist.
