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Whether it’s figuring out how many miles you’ve biked, checking out the nearest mountain biking paths, or simply determining the quickest route to work, there are a number of apps that can provide assistance. Check out our list below of the top mountain biking and cycling apps.
This app has made its name known through providing users with the ability to map their trail as they go via GPS, add photos and videos to each map, share trips, as well as follow the trips of other users. While the app was made for multi-use, such as walking, running, hiking, sailing, and driving, its capabilities make it perfect for biking as well.
(Available in a free version as well as EveryTrail PRO for $3.99 on iPhone and Android)
This app allows users to map routes, track activity, log food, and then share the information with friends. Unlike the more traditional apps that log food intake with the category of exercise as more of a secondary thought, this app goes into great detail regarding the specifics of the workout. These details include pace, duration, elevation, distance, speed, and calories burned. The workout summaries can then be uploaded to the MapMyRide website where a comprehensive workout history and its accompanying data can be found.
(Free download on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry)
Complete with GPS mapping you can use as you go, the ability to upload photos and videos to social media sites, and the automatic tracking of all routes, this app has all the basics. But beyond the practical needs, the app also allows users to connect a heart rate monitor—only on the iPhone 4S or newer—after which it will output the accurate speed, cadence, and heart rate data. The training mode also records speed, distance, laps, and intervals, to name a few of the highlights.
(Free download on iPhone)
Advertised as a multi-use app for an active lifestyle, this app is complete with maps, map tracking capability, location marking, navigation, and sharing information through the app and on social media. Users are also able to geotag photos, view speed and altitude graphs, as well as record time, distance, and speed.
(Available for $1.99 on iPhone)
Advertised as a premier app created for elite cyclists and mountain bikers, Bike Gear Calculator details exactly what it says—the gears. The app calculates gear ratios, gear inches, development, and gain ratios using your bike’s measurements. It includes more than 200 preset tire sizes and also lets the user enter in the size of a custom tire as well. This app is also rated higher than its competitors on the iPhone App Store, and it’s also cheaper.
(Available for $0.99 on iPhone and Android)
Also created for multi-use, this app seems to have an endless list of capabilities. Some of the more relevant to someone who mountain bikes or cycles is the ability to record workouts, race against old records or records of others, share information on social media, as well as import and export it. The user is also able to listen to announcements regarding distance, time, speed, elevation, and heart rate—with a variety of voice options, of course.
(Available for $4.99 on iPhone)
AllTrails Hiking & Mountain Biking
This app’s partnership with National Geographic is the first indicator that it’s a good download. The goal of the app is to create the “largest and most comprehensive online destination for outdoor enthusiasts,” according to its description on the website. There are more than 40,000 trails to explore, giving users the opportunity to share trails, reviews, and photos with friends and other users via social media. In addition, you are able to take notes in a trail journal along the way, with the ability to view local events as well.
(Free download on iPhone and Android)
While this app has the typical trip data, a number of available maps, as well as the sharing with friends and other users through social media, the most important feature is that it is constantly updated. Nothing can ruin a ride more than a closed off road or trail, so this app, along with its auto-stop GPS that accurately tracks when you’re not in motion, truly has it all. Although the cost is in line with its features, reviews show it’s worth the money.
(Available for $9.99 on iPhone and Android)
With this app, users are able to track off-road rides, and the integration sensor allows them to monitor their heart rate, cadence, and speed in order to get accurate records that enable proper analysis of each workout. Additional features include determining exact altitude, duration, distance, and calories burned. A bonus of the app is that it includes current weather and wind conditions of the area you’re planning to ride in.
(Available in a free download or a PRO version for $4.99 on iPhone and Android)
Image from Jim Semlor on the Wikimedia Commons