#BikeMore Challenge Bicycling App Roundup
With BTA’s #BikeMore Challenge getting under way, we thought it would be helpful to take a look at the four apps supported by the challenge this year. Besides making uploading your stats easy and automatic, these apps will help you find new ways to challenge yourself and have fun throughout the month of May — and hopefully beyond.
Strava:
This popular app features clear visuals, detailed maps and a number of user stats. Users can upload data to the Strava website from their smartphones, then analyze and compare it against their friends and other people in the Strava community. The app’s popularity means there are always people to compete with. By upgrading to the premium level ($6 per month or $59 per year), users get access to personalized coaching, live feedback and advanced analysis. (One thing to note: this app requires a dedicated external GPS device beyond a smartphone to track your workouts.)
Moves:
This free app works like a pedometer, hanging out in your pocket and picking up your daily movements. While it does track travel times, it’s not as competitive as the other apps reviewed — performing mostly as a daily activity log. Besides travel time, it tracks distances, calorie consumption and steps taken. By enabling the GPS feature, the app shows a limited view of the neighborhoods where inactivity occurs (which you can rename as “work” and others) linked by your locomotion method — a sort of snapshot of your day. The list of activities it can track includes walking, running, cycling and gym sessions. Because this app is always on, though, it can drain your battery — so keep that in mind on long, phone-heavy days.
MapMyRide:
This free app hits all the marks and more on recording data and stats, connecting you with friends, adding goals and giveaway challenges, and tracking nutrition. It also has a ton of settings and features detailed maps to help you plan out your routes — including displaying your previous ones and those of other users in your area, so you can pick a plan in a hurry. You can also share your workout and a map of the route on Facebook or Twitter, so even friends and family who don’t have the app will be impressed. By upgrading to the premium MVP version ($5.99 per month or $29.99 per year) you gain fifteen more workout options, such as audio coaching and several types of analysis. This app also connects to several types of Bluetooth devices, like Nike+, Fitbug and a host of offerings from Under Armour.
Endomondo:
This app has an easy to read interface with intuitive menus and activity icons. Like MapMyRide, it saves your routes and those of other people, so you always have plenty of options to choose from. It also has Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to add a heartrate monitor to the mix, and offers giveaway challenges, nutrition tracking (through an external app called “myfitnesspal”) and social media sharing options. By upgrading ($5.99 per month or $29.99 per year) you gain nine more workout options, such as Customisable Audio Coach, Workout Graphs and Workout Weather Info. And if you don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription, you can buy lifelong access to three of its advanced features for a one-time-payment of $4.99.
Hopefully you find an app on this list that meets your needs. Now, let’s pedal!
