Cycling Apps I Actually Use (And the Ones I Deleted After a Week)
My phone has way too many cycling apps. At one point I had like 15 of them, each promising to make me faster/safer/more connected/whatever. Most ended up being clutter.
After years of trying different ones, heres what survived on my phone and actually gets used.
The Core: Ride Tracking
Strava – yeah, everyones on it. And theres a reason. The segment tracking is addictive (I have a few local KOMs Im stupidly proud of), the social features keep me motivated, and pretty much every cyclist I know uses it so theres a shared reference point.
Free version does most of what you need. I paid for premium for a year to try the training features but honestly ended up not using them much. The heatmaps are cool for finding popular routes in new areas though.
Garmin Connect – I use a Garmin bike computer, so this is where all my detailed data lives. More metrics than Strava, better for diving deep into performance numbers. The two sync with each other so I record on Garmin, it uploads to Strava automatically.
If youre using a different brand (Wahoo, Stages, whatever), theyll have their own app that does similar stuff. Pick whichever matches your hardware.
Training and Getting Faster
TrainerRoad – this is what I use for structured indoor training. You set your goals, do an FTP test, and it builds a plan. The workouts are specific and challenging. Ive made more fitness gains using this consistently than from any amount of random riding.
Its a subscription service and not cheap, but if you actually do the workouts, the improvement is measurable. Probably best for people who are already committed to training seriously.
Zwift – virtual riding platform. Turn your indoor trainer into something almost fun. Racing other people (some of them possibly cats walking on keyboards based on how they ride) makes winter training way more bearable.
The gamification stuff is cheesy but it works. Getting a virtual jersey for climbing a virtual mountain scratches some stupid competitive itch in my brain. Routes keep things interesting when youre stuck inside.
The Sufferfest/Wahoo SYSTM – alternative to TrainerRoad with more video-based workouts. I tried it for a few months. Good production quality, solid training. Just preferred TrainerRoads approach personally.
Navigation and Routes
Komoot – my go-to for route planning. The interface is intuitive, it knows about gravel roads and trails, and the turn-by-turn voice navigation actually works. I plan routes on desktop and they sync to my phone.
Free for basic use. You buy region packs to unlock full navigation in specific areas. Ive purchased the areas where I ride most and its been worth it.
Ride with GPS – similar to Komoot, some people prefer it. Good for creating routes and has a solid community of shared routes. I use this as a backup and for when I want to look at what routes others have created in an area.
Google Maps – honestly, for casual city navigation, regular Google Maps works fine. Knows about bike lanes (sometimes), gives okay directions (usually). Not specialized but it works in a pinch.
Safety Stuff
Road ID – live tracking that shares your location with designated contacts. If you crash or stop moving for too long, it alerts them. Wife has this on her phone and gets pinged with my location when I start rides. Peace of mind for both of us.
The paid version also works as emergency ID – medical info, emergency contacts, that kind of thing. Useful if youre unconscious and first responders need information.
Strava Beacon – similar live tracking built into Strava premium. Lets designated people follow along with your ride in real time. Works well enough if you already have premium.
Bike Maintenance
Bike Repair – has step-by-step guides for common repairs. Saved me a few times on the road when I needed a refresher on something. Simple but useful.
Veloroo – tracks mileage on your components. Reminds you when chains need replacing, tires are worn, etc. I was terrible at remembering this stuff before and definitely rode chains too long. This helps.
Apps I Deleted
A few things I tried and gave up on:
Most social cycling apps – there are a bunch that try to be cycling specific social networks. They never have critical mass. Everyone just uses Strava for the social aspect anyway.
Detailed weather apps – I thought Id want cycling-specific weather forecasting. Turns out checking regular weather apps works fine. Didnt need another thing to maintain.
Calorie/nutrition trackers – tried a few, never stuck with them. Either I care about nutrition (and then I track properly in a dedicated nutrition app) or I dont (most of the time, honestly).
Too many metric apps – at some point I had separate apps for heart rate tracking, power analysis, sleep monitoring, recovery scoring… just noise. Garmin Connect or your main platform does most of this adequately.
What Actually Gets Used Weekly
Being real: Strava, Garmin Connect, Zwift (in winter), Komoot when I need a new route. Thats like 95% of my cycling app usage.
TrainerRoad during training blocks. Road ID whenever I ride solo somewhere remote.
Everything else either gets opened occasionally or should probably be deleted.
One More Thing
All these apps want access to your data. Some are selling it, some arent. Im not super paranoid about this but its worth knowing. Strava in particular has had some privacy issues with their heatmaps revealing military bases and such. You can set routes to private, hide your home location, etc.
Just… be aware of what youre sharing and with whom. Most cyclists are chill but the internet is weird and your ride data includes where you live and what your schedule looks like.
Anyway, those are my actual recommendations from someone whos tried way too many of these things. Start simple – Strava plus whatever matches your bike computer. Add stuff as you find you actually need it.
