bike trip planner app

• Route planner

Your route to adventure

From ready-built routes that reveal all of nature’s best-kept secrets, to superior route planning and navigation tech that lets you decide what you want to discover, komoot makes it easy to explore more of the great outdoors—wherever and however you want.

Ready-Made Inspiration

Browse personalized adventures tailored to your favorite sport

A Better Planning Tool

Build your perfect outdoor experience using the world’s best outdoor tech

More Intuitive Navigation

Turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps keep your adventure on track

A Log of Every Adventure

Save every adventure and share your experiences with your friends

It Starts With the Right Inspiration

Wherever and however you choose to explore, komoot has a route for that. From hand-picked guides of the world’s most epic outdoor experiences, to ready-built routes in your area that can be filtered by distance, difficulty and public transport links —komoot helps you find your perfect adventure, whether it’s a mountain range away or in your own backyard.

Plan The Perfect Route

If you would rather plan your own adventure, komoot makes that easier, too. Whether you want smooth asphalt for your road bike, single tracks for your mountain bike or peaceful trails for your hikes, komoot generates sport-specific, topographic routing—tailor-made for your next outdoor experience . Simply customize each route to include whatever you want to see along the way, and view inch-by-inch surface and way type readings to ensure you always know what’s coming—wherever your adventure takes you.

Komoot is the most intuitive route planning app on the market. It saves me time and allows me to more easily experience adventure.

Niko uses komoot to plan his bikepacking trips

More Effective Navigation

No matter how secluded the path or how off-road the trail, komoot’s turn-by-turn voice navigation will ensure you’re always going where you’re supposed to be —without ever distracting you from your surroundings. And as the great outdoors never comes with strong signal, everything works offline . Just conveniently download individual routes or entire maps for use offline, and stay on course when coverage falls short—no matter how off-grid you go.

With komoot I can easily adapt my hiking plans wherever I am, allowing me to easily explore more of the outdoors!

Maren uses komoot whenever she goes hiking

Every Outdoor Memory. One Story.

Do something awesome on your last trip? Tell the world about it. Share photographs and stories of your adventure’s best moments, recommend your favorite spots to the komoot community, and surround yourself with like-minded adventurers —even when they’re a mountain range away.

What Other Explorers Say

The best route planner out there. Simple as that.

Really good app on my phone that helps me plan and follow my route it all so keeps me in touch with friends and what's happening and ideas for some fantastic new walks. It's also fantastic when I travel to other countries and it shows me routes that other people have done.

The app has opened up the countryside in which I have lived for 20 years. The convenient planning format and turn by turn directions is more convenient than using maps. As a result, I have learned more about my local area in 3 months than the previous 19.75 years. Of course, purchasing an eMTB 3 months ago has also helped!

This app inspired me to get outside & explore!

Explore More of the Great Outdoors

Everything you need to get going, explore awesome routes — region by region.

Browse hiking, mountain biking, road cycling and bike touring routes in your local region and across the globe. And discover the perfect route for your next adventure in just a few clicks.

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• Canary Islands
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• Isle of Wight
• South Downs
• Lake District
• French Riviera
• Isle of Man

Discover Collections: Ready-Made Adventures

Browse the best outdoor-ready adventures; selected, curated and tested by komoot. Your own personal guide, they include everything from detailed routes to insider info — so you can just get out and go.

• Thames Path
• Tarka Trail
• Coast to Coast Walk
• Cleveland Way
• Cotswold Way
• North Downs Way
• The Ridgeway
• Sandstone Trail
• Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path
• Fife Coastal Path
• Great Glen Way
• Offa s Dyke Path
• Pembrokeshire Coast Path
• John Muir Way
• Yorkshire Wolds Way

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The 7 Best Cycling Mapping & Route Planning Apps

These seven cycling route planning and mapping apps can help you get around your city—or even the world. They’re not all created equal, though, so we’ll take a look at their pricing, details, and ideal user base.

About Cycling Route Planning & Mapping Apps

Cycling-oriented route planning and mapping apps share many similarities with tracking and training apps (such as Ride With GPS ), except they’re primarily built to help you plot a course and then navigate your way.

Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at the top seven apps, as ranked by Google Play and iTunes downloads, so you can decide which one to download before heading out on your next cycling adventure.

1. Google Maps

Pricing : Free

Main Features : Google Maps might not initially come to mind when you think about cycling, but the app works in more than 220 countries and territories and allows you to highlight bikes paths in green, as well as lower traffic roads that are safer for cyclists to travel on.

All you have to do is type in your address, choose the best route (if the app provides more than one), and go. It will then display distance, estimated time, ETA, and traffic conditions with real-time updates.

Note : Google Maps’ ETA function might not always be accurate, depending on the terrain you’re riding, as well as how fast.

As you move along, Google Maps provides real-time GPS navigation (with street view and audio), displays elevation gain and loss, and automatically re-routes based on traffic conditions and road closures. The app also lists hundreds of millions of businesses and places, which you can locate and save (along the way).

If needed, you can even use the app’s offline maps for navigation without an internet connection, which can be especially useful in rural areas.

What Riders Say : Most cyclists report that Google Maps is easy to use, with dependable directions delivered via clear audio and visual prompts. The relatively few complaints typically relate to crashing, incorrect (or at least not the fastest) courses, and difficulties with the app’s layout or user interface.

Best For : If you’re looking for a highly-rated, efficient, accurate—and free!—bike navigation app, it’s difficult not to at least start with Google Maps. However, there’s no route-building option like you’ll find with many of the other options listed here, depending on your needs.

Pricing : First region free; single regions, region bundles, or the Complete Package $3.99–$29.99

Main Features : The Komoot GPS tracking app helps mountain bikers, road cyclists, and hikers plan their adventures, which is why they advertise they’re “the key to the outdoors.”

Komoot’s Planner allows you to carefully choose your routes based on details like surface (e.g., hiking paths, singletrack trails, paved roads, etc.), distance, elevation profile, and distance.

Then, you can download the route directly to your device—including topographic maps—to track your rides and receive turn-by-turn voice navigation, even when there’s no internet connection. You can check out points of interest along the way, and also recommend your favorite places to the Komoot community as well.

When finished, the Komoot app syncs your data across all your devices, including Android Wear, Wahoo ELEMNT/ELEMNT BOLT, the COBI app, along with Garmin devices via Garmin Connect.

You’ll also have the opportunity to add geotagged photos, highlights, and tips to your adventure log, and then share your story with friends, family, and other Komoot users. As you contribute, you’ll earn upvotes and could one day become a Pioneer!

What Riders Say : Most iOS and Android users frequently compliment Komoot’s ease of use, its usefulness, and the excellent navigation and powerful route planning it offers.

Relatively few seem to think the app has an outdated user interface, and multiple experienced bugginess/crashing and incorrect navigation.

Best For : Komoot doesn’t feature cadence or heart rate monitor integration, but it does offer detail-oriented route planning and tracking, with the ability to download topographic maps and use offline (currently no regions in Canada).

Pricing : Free–$4.99/mo, or $29.99/yr

Main Features : The Bikemap app allows you to discover, navigate, and track your rides using your phone, tablet, or watch (GPX and KML support included).

First, you can search Bikemap’s database of more than four million routes across 100 countries, including popular cycling routes nearby. You can filter your route by mountain or road bikes, relevance, popularity, length, and ascent, as well as find points of interest such as public restrooms, bike rentals, repair shops, charging stations for your e-bike, and so forth.

When you’re ready, Bikemap’s maps, routes, and intelligent voice navigation work online and offline, and you can choose between a variety of styles like Basic, OpenCycleMap, OpenStreetMap, 3D, and Night Mode.

As you move along, the app’s screen displays current speed, distance, duration, ascent, descent, and altitude. And if you go off-course, the app will automatically re-route you to get you where you’re going.

Once you’re finished, you can share your ride with the Bikemap community.

What Riders Say : The iOS Bikemap version comes with a meaningfully higher average rating than the Android version, although most compliments revolve around its ease of use, along with reliable turn-by-turn directions.

Complaints vary, although most related to functionality issues, less-than-stellar route building engine, excessive advertising with free accounts, and high Premium subscription fees for what you get.

Best For : If you frequently ride both road and mountain routes, Bikemap’s ability to differentiate between the two could deliver a lot of value. The social aspect is limited, though.

4. Bike Citizens

Pricing : Free; $4.99 per city, or $19.95 for all cities

Main Features : Advertised as “the first cycling app designed for cyclists in urban areas,” the Bike Citizens App (formerly known as BikeCityGuide) promises to offer bicycle-optimized maps and real-time, bike-friendly route calculation in 450 cities across Europe, Australia, and the US.

All you have to do is enter your address, and Bike Citizens delivers real-time route calculation that prioritizes cycleways, cycle paths, and living streets. And its OpenStreetMap (OSM) platform even works offline to help save battery power and roaming costs.

As you ride, Bike Citizens’ bike computer tracks your speed, distance, and time, automatically recalculates if you go off-route, and even allows you to create individual tours from its categorized lists of sights. Finally, the company also sells its smartphone mount called FINN, which they’ve sold to more than 450,000 customers.

What Riders Say : The Bike Citizens App represents another instance where iOS users seem to report much better overall experiences than those on Android.

The biggest compliments report that it’s easy to use, automatically delivers bike-friendly routes, and efficient operation.

On the other hand, the biggest complaints tend to reference functionality issues (difficulty importing, slow processing, stops recording mid-ride, less-than-stellar route choice, etc.).

Best For : The Bike Citizens app works in 67 cities in the US, although its database offers many more European cities, depending on your location. It’s also ideal if you bike a lot in one or two cities, and if you prefer paying for one-time downloads versus ongoing monthly subscription fees.

5. Cyclers Navigation

Pricing : Free–$29/yr

Main Features : Czech Republic-based Cyclers Navigation allows you to plan cyclist-friendly routes between two or more locations, including those with public transportation. The app also displays real-time bike-sharing availability and location information along your way.

Simply choose your current location or enter a starting and ending address, and Cyclers Navigation will display the best route, along with its total distance, estimated time, and “bike friendliness” score. Crowdsourced heatmaps also let you know the popularity of different routes.

During each ride, Cyclers Navigation will track your time and distance, provide turn-by-turn navigation and short-term weather details, and warn you about dangers along the way, including unsafe locations, road closures, and restrictions in the cycling infrastructure.

As you log more and more miles, the app builds a personal heatmap so you can see where you cycle the most. You can also win prizes and collect unique badges for your cycling achievements.

After each ride, you’ll have the ability to rate your route, share your experiences in the community, connect with other cyclists, and gain access to cycling news and events.

Important : Although Cyclers Navigation’s gamification and social features work anywhere in the world, maps and navigation features are currently only available in the following locations:

• All of the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechia, and Singapore
• Bogota, Colombia
• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Brussels, Belgium
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Milan, Italy
• Santiago de Chile, Chile
• São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

What Riders Say : Compared to some of the above, Cyclers Navigation comes with much higher ratings among Android users than those using iOS.

Most compliments indicate that the app is quick and straightforward to use and easy on battery life, with more than one reviewer stating that it’s the best urban cycling app available.

On the other hand, frequent complaints reference instability issues, difficulty finding locations, incorrect directions, and limited region support.

Best For : Cyclers Navigation app will work best for riders in some European, South American, and Asian countries (currently no support for North America), who don’t require offline maps. The app’s gamification aspect could help keep you motivated, as well.

6. Bicycle Route Navigator

Pricing : $9.99–$94.99 per route section

Main Features : The Bicycle Route Navigator app from the Adventure Cycling Association offers more than 100 downloadable maps that don’t require file conversions—or an ongoing subscription.

In total, the Bicycle Route Navigator app features almost 47,000 miles of well-established bicycle routes, along with cycling-specific details like:

• Elevation profiles
• Riding conditions
• Bike shop locations
• Food and water sources
• Scenic stops (e.g., waterfalls, hot springs, lakes, art museums, etc.)
• Overnight accommodation listings (e.g., camping facilities, small hotels, and cyclists-only lodging)

As you ride, you can call many of these locations with a tap on your screen. The app also provides real-time wind and weather data, including include thunderstorm, flood, and fire warnings.

What Riders Say : The Bicycle Route Navigator app is another example where Android users leave much higher overall feedback than iOS users.

Most compliments indicate it’s easy to use (including without an internet connection), delivers valuable features, and accurate. On the flip side, common complaints are that it’s clunky to use, doesn’t feature turn-by-turn directions, can’t import or export data, and is buggy.

Best For : The Bicycle Route Navigator app is best for touring cyclists who need access to robust data that can help them plan lengthy, detailed routes in remote areas with no signal. Also, for those who want to support a worthy organization.

7. BikeMaps.org

  Pricing : Free

Main Features : The BikeMaps.org website and app are crowdsourced tools that local cyclists can use to map their trouble spots while riding, including crashes, near-misses, hazards, and thefts.

Important : BikeMaps lists far more incident reports in Canada than any other country, which might not come as much of a surprise since its development was “sponsored by the Canadian Automobile Association, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Mitacs.”

BikeMaps pools all of this submitted data and analyzes it “using GIS and statistics” to identify higher-risk hotspots. Then, after creating an account and defining your alert area, the app will send you push notifications when incidents are reported in your area.

Together, BikeMaps advertise they’re all about mapping your cycling experiences and making them safer.

What Riders Say : BikeMaps currently only offers an iOS app, which has a five-star rating on iTunes.

Best For : The BikeMaps app and website might work best for safety-oriented Canadian cyclists, who want a free tool to track bike-related safety incidents. However, there’s no tracking, route building, or training aspects.

How Can You Choose the Best Mapping & Navigation Cycling App?

As with any other technology, selecting the right mapping and navigation app will depend on the aspects you highlight.

For example, if paying the lowest price is at the top of your list, most of the options above offer free versions. However, only Google Maps and BikeMaps.org provide access to all the apps’ features without paying to upgrade.

Neither Google Maps nor BikeMaps.org offers route-building engines, though, whereas all of the remaining options focus more on this aspect.

Google Maps also offers worldwide navigation, whereas Cyclers Navigation only works in someEuropean, South American, and Asian countries (currently no support for North America), Komoot doesn’t offer coverage in Canada, and BikeMaps.org features more reports in Canada than in any other country. Cyclers Navigation’s maps also don’t function offline.

Finally, Bikemap’s ability to differentiate between road and mountain routes could come in especially handy if you frequently ride mixed terrain.

Which route-building and mapping apps work best for you when cycling? Is there anything important we missed above? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Ralph Berens

Hi Derek, trust all is well and safe. I sent a more detailed note along the 'Contest' route, so this is simply a f/u to alert you to that. We're off, my wife and I, this coming Saturday, moving out of the shallow end into deeper waters so to speak. We're good with 25-35 km regularly on the weekends so 70ish on fairly flat roads/trails should be manageable. My question was really with respect to some sort of 'secondary' clarification source, to fully understand why google has moved us off Lakeshore Blvd for instance, and onto busier, ostensibly, roadways. Another factor with a new trip as this one is for us, is the number of route instructions listed-like 80! Impossible to check your phone for every Turn right-Turn Left. Need a mental "Trip-Tik" from bygone days with CAA. Pretty sure something is in the works for cyclists re GPS at your 'bud' disposal. Anyway, appreciate anything you can throw our way that might be helpful. Stay safe and stay solid, Rose & Ralph

I am a completely inexperienced biker, but I want to ride from Brookhaven, MS to San Diego. Which of these apps would build a safe route for me to ride? You mention Google Maps, but I don't see an option to select a bicycle. Would Google Maps build an acceptable route for me to follow?

Hi Derek , maybe you can help me choose the best cycling map for the east coast, planning a bike ride from NYC to Holly wood FL in April-May. I have mapped it out, taking a ferry to Sand Hook. NJ, then riding south to Cape May, then Delaware Cape Charles to Virgina beach. basically staying near the coast so looking for a site that can help me with each leg of the trip.Google maps is so so , do you have any recommendations , Thanks Dan

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Bikemap: Bicycle Tracker & GPS 4+

Bike navigation & cycling maps, bikemap gmbh, designed for ipad.

• #175 in Navigation
• 4.7 • 8.7K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Your cycling app with tracking, navigation and route planner. Optimized for safe cycling in the city and in the countryside. Find the best bike routes near you. Plan, navigate and track your rides quickly and easily. Our active cycling community gives you access to millions of routes and cycle paths worldwide. BIKE TRACKER & BIKE COMPUTER Turn your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch into a bike computer. Including HealthKit integration. ROUTE PLANNER Find the perfect routes in your area, tailored to your bike type. LOOP PLANNER Improve your cycling experience with customized routes - without time-consuming manual planning. BIKEMAP.NET If you want to plan in even more detail, you can also do so on bikemap.net and then synchronize your route with the app to start tracking and navigating immediately. MILLIONS OF BIKE ROUTES The most popular routes, MTB trails and cycle paths in your area and worldwide. Including official routes such as Pacific Coast Route, TransAmerica Trail, Mississippi River Trail, and many more. SURFACE AND WAYTYPE INFORMATION Get detailed information for your routes before you start your ride, so you know exactly what you can expect. POIs Find important places during your tours, such as toilets, restaurants, water points or e-bike charging stations. Avoid roadworks, potholes and slippery roads with live reports from the community. MONTHLY & ANNUAL RECAP Get your monthly recap of all of your cycling activities to enjoy and share with your cycling buddies. INTEGRATIONS Connect your app to Garmin to send your Bikemap routes to your Garmin device, or sync from your external device to Bikemap. -- NOW EVEN MORE FUNCTIONS WITH BIKEMAP PREMIUM -- TURN-BY-TURN NAVIGATION Never miss a turn again and get voice navigation instructions for all routes. SELF-GUIDED NAVIGATION Follow your route based on your location. Perfect for off-road sections. OFFLINE MAPS & ROUTES Download maps and routes for offline use. BIKE TYPE OPTIMIZED ROUTING Optimize navigation for your road bike, mountain bike or city bike. Navigate preferably on cycle paths. SPECIAL BIKE MAPS Choose from 3D, Night, OpenCycleMap, OpenStreetMap, Satellite, Atlas, Outdoors and Landscape. INDIVIDUAL BIKE COMPUTER Activate the statistics you want to keep an eye on at all times. DETAILED ROUTE PREVIEW See your route in 3D at home - including elevation profile. CRASH DETECTION Safer cycling with automatic fall detection. The payment will be charged through your Apple account. Your free trial will be automatically renewed to a paid subscription if you don't cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the current period (the same is valid for an ongoing subscription). You can cancel your Bikemap Premium subscription anytime during the current subscription period by turning off auto-renewal in your Apple account settings. Terms of use: https://www.bikemap.net/terms-of-service Got any questions? Let us know via [email protected] anytime.

Version 29.14.0

What's new in this version: - You can now connect your app to Garmin and automatically export routes to your external Garmin device or import them from your Garmin device to Bikemap. - Various smaller improvements If there are any questions or you have feedback for us, please reach out via [email protected] anytime. Thank you for supporting Bikemap!

Ratings and Reviews

8.7K Ratings

Not there yet.

Well, I got the premier version paid for that and tried this out. It is just not ready yet in my opinion. The one thing that is needed is being able to connect to Garmin radar units. Like a lot of the other apps do and this doesn’t so I’ll quit using it even though I paid for it until maybe sometime they have it. there’s things I like about it and it’ll work for most people but the way I see it if you look through the reviews and the reaction of the developer is to say they’re sorry to hear that and could they give them information on where it happened and what it happened all that kind of stuff which to me is nothing more than a beta test so it’s just not ready yet. Also, it’s difficult to get it to point the map in the direction you’re going and you have to move there a little computer window out of the way to change it and it’s hard to do while you’re riding. Sometimes it just doesn’t work at all as far as moving on the map the way you wanted to move. They have recently fixed a bunch of bugs which was helpful but I’ll put it away for may be a few more months maybe next spring see how it works.

Developer Response ,

Hi, we are sorry that you experienced difficulties using Bikemap and would like to know the details of the problem you mentioned. Please send them to [email protected]. Any relevant screenshots would help too. We'll pass it on to our developers who will check if they can fix the issue. Thank you & happy cycling! 💙🚲

This app gives up too easily

If the starting and ending points of your planned route are close to each other, it won’t navigate: as soon as you start navigating, it says “you’ve arrived,” and stops navigation. If you deviate from your planned route (e.g. because of a detour) and then rejoin, at the next waypoint it says “you’ve arrived,” and stops navigation. If you turn off your screen to save battery, when you turn it back on it sometimes won’t update the display to your current position. One thing that would be helpful is if the Lock Screen could display a minimap of the current location. I came to a point where it told me to take a right turn, but there were two trails leading off to the right. I had to stop, take off my sunglasses, unlock the phone, find my current position on the map, and see which trail I was supposed to take. A minimap showing the current intersection and which route to take would be really helpful in that situation. Update: went on another ride. The app randomly loses all sense of location and direction, so it places me somewhere I am not, and tells me to “continue onto” the trail I am already on. The only way to deal with that is to stop navigation and restart. I have 6 saved “routes” for a 19 mile ride. This was easily the worst $50 I’ve spent on the App Store.

it’s a fantastic idea, and i love what it has so far, but...

you should be able to choose from routes that work better with the specified settings you chose and with the bike type you chose and have it like curated to you instead of like one standard/default/exclusive one. also, the fall detection is extremely faulty in the sense that it barely works and sometimes the alert doesn’t sound and it should be able to bypass the iphone’s ringer being off and/or the volume being low/down all the way, and it also needs to show an alert on the screen too so there’s an option to turn it off after the fact because all it says now is just “alerted” and doesn’t change after that, nor it there a way to have it reset besides restarting your whole route, especially if you’re in a bad neighborhood, and/or it’s dark, and/or you barely have any type of connection/signal whether it be wi-fi, or service, or what...

Hi TMek618, thanks for taking the time to review Bikemap and providing valuable feedback. We are constantly working on improving the current standard and introducing new useful updates and features. Please stay tuned for following releases! Happy Cycling 🚲

NOW AVAILABLE

App privacy.

The developer, Bikemap GmbH , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info
• User Content
• Search History
• Identifiers

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish

• Bikemap Premium Monthly $6.99
• Bikemap Premium Annual $49.99
• Bikemap Premium Monthly $11.99
• Bikemap Premium for A Month $7.99
• Bikemap Premium Yearly $34.99
• Bikemap Premium Quarterly $13.99
• Bikemap Premium Annual $44.99
• Bikemap Premium Yearly $59.99
• 3 Months Bikemap Premium $13.99
• 1 Year Bikemap Premium $44.99
• Developer Website
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Best cycling apps: Plan routes, stay safe, track your fitness and more

The best cycling apps will help you to plan, navigate and record your rides and even help maintain your bike

The best cycling apps can cover all your cycling needs, either for free or for a small subscription. 

You can plan your rides and get route ideas from other riders, then navigate your route. While you're riding, you can record where you've been, how fast and with how much effort and you can keep a record of this longer term to see trends. You can also allow others to keep track of where you are and there are apps which will call for help if you have a crash.

The best cycling apps don't just cover outdoor riding either and can control your smart trainer, allowing you to follow interval routines or ride with people around the world. We have a separate article focussing on the best indoor cycling apps though, so here we'll suggest some of the best cycling apps that we use to improve our training and our cycling enjoyment in general.

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Komoot is a route-planning app that shines thanks to its exploratory features, such as highlighting points of interest in a given area – cafés, beaches, mountainous views, and historical sites just to name a few. Users can also optimise their route to fit a certain terrain, choosing between bike paths, road riding, mountain biking, gravel, and more. 

In addition to the basic features of route planning, Komoot goes above and beyond by providing community-driven attractions and detailed surface breakdowns that few – if any – other platforms can offer. Premium users gain access to voice navigation, offline maps, on-tour weather, and multi-day planning. 

View on the iOS app store or on Google Play .

2. MapMyRide

MapMyRide allows users to create, find, and track rides and routes for more than 600 different types of activities. The free app is nearly on par with Strava, but with one key feature lacking: segment leaderboards. But, what MapMyRide Premium users gain is a number of features not offered on Strava: personalised training plans, audible feedback, and mid-ride performance updates. MapMyRide offers a crisp set of features across the board, with a free version that challenges the premium models of its competitors. 

3. Alltrails

Alltrails claims to have a user base of over 50 million and have over 400,000 trails worldwide mapped out, with directions, maps, photos and more. Most trails have extensive user feedback, so you know what you're getting yourself into. Alltrails was awarded iPhone app of the year in 2023.

Although you'll need to sign up for the premium version to get offline maps, off-route alerts and other features, on-trail navigation is free and you can now send routes to Garmin Connect.  

The routes are geared towards off-road use and many are hiking trails rather than for cycling, but they're a good resource if you're planning a ride in a new location nevertheless.

Segments made Strava one of the most popular cycling apps in the world, but it also hosts a number of features including route planning, heat maps, and one-touch recording. You need a paid subscription to access some functionality, including route planning and full segment leaderboards. This costs £55 ($80) per year. Free users can still upload rides to Strava, define segments and follow any one of the 50 million users on the platform and see their top ten times on any segment. 

Heat maps – colour-coded maps that show you which roads are most popular among Strava activities from the past two years – are unique to Strava and contain a wealth of knowledge that no other platform can match. This feature, coupled with route planning, can help users map a safe and scenic route somewhere they’ve never ridden before. 

5. TrainingPeaks

There is hardly a limit to what TrainingPeaks can do when it comes to tracking and analysing your fitness. Carefully calculated algorithms predict fitness, fatigue, and form using an equally complicated set of acronyms, including CTL (Chronic Training Load), TSB (Training Stress Balance), and everyone’s favourite: TSS (Training Stress Score). Competitors have struggled to match both the in-depth analysis that TrainingPeaks offers, as well as its massive following among coaches and athletes alike.

Users can view and upload workouts, see their overall fitness summary, and connect with training plans or coaches, all with the free version of the app. Premium users gain access to in-depth workout and peak performance analysis, unlimited workout libraries, the ability to build an entire prospective training plan, and much more. TrainingPeaks is the ideal platform for any serious endurance athlete looking to keep track of their training and fitness. 

6. Garmin Connect

If you're a Garmin user, Garmin Connect lets you keep tabs on all your cycling data. It works even better if you have a Garmin smartwatch , keeping track of off-bike action, sleep and even your menstrual cycle. Although you can upload non-Garmin activities, it works best with the Garmin kit though.

There's a load of other functionality built in that's great for cyclists: everything from route planning, which uses Garmin heatmaps to keep you to cycle-friendly routes to training schedules if you're aiming to peak for a specific event.

7. Wahoo Fitness

What sets this app apart from its competitors is its functional diversity at zero cost. The Wahoo Fitness app allows users to sync workouts from a variety of activities, including those with paired devices such as heart rate monitors, cadence sensors, power meters and smart turbo trainers. Users have access to their heart rate and power training zones, as well as adjustable audio alerts. It can then be connected with other accounts, enabling users to upload activities to a community feed such as in Strava. 

Having a Wahoo Elemnt head unit and its companion Wahoo Elemnt app increases its versatility, by adding features such as route planning, workouts, and shareable live tracking.

If you struggle to keep motivated, how about earning free stuff for every workout that you do, both on bike and off? Muuvr tracks your activities and rewards you with points, called Muuvs. These accrue in the background and can be swapped for a whole range of physical products from cycling mitts to wetsuits to event entries.

The app tots up your points in the background so you don't need to use yet another app to log your rides. Although it doesn't link to Strava, which tends to be most people's default repository, you can hook up to Garmin Connect, Wahoo, Apple Fitness and more. 

You'll need to keep at it to earn enough points to swap for anything much, which might be a good or a bad thing, depending on your viewpoint, but since it's free stuff, who's to complain?

9. Rain Alarm

This app operates exactly as advertised – Rain Alarm alerts you when rain is approaching. The free version of the app will mark your location and display an easy-to-read radar that shows you precisely where it’s raining. 

If the weather is spotty and you’re still unsure, you can use the premium version to turn on alarms which will alert you when heavy rain is approaching – these alarms also sync with Android watches for added convenience. The simplicity of Rain Alarm puts it above its weather-focused competitors, with quick updates every 5-10 minutes to help you stay dry. 

10. Tyre Pressure app

If you want a quick guide to your tyre pressure, this app from web-engineer is easy to use, with just a few inputs for you and your bike. If you've got a shed full of bikes, it will allow you to set each up individually, so you don't need to faff around when you change bikes.

The pressure recommendations are quite a lot higher at the rear than at the front, which doesn't concur with some other apps, such as Zipp's online calculator . The app does suggest that its recommendations are just a starting point though, so you may want to try them to see, then go from there.

View on the  iOS App Store  or on  Google Play .

11. CeramicSpeed app

The CeramicSpeed app pulls your ride data from your Strava account to keep a tally of how far you've ridden and how long it is since your last service and alert you when you need to arrange a check of your chain for wear and a service of your bottom bracket bearings.

You can accept the app's default values or set your own and the app distinguishes between road, gravel and other bikes, with different service intervals for each. 

There's also a handlebar alignment checker which uses your phone's camera to assess whether your bars are pointing straight ahead and CeramicSpeed promises more functionality to come.

12. Bike Gear Calculator

After plugging in your current set-up of gears, tyres, and crank length into the Bike Gear Calculator app, you can adjust the virtual chainring and sprocket to compare and contrast different gearing set-ups for your bike. Users can toggle the cadence and speed bars as well, and see which gears match up. 

This could come in really handy for time trial and track riders, as well as cyclo-cross, gravel and mountain bike riders who might be limited with a 1X set-up and have fewer gears to choose from. Using the app, riders could optimise their set-up for a given terrain – a wider range of gears, for example, on a hilly time trial course; or a narrower set of gears for a flat and fast race.  

13. First Aid – IFRC

Crashes happen, and it’s important to know what to do when a rider goes down. And if you don’t know what to do, it is pretty amazing that you can have an app in your pocket that will walk you through first aid procedures for almost any situation. This free app includes first-aid guidance for bleeding, broken bones, head injuries, heatstroke, panic attacks, and more. There’s even advice for dealing with disasters such as wildfires, tornadoes, heat waves, and power outages. Downloading this app is a no-brainer: it’s free, and it could help save a life.  

How to personalise your catalogue of cycling apps

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

What are your goals as a cyclist?

Are you riding or training? This simple question will help you determine if you should download a fitness tracking app like Wahoo or TrainingPeaks. Bike riders don’t necessarily need to track their fitness – they just want a safe and beautiful road to ride. Bike racers, on the other hand, want to know how hard their ride was, how their fitness is improving, and how to peak for their goal event. Fitness tracking apps take much of the guesswork out of training by providing structured workouts and long-term plans to help us reach our fitness goals.

What types of roads do you have nearby?

If you live in the city, route planning is going to be more intentional than exploratory. Features like Strava’s heat map and user-uploaded routes on MapMyRide can help you find the most popular bike routes and cycleways, which typically avoid traffic-laden roads. But if you live out in the country – with trails, paths, mountains, and single track to choose from – an exploratory app like Komoot could be the perfect tool to help fuel your adventure. 

Are you more of a social cyclist, or a solo rider?

One of the key features of many of these apps is that they allow us to connect with thousands – and sometimes millions – of other cyclists around the world. How else could you directly compete against a Tour de France winner other than challenging his KOM on a Strava segment?

We can even keep tabs on other riders’ training – from the WorldTour pros to your friend that lives down the street. Apps such as Strava and MapMyRide allow millions of cyclists to interact from around the world, including sharing routes and comparing times on both segments and entire courses. 

Solo riders can find everything they need in route planning apps such as Komoot and Strava, from designing epic adventures to optimising their morning commute.  

Do you want maintenance and mechanical help?

If you plan to do your own maintenance or you just want to keep tabs on what needs doing when, or if you want to fine-tune your bike and ride position, then an app which covers these as well as your actual riding can help keep everything working at its best.

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Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages. 

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17 Best Cycling Apps for iPhone and Android in 2024

Cycling apps are a phenomenal way to track your rides, analyze your progress, motivate yourself to ride harder, and compete with friends and strangers. We round up the best ones you should install!

Long gone are the days when you had to keep track of your training metrics and ride info by writing it all down in a notebook.

Whether you want to monitor your training, record your rides, improve your nutrition, stay safe, or stay away from bad weather, there’s an app you can download to do it for you.

Below is our selection of the best cycling apps every cyclist should install and try out. Many of them are completely free to use, though some allow you to unlock premium features by paying a subscription fee.

We made sure to include different types of apps, for Android and iOS, beginners and pros, commuters and performance riders. Start installing and go for a ride!

#1 – Strava

#2 – first aid by american red cross, #3 – komoot, #4 – rain alarm, #5 – cyclemeter, #6 – trainingpeaks, #7 – my windsock, #9 – ride with gps, #10 – wahoo fitness, #11 – cyclemap, #12 – viewranger, #13 – maps.me, #14 – trailforks, #15 – map my ride (by under armour), #16 – myfitnesspal, #17 – road id.

Best for Ride Tracking

Strava can be downloaded for free for Android and iOS devices, but the free version does not include some of the most important features.

The free version will allow you to track your ride metrics, such as speed, distance, time, elevation, route, calories, and so on. When you finish the ride, you can also see whether you set a record on one of the Strava segments.

In the paid version, you can take a look at your HR and Power stats, analyze advanced ride metrics, personal training log, live segments, route builder, heat maps, beacon, complete segment leaderboards, and a lot more.

You can use Strava as a stand-alone cycling computer on your smartphone, or you can connect your GPS computer to record rides and then upload them on Strava.

One of the best aspects of this app is its social side that lets you follow friends, give them kudos, comment on their activities, post photos, and compare your efforts to those of others.

Related: Best Indoor Cycling Apps

• Who should install:  Anyone who wants to record and analyze their rides on their smartphone.
• Available for: iOS , Android
• Price:  Free (Premium: $6/month; $59.99/year)
• Rating:  4.8/5,115.3K ratings (Apple); 3.8/5, 576.8K ratings (Google)

Best for First Aid

When they do happen, it’s good to know what you should do to help yourself and others and potentially save lives.

The First Aid by American Red Cross app has been created with the aim of making it easier to complete first aid procedures in the event of an emergency.

The app will help you identify the type and the severity of an injury and give you step-by-step instructions on how to provide first aid support for those injuries.

Of course, make sure to call an ambulance as soon as you can and share as much detail as you can with the operator. The app should help you to deal with the emergency in those critical moments before an ambulance arrives.

• Who should install:  Anyone who does not have knowledge about or experience with first aid procedures.
• Available for:  iOS , Android
• Price:  Free
• Rating:  4.3/5, 277 Ratings (Apple); 4.4/5, 10.6K Ratings (Google)

Best for Planning New Routes

A lot of cyclists use Google Maps as a go-to app/website to plan new routes. However, there’s an even better option you should try — Komoot.

Komoot lets you plan routes based on the type of surface and your fitness level. Therefore, the app will show you road, mountain bike, or gravel routes and indicate what level of performance you need to complete them. Elevation gain and elevation profile are shown as well.

There are over 10 million users around the world who feed the system whenever they record a ride. You can use these pre-recorded routes to plan your own adventures.

To plan a route, you need to choose start and endpoints, select the riding style, and wait for Komoot to do its magic. An additional handy feature is called “Highlights” which will let you know if there’s anything worth stopping for, such as a cool cafe.

Once you start riding, Komoot will track your distance, speed, time, elevation, and allow you to change routes on the go.

The app is free to use, but the basic package only includes your local region. To unlock a new region you need to pay $3.99 , or you can make a $29.99 one-time payment to unlock the whole world.

• Who should install:  Riders who need help planning cycling routes based on the surface type and fitness level.
• Price:  Free (Pay to unlock subsequent regions)
• Rating:  4.7/5, 1.8K Ratings (Apple); 4.6/5, 151.1K Ratings (Google)

Best for Dependable Weather Forecast

How many times have you been caught in a shower even though the local weather forecast showed sunny weather ahead? Countless, probably.

If you’re tired of getting drenched, consider using Rain Alarm, a weather forecast app that provides you with accurate live weather data . It will help you plan your route based on the weather to avoid cycling in the rain.

Rain Alarm uses real-time data and sends you notifications when there’s a chance for rain near your location. By checking the map, you can alter your route to avoid bad weather and stay dry.

According to the developers, this system is much more reliable than the standard weather forecast.

• Who should install:  Riders who don’t like rain (basically everyone).
• Price:  Free (contains in-app purchases)
• Rating: 4.4/5, 60 Ratings (Apple); 4.4/5, 40K Ratings (Google)

Excellent Cycling Fitness Tracker

The good news about Cyclemeter is that it is a secure and private app, as all data about your fitness activities is stored on your phone , rather than on a cloud. If you wish, you can share your achievements with your friends on social media.

Cyclemeter is pretty advanced when it comes to the metrics it tracks and the statistics it offers. It will record your speed, distance, time, elevation, and such. If you have sensors, you can also record heart rate, power, and cadence.

The app also has built-in announcements that can motivate you along the way, and you can use cyclemeter to create training plans or use pre-made plans.

Once your training is done, you can upload the data to Strava and other ride-sharing websites so you can get kudos and support from the community.

• Who should install:  Cyclists who need a light, secure, and private fitness tracking app with a lot of power.
• Price:  Free (Elite upgrade: $9.99)
• Rating: 4.6/5, 2.9K Ratings (Apple); 3.7/5, 516 Ratings (Google)

Best Cycling Training Tracker

TrainingPeaks is the one app you can’t live without if you’re interested in racing, performance-oriented cycling, and structured training.

Almost all cycling coaches use it to create training plans and share them with their clients. Additionally, even if you don’t have a coach, you can use the app to create your own plans, track your progress, get in touch with coaches on the platform, or use pre-made plans.

The TrainingPeaks app is considered as an addition to the website, which is where the full functionality is. The app will just let you keep track of your workouts and stay in touch with your coach.

If you’re OK with just having basic training tracking, you can use the app for free. Otherwise, you can pay $19.99/month or $119.99/year for Premium . Plus, if you want to work with a real coach, you’ll have to pay their respective fees.

• Who should install:  Cyclists interested in racing and structured training.
• Price:  Free (Pay for Premium and for coaches’ training plans)
• Rating:  4.8/5, 6.8K Ratings (Apple); 4.6/5, 18.5K Ratings (Google)

Best App for Avoiding Headwind

If there’s one thing that cyclists just can’t stand (apart from aggressive motorists), it’s a headwind. You go out on your bike, planning to do a fast tempo ride or a long endurance ride, only to be utterly destroyed by headwind in the first miles of your effort.

MyWindsock is a website that lets you upload the GPX file of your route and gives you real-time data regarding wind conditions along your route.

Unfortunately, an app is still not available, but the website works well. Apart from uploading a GPX file, you can also enter a Strava segment URL and see if it’s the right time to go out for a KOM/QOM or not. The site will also show you the weather conditions next to each Strava leaderboard time.

The website is free to use, but you can pay to get access to advanced features. With the free version, you can see wind conditions, update one file a day, and see the top 10 Strava leaderboard conditions.

Premium membership costs £19.99/year or £2.99/month and gives you unlimited file uploads, as well as numerous in-depth metrics and charts.

• Who should install:  Anyone who’s not friends with the headwind
• Available for:  Desktop ( mywindsock.com )
• Price:  Free (Pay for Premium features)
• Rating:  N/A

Best for Indoor Training

Zwift is an indoor cycling app that allows you to connect your indoor trainer and enter the competitive world of Zwift — Watopia.

See our full review of Zwift

Zwift basically blends the fun of video games with serious cycling training, making it more bearable to train inside when the weather outside is bad.

Apart from encouraging social interaction in the virtual world, Zwift is also a training app as it comes with workouts and training plans that you can follow.

To use Zwift, you should first invest in a good-quality indoor trainer and a power meter/speed and cadence sensor with ANT+ or BLE connectivity.

Best of all, you’ll be riding on real cycling routes that have been digitized, so you can try out famous climbs such as Alpe d’Huez, Passo Dello Stelvio, Muro di Sormano, and so on.

• Who should install:  Riders struggling with motivation to train indoors.
• Price:  $14.99 per month
• Rating:  4.6/5, 3.6K Ratings (Apple); 4.5/5, 5.2K Ratings (Google)

Great for Planning Routes and Worldwide Adventures

The data this app provides includes route details, elevation, and all other standard ride metrics. A feature many like is that you can zoom in on your route and see where the biggest climbs are, to prepare yourself mentally and physically.

Ride with GPS also lets you share your rides in real-time and it can read aloud any comments your friends make to motivate you when the going gets tough.

• Who should install:  Cyclists who need advanced route planning features online and offline.
• Price:  Free / Basic $6 a month / Premium $10 a month
• Rating:  4.7/5, 3.9K Ratings (Apple); 4.4/5, 8.1K Ratings (Google)

Fitness Tracking App with the Best Connectivity

At first glance, Wahoo Fitness is just another fitness tracking app that will record your rides and show you distance, time, speed, elevation, and other important data.

While that is true, it’s also true that Wahoo Fitness offers a lot more than that. Its interface is completely customizable, so you can choose which metrics are most important to you and see those first.

The app’s biggest selling point (even though it’s free) is that it works really well with other apps and sensors. Therefore, if you have Bluetooth sensors such as speed sensors, progressive power meters, heart rate monitors, and such, Wahoo Fitness will easily connect to them.

If you have an ANT+ device, you can get a Wahoo Key Plugin and pair it with those as well.

Moreover, Wahoo Fitness is also compatible with Strava, TrainingPeaks, and MyFitnessPal, so you can share your rides there as well.

• Who should install:  Riders with Bluetooth and ANT+ sensors who need a reliable fitness tracker.
• Rating:  4.6/5, 17.9K Ratings (Apple); 4.3/5, 13.7K Ratings (Google)

Best for Finding Bike Paths

Cyclemap is a simple and light app that does a very important job. You can use it to plan cycling routes with a preference for low-intensity roads and bicycle paths.

If you’re tired of being honked at by motorists and worrying about traffic, this is the right app for you.

Apart from suggesting the route you should take from point A to point B, Cyclemap will also give you turn-by-turn instructions, show you the elevation profile of your route, as well as keep track of your distance, speed, elevation gain, and so on.

Cyclemap also lets you create complex routes with multiple waypoints . Plus, once you’ve completed a route, you can save it and ride it again in the future.

• Who should install:  Cyclists who prefer low-intensity roads and bicycle paths.
• Price:  Free (Premium $9.99)
• Rating:  3.9/5, 90 Ratings (Apple); 4.3/5, 10.6K Ratings (Google)

Best for Planning Mountain Biking Routes

If you’re a mountain biker and you need a dependable app to plan off-road routes and share them with your friends and other cyclists, Viewranger should be your go-to choice.

You can download it for free and gain access to an OpenCycle map of the entire world that’s jam-packed with fun routes that you can use. You can also map your own routes and share them with the community.

If you’re willing to pay some money, you can get large-scale topographical maps that are stored on your phone, so you can use them even when you don’t have service.

A nice feature we especially like is called “Skyline VR” which shows you the names of the peaks around you by using your GPS position and phone camera.

Live tracking is available as well, but you need to have service at all times for it to work properly, which is often a problem when you go off the beaten path.

• Who should install:  Mountain bikers and hikers who want advanced route planning features.
• Available for:  iOS, Android
• Price:  Free (In-app products: $0.99 – $249.99 per item)
• Rating:  4.5/5, 1.2K Ratings (Apple); 4.3/5, 41.4K Ratings (Google)

Best for Planning and Tracking Routes Offline

Maps.me is one of our favorite apps on the list, even though it is not strictly cycling-specific. Instead of relying on 3G/4G signal, Maps.me lets you download map data for entire regions and countries on your phone and then use them while you’re offline.

What we especially like is that there’s an option to select cycling as your preferred mode of transportation and the app will create a route for you that prioritizes bike paths and low-intensity roads.

Maps.me is ideal for multi-day trips in countries where you can’t use mobile data because of roaming or in areas with poor connections where you will not have service.

The maps are VERY detailed and include even the smallest roads and paths that are often not shown even on Google Maps.

You can use this app even if you’re traveling by car, hiking, or exploring an area or a city on foot. With 3G/4G data on, you also get information about nearby restaurants, landmarks, cafes, hotels, hostels, supermarkets, and so on.

• Who should install:  Cyclists who need detailed offline route planning and tracking.
• Price:  Free (Pay to remove ads)
• Rating:  4.8/5, 16.6K Ratings (Apple); 4.5/5, 1.16M Ratings (Google)

Best for Exploring New MTB Trails

If you’re an avid mountain biker and you love exploring new trails and routes, Trailforks will help you stay on the right track and avoid getting lost. 

Trailforks has more than 160,000 trails everywhere in the world, mapped by crowd-sourced information. You can use those maps for free and you can add your own routes to contribute to the community.

To find new routes, just hover over an area of interest and click “Discover.” The app will then show you all mapped trails, along with the skill level you need to ride them.

Apart from routes, Trailforks offers additional features such as live tracking, condition reports, and points of interest. You can also view photos and videos that other riders have made along the trail.

Trailforks can also be used offline by downloading maps to your smartphone.

• Who should install:  Mountain bikers who love exploring new trails in unknown areas.
• Rating:  4.3/5, 322 Ratings (Apple); 4.2/5, 2.5K Ratings (Google)

Great for Tracking and Sharing Rides

Map My Ride is one of the oldest activity trackers and it is still very popular. It is currently owned by Under Armour and offers a host of handy features.

In a sense, Map My Ride is very similar to Strava . You can use it to track your activity and record data such as route, speed, distance, elevation, and so on. You can then upload it to the Map My Ride site to analyze the data and share it with other riders.

Another similarity with Strava is that Map My Ride has “Courses,” which are basically timed sections like Strava’s “Segments” where you can try to set the fastest time.

The app can be used for free, but if you get the Premium version, you’ll get rid of ads and get access to training plans, live tracking, and advanced routing.

• Who should install:  Anyone who wants to track their fitness activities, share them with friends, plan routes, and compete.
• Price:  Free (Premium: $5.99/month or $29.99/year)
• Rating:  4.8/5, 162.6K Ratings (Apple); 4.6/5, 152.2K Ratings (Google)

Best for Tracking Nutrition Goals

MyFitnessPal is an app that will make it easy and quick for you to track your eating habits . Its database contains more than 8 million entries , so it’s highly unlikely you will not find some food that you are eating. Just scan packaged food to add it to your diet or search for fruits and vegetables in the database.

All of the food entries contain detailed macro- and micronutrient info , so you’ll know if you’re getting enough protein, vitamins, minerals, and other essentials.

If you’re eating at a restaurant or you’re making a complicated recipe, you can still track your nutrition. MyFitnessPal can analyze a recipe directly off of a website and give the low-down of the nutrients in it. Moreover, you can search for restaurants you’re eating at and meals on their menus and MyFitnessPal will analyze the meals based on the ingredients the restaurant has shared.

You can also track progress through charts and graphs, add progress photos, create nutrition reports, and share all of that with your friends and family if you wish.

• Who should install:  Athletes who want to analyze and improve their nutrition and eating habits.
• Price:  Free (Premium: $9.99/month or $49.99/year)
• Rating:  4.7/5, 1.1M Ratings (Apple); 4.5/5, 2.3M Ratings (Google)

Best App for Safety and Emergencies

Road ID is a very useful app that sends alerts to your emergency contacts in case something happens to you mid-ride with a Stationary Alert Notification.

You can also send your friends and family eCrumbs that will let them see your location while you’re out on a ride, hike, walk, run, or any other adventure.

Road ID also lets you create a personalized lock screen that can include up to three emergency contacts, as well as information about allergies, blood type, medical conditions, and so on.

It’s an app that you will hopefully never have to use, but it’s better to have it than not, just in case.

• Who should install:  Fitness enthusiasts who want added safety on their adventures.
• Rating:  3.6/5, 61 Ratings (Apple); 2.8/5, 701 Ratings (Google)

Looking for a way to reach your cycling goals? Take a look at our Cycling Workouts Guide .

What cycling apps do you use? Share your favorite apps with us in the comments, and let us know if we should include them on our list!

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3 thoughts on “ 17 best cycling apps for iphone and android in 2024 ”.

Thank you for all the options!! I will need to go through them again as there is so much information. I am a 62 and 1/2 male road bike rider in Tucson, AZ. It is a wonderful bike town but we do have our fair share of bad accidents, in spite of an amazing bike loop and annual Century.

You’re welcome, John. We’re happy we could help! Stay safe out there and have fun cycling!

Love this list! I’d also recommend FormBeat – https://www.formbeat.com to anyone serious about their training. It’s more intuitive and easier to use than TrainingPeaks and has more performance-focused tools and features compared to Strava.

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13 best cycling apps (for cycling at home or on holiday) 2023

Having the best apps for cycling at our fingertips is really helpful especially when you’re away from home.

This article shares our pick of the best apps for cyclists, including the apps we love to use ourselves. Whether you want a general overview of free cycling apps to try out, to find cycling training apps that will help you get ready for a major challenge or the best bike ride tracking app for discovering new routes, we hope this subjective selection of the best cycling apps will assist.

While you may already have your view on the best cycling app for route planning or training, we’ve tried to include a few wild cards in here that you might not have thought of. Such as the best bike app for booking a hotel, buying a part or even delivering first aid on the move.

Here’s a baker’s dozen of the best cycling apps to make sure you can get the info you need while on the move!

This article includes details of products and/or services that we have used ourselves or which we would consider using. Some are paid features or include affiliate links where if you click on a link and make a booking or buy something, we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please read our disclosure policy for further information.

Best cycling apps (free and paid upgrade)

Best app for planning routes, rwgps (ride with gps), what it does.

We think Ride with GPS is the best free cycling app out there. The app allows you to plan, analyse and share your rides. If you get on with it and want to upgrade, live tracking, offline mapping and navigation are available with a paid plan.

RWGPS allows you to discover and customise routes you may not have known about. You can then record your ride as you progress, before creating a shareable Ride Report if you want to. Wahoo and Garmin device integration is enabled.

Why it’s great

• Free plan available
• Intuitive and easy to use
• Customise your routes
• Route tracking features available
• Shareable ride reports

Things to be aware of

• Some features require a paid upgrade
• Poor customer service (according to TrustPilot reviews)

Alternatives

• mapmyride.com
• Platform: iOS, Android
• Cost: Starter free; Premium $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year ( convert currency ) open in new page, follow link
• Trial period: 30 days
• Read on: Find out more with our ultimate guide to cycle route planning .

Best app for seeing what your mates are riding

Strava is another of the essential bike ride apps you need in your life. But, unless you’re brand new to sport or have been under a rock for the last ten years, this won’t come as a surprise. It’s often voted one of the best cycling apps for your Apple watch or other devices. Strava is mainly used as a cycling tracker app. It uses GPS for navigation, and is social media friendly for sharing info.

This is one of the free Apple and Android cycling apps that is also popular among hikers, runners and other outdoor exercise fans.

• Social media friendly
• Good for lots of sorts of exercise
• Great for discovering others’ recommendations
• We love the heat maps
• Premium is a little on the pricey side
• Not solely aimed at cyclists
• bikemap.net
• velohero.com
• Cost: Starter free; Premium $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year ( convert currency )

Best for indoor training

If it’s the best indoor cycling apps you’re looking for, Zwift is still the go-to for a platform where cyclists can ride and compete within a virtual world.

It has a confident spot among the top cycling apps for iPhone and Android and connects riders from all over the planet. It suits all skill levels, allows you to set and smash goals, and offers structured training programmes.

• Connects riders all over the world
• Structured training programmes
• Suitable for all skill levels
• Good to keep your motivation up when you can’t ride outside
• Based on the virtual rather than outdoor world
• Cycling on Zwift can be much harder than riding outside
• wahoofitness.com/systm
• onepeloton.co.uk
• Platform: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
• Cost: Starter free; Premium £12.99 per month ( convert currency )
• Trial period: 14 days
• Read on: Discover whether to rent a turbo to Zwift on with our guide to turbo trainer hire . You might also be interested in our  complete cycling power meters guide and our tips for training for long distance cycling .

Best for watching a film while abroad

Again, you’d have to have been living as a hermit not to have heard of Netflix. But we mention it here because it’s a great app to have when you’re travelling and want something good to watch in the evening.

Netflix is different from the other cycling apps for Android and Apple on this list, as of course it’s not specifically for cyclists. Rather, this is an app to download when you want to watch movies while you’re away on a cycling trip. You can watch what you want on TVs, consoles, smartphones, tablets, laptops and more.

• Compatible with many devices
• Unlimited film and TV streaming service
• Watch online when you pay for an ad-free plan
• Can download TV and films to watch offline
• Cheapest plans include ads
• You’ll need a decent WiFi signal for live streaming
• Worth downloading films before your cycling holiday in case your hotel wifi isn’t up to streaming
• primevideo.com
• disneyplus.com
• Platform:  iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
• Cost: £4.99 to £15.00 per month ( convert currency )
• Trial period: None
• Read on: Explore the top cycling documentaries or best cycling-themed movies you can watch while away from home.

Best travel apps for cyclists (free)

Best for finding somewhere to stay on your route, booking.com.

The booking.com app is a must for cyclists that travel frequently. If you get stuck somewhere in the Alps and need to stay overnight – or like heading off on impromptu trips – this app will help you book a place for you and your ride.

The map is particularly user-friendly, and you can use the availability function to find out what’s available tonight in the area.

• Ideal for frequent travellers
• Covers all sorts of accommodation
• The date search and map functionality are very practical
• Useful for impromptu trips and changes of plan
• Accommodation descriptions can be vague and usually don’t mention facilities for cyclists
• Room type options are sometimes confusing
• expedia.com
• Trial period: N/A

Best for ordering something you forgot to bring with you

Again, this is not a cycling app as such and of course you will be aware of it. We include it here because the Amazon app is ideal for on-the-go cyclists who may need to order something while away from home. Whether that’s a more secure bike lock, extra clothing or a non-cycling-related item.

• Familiar to most people
• Super quick ordering including one click
• Lots of choice regarding items and sellers
• Not a specialist cycling retailer
• Prices aren’t always the lowest available
• Make sure you change your delivery address if you’re ordering away from home!

If you’d rather shop with a specialist cycling store, this free bike app will help you order what you need. Whether you’re away in your own country or somewhere else in the world, Wiggle’s delivery options are excellent. Wiggle is also really useful because they tend to stock everything a cyclist could need – plus of course lots more that you might just really, really want.

• Cycling specialist
• Great range of cycling products
• Quick to search, browse and order
• Easy to get carried away when buying
• Only one option regarding seller and price
• chainreactioncycles.com
• halfords.com

Best for luggage transfer

Send my bag.

Send My Bag is an app that offers travelling cyclists a genuinely useful service. Via this app, you can send your bike, some luggage or a parcel in just a few clicks. It’s safe, great value and reliable, and the company offers good customer service.

• Bike shipping app
• Send all sorts of other items
• Save money, time and stress
• It’s always worth shopping around
• Not a specialist bike shipping company
• sendmybag.com
• bikeflights.co.uk
• Read on: Check out our comprehensive guide to shipping a bike .

Best for reading signposts and menus in foreign languages

Google translate.

Another app that’s not just for cyclists but which is really useful when you’re away from home! You can even use the camera function to translate the text on images. Whether you need to work out how to explain you’ve got a mechanical, make an inquiry or order from a menu, this app is a godsend to cyclists on the move.

• Instant translation
• 100+ languages as well as English
• Can translate text on images from your phone
• Stylised text translations may not work
• Overall accuracy is way below 100%
• translator.microsoft.com
• itranslate.com

Best for making your friends jealous of your latest trip

Again not an obvious cycling app but one which cyclists love to use: Instagram. How else are you going to remember to send your photos to us, for starters?! Insta is great for upping your photography game, plus connecting with friends, family and the cycling community.

• Connect with cyclists everywhere
• Useful for finding local services and recommendations
• It can become very addictive and time-consuming
• Finding what you’re looking for can be tricky!
• twitter.com
• Read on: Read our guide to the best road cycling Instagram accounts to follow .

Best general cycling apps (free)

Best for knowing what to wear, www.bbc.com/weather.

If you need to know what the weather is going to be like for the day, then the BBC weather app could be a surprise contender for best cycling app for iPhone and Android. It will give you the pointers you need about what to the weather has in store and so what you need to wear on the road.

• Reliable source of weather info wherever you’re cycling
• Not a cycling-specific app
• Not always accurate!
• news.sky.com
• apps.apple.com
• Read on: For more advice on when to ride where, read this.

Best for first aid

St john ambulance (or american red cross ).

You can have the best cycling navigation app in the world – but could it save your life? Downloading the St John Ambulance app (or the American Red Cross app in the US) could do just that if you get into a sticky situation. This is a particularly important one if you’re heading out off-road, for example on a gravel bike tour .

• Life-saving potential
• Updated with the latest advice
• Includes audio instructions and visual guides
• Next page sometimes scrolls to bottom
• Not a substitute for formal training
• redcross.org.uk

Best for improving your next ride

Fill that hole.

Fill That Hole is an app that can warn you of the sort of potholes with the potential to unseat a fast-moving rider. You can check out the map before riding somewhere new, or report a hold to save another cyclist.

Fill That Hole comes from Cycling UK, who have the power to get something done about such menaces!

• Check for hazards before leaving home
• Interactive hazard map
• Report potholes
• Different local councils are responsible for taking action
• Cycling UK only have the power to influence
• fixmystreet.com
• potholereporter.com

What’s your favourite cycling app in the UK (or elsewhere)?

Which ones have we missed? Share your favourite cycling apps below!

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Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels – and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they’re there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.

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3 Responses to “13 best cycling apps (for cycling at home or on holiday) 2023”

Booking is great. We use it a lot. But we use Google Maps then type “accommodations” to find all the possible places to stay.

Best for indoor training – I would definitely add Rouvy to your selection. It is number one app in offering the augmented reality and an endless selection of routes from the real world.

Your writing is not only informative but also entertaining. It’s a rare combination that keeps me coming back for more.

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15 Best Cycling Apps in 2024: Easily Track Your Rides and Progress on iPhone and Android

In the modern age of cycling, it has become increasingly possible to track and measure every aspect of your riding. From mapping routes for your GPS computer to tracking your fitness levels, and even making indoor cycling palatable, there are so many applications for cyclists to use. 

In this article, we will break down the 15 best cycling apps across a number of categories and explain how using each of them will help you to develop your cycling in the future. 

The Best Cycling Apps in 2024

• Garmin Connect
• TrainingPeaks
• Wahoo SYSTM
• Accu Weather
• Trainerroad
• Wattson Blue

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free (premium subscription for extra features) Website: www.strava.com

Undoubtedly one of the first apps you think of when you think of the best cycle tracking app, Strava is a diverse application that allows you to track and plan most aspects of your cycling. It contains features for route building through Strava maps, which include the famous segments that riders from across the world can ride on to compete for the fastest time and the coveted KOM/QOM leaderboards. 

Additionally, Strava has plenty of other features for its premium members, including fitness tracking and safety beacons which you can send to your loved ones so they can find you if you have an incident, or just so they know when to put the coffee on when you’re on your way home!

How to Use Strava: A Guide to Strava’s Popular Features

Strava is one of the best cycling apps for Android and best cycling app for iPhone as well, as there is so much functionality to the app. For the best experience then consider paying for premium, but even the free version can help you to track your rides and cycling progress easily and share with friends who can give you kudos. 

This is one of the best apps to track cycling distance too as it calculates your weekly, monthly and yearly totals so you can see exactly how you’re performing compared to other riders and of course, yourself. 

2.  Garmin Connect

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free Website: www.connect.garmin.com/

Garmin Connect is one of the best free cycling apps, particularly if you use a Garmin device such as an Edge cycling computer or a smartwatch to track your activities.

It can be used either on desktop or mobile and is a fantastic resource for serious and leisure cyclists. Users can map detailed routes and export the files to their GPS devices , track their fitness (the types of metrics available depend on your Garmin device), and even activate a safety feature for people to track you with a link. 

Wahoo vs Garmin – Two Best Sub $400 Bike Computer Comparison

Garmin Connect offers lots of the same features as Strava but works with Garmin devices only, you can use the app if you have a Wahoo for example, but it won’t sync automatically nor will all the data from your rides be available.

If you do use a Garmin cycling computer, however, it is really hard to beat for the insights and tracking it provides, especially for riders with power meters, heart-rate monitors, cadence sensors, and other electronics. 

3. Komoot 

Image source: komoot.com

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free (Premium for extra features) Website: www.komoot.com

Komoot is one of the best cycling route apps for both road and off-road riders. It uses multiple map types and popularity routing in order to gauge the best route for you to take. It’s a fantastic way to explore your local area, or even somewhere new and unfamiliar. 

The Best Road, Gravel, and Mountain Biking Routes in the USA

There are free and paid versions, and the maps of certain locations may need to be paid for but we think the maps alone are worth the price. You can adapt your route planning to the type of bike you’re riding, your fitness level, and how hilly you want it to be. 

It’s also a collaborative app that lets users insert points of interest on maps so you can choose to visit them on your route. It’s a great way of navigating to the best parts of the areas you’re riding in and is built with local knowledge from riders. 

4. MapMyRide

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free (Premium for extra features) Website: www.mapmyride.com

MapMyRide is a great alternative to a GPS cycling computer if you don’t have the cash to buy one. One of the best cycling navigation apps, it allows you to create a route and then follow it all from one app on your phone. Routes can be made for all types of riding, although we’ve found it works best for road cycling and light gravel where there are obvious rights of way. 

It also allows you to share routes with your friends so if you are planning a club ride or a big group ride or event, then this is a great way to make sure everyone can follow the same route. That makes it a great alternative to Google Maps and great for offline use. You can export the routes to your GPS devices if you have one, or use GPS on your smartphone to follow the way while you ride. 

5. TrainingPeaks

Available for: iOS and Android Price: From $19/month Website: www.trainingpeaks.com

Undoubtedly one of the best cycle tracking apps, TrainingPeaks is well respected in the cycling training community. It works as a website and a standalone app so you can check your cycling progress and what workouts you need to do from anywhere.

You can assign a coach, either one you find outside of TrainingPeaks or through it, and they can set your cycling training plan and monitor your progress remotely. 

It is one of the most used training apps across the world, even by professionals. It gives you a score for each workout based on how hard it was, also known as a Training Stress Score (TSS), and this helps to shape your fitness and form numbers also provided by the app.

If you don’t have a coach or want one, there are thousands of ready-made training plans on there for you to choose from. 

You can create your own workouts in the app or website and then export them to other platforms such as Zwift. It’s incredibly versatile and even the free version gives you a great insight into your fitness and total workload so that you can be a better athlete. 

6. MyWindsock

Available for: Desktop only Price: Free (Premium for extra features) Website: www.mywindsock.com

One of the best cycling weather apps, MyWindsock can be used on the web or from your phone on the app – it’s not available in the Apple Store or Google Play, so visit their website to find out how to download it. 

Essentially, MyWindsock uses weather data like the wind to analyze your rides in a different way. Time triallists use it to figure out where there is going to be a crosswind, headwind, or tailwind on their route, and having this information helps them to figure out how much power they’ll need to sustain in order to finish the race in a certain time.

It can use weather forecast information to help you predict your ride times, or it can use previous information to help you analyze your rides and races. This can really help bring your cycling to the next level, as we all know a headwind can make or break a ride or race! 

7. Wahoo SYSTM

Image source: wahoofitness.com/systm

Available for: iOS and Android Price: $14.99/month or $129/year Website: www.wahoofitness.com/systm

Formerly known as ‘Sufferfest’, the app was acquired by Wahoo and changed its name to Wahoo SYSTM. It’s regarded as one of the best indoor cycling apps due to the success users have with it. Essentially, the Wahoo SYSTM is a training app dedicated to enhancing cycling performance and tracking your zones while riding.

Firstly, you have to undergo a test to determine your 4DP, or your four-dimensional power. This helps to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a rider, and what type of rider you may be. For example, a rouleur, or a sprinter. 

Wahoo Fitness Product Range Overview

From there, you are prescribed training sessions to train your weaknesses and tailor them to your goals as a rider. The app can be used on Android and Apple phones and tablets but is best used on your computer so you can easily connect your turbo trainer and other devices to it via Ant+ or Bluetooth. 

Price-wise, you can get 14 days free as a trial when you’re a new customer. Once you’ve used up your trial, this Wahoo fitness app costs $14.99 a month, or $129 a year. 

8. Accu Weather

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free (Premium available) Website: www.accuweather.com

AccuWeather is, unsurprisingly, a weather forecasting app. It is available for use across the globe, so it isn’t restricted to certain countries or regions. Predicting the weather can be tricky, but this app provides plenty of helpful information for you to be able to plan your rides accordingly.

Not only does it tell you the typical information in a weather forecast such as temperature, wind speed and direction, and rain possibility, it also includes things like air quality measurements. For people who live in densely populated areas or cities like Barcelona where smog levels can be high, it’s important to check things like air quality before undertaking any heavy exercise. 

This makes it ideal for cyclists who can check the air quality on their routes as well as other possible allergen levels like pollen and dust. We love looking at data and this app can really help you inform your cycling kit choices as well as route mapping. 

Available for: iOS and Android Price: $14.99/month Website: www.zwift.com

You’ll have undoubtedly heard of Zwift, even if you haven’t tried it for yourself! Zwift is one of the best indoor cycling apps for many reasons. Zwift was created to make the boredom of indoor training disappear.

How have they achieved it? By immersing riders into a virtual world as they ride. You can choose which world you want to ride in, from the island of Watopia, to the urban metropolis of Neokyo. 

Secondly, there are plenty of group rides and races for you to choose from. The group rides are often workouts led by a ride leader, or you can join a meetup with your friends and ride together in the virtual world.

If you have a competitive edge, then racing is for you. There are a few categories to choose from, based on your FTP (functional threshold power) and they run along different courses and terrains. 

You need a turbo trainer, preferably a smart trainer to get the most functionality out of this app. Zwift can be run from your computer or your tablet or phone as long as your turbo and other devices can pair to it.

It currently costs $14.99 a month for Zwift, and with all the workouts and functionality, it’s a great investment in your cycling fitness. It’s even used by pro-level athletes!

10. Trainerroad

Image source: trainerroad.com

Available for: iOS and Android Price: $19.95/month or $189/year Website: www.trainerroad.com

Unlike other best indoor training apps, Trainerroad is a smart cycling platform that adapts to your evolution as a cyclist. It offers flexible workouts and training plans for all kinds of riders, from mountain bikers to time triallists. Trainerroad uses AI to create the best training plan for your goals and provides all the workouts for you through the app. 

The app can be run indoors only and connects to your turbo trainer. Unlike other indoor cycling apps, you do not need a smart turbo trainer to get the most out of it. Instead, you can use a wheel-on trainer with just a speed sensor if you prefer. 

As well as indoor workouts, you can transfer the workout files to the great outdoors. You can do this by exporting the files to your cycling GPS devices such as a Garmin or Wahoo, and running the workout off of there.

It costs slightly more than Zwift and Wahoo SYSTM at $19.95 a month, or $189 a year but you do get the functionality of it outside as well as inside. 

Image source: spoked.ai

Available for: iOS and Android Price: £11.99/month (~$15) Website: www.spoked.ai

You may not have heard of Spoked but we promise it’s one of the best cycling training apps out there, and for a relatively low cost! Spoked was created by former professional cyclist, Richard Lang, who has worked with a team of developers and world-class coaches to develop an AI-guided cycling training app. 

Instead of running the workouts through the app, you can export them to whatever program you use, whether that be Zwift for indoors or your cycling computer for outside.

The app provides the flexibility a coach couldn’t offer and allows you to input your time available during the week so it can calculate which sessions to assign to which days. 

There are plenty of goals to choose from and training plans that align with those goals. Currently, it can be downloaded on the Apple Store and the Google Play Store and costs about $15 a month (£11.99).

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free (Premium for extra features) Website: www.flaresafety.com

Flare is a cycling safety app that acts as a beacon of sorts so you and your family can have peace of mind when you’re out riding. Whether you’re a mountain or gravel rider heading off the beaten path, or you’re a road cyclist, incidents can happen anywhere. And if they do, the Flare app can alert your emergency contacts and tell them your location so you can get help. 

It is currently free, although there is a premium tier that offers more emergency contacts and the ability to share your location with all your contacts among other things. This app is not just great for cyclists, either. If you’re a runner, a hiker, or take part in any outdoor sports, it’s a handy application to have on your phone in case of emergencies. 

Image source: YouTube screenshot (Chris Worfolk)

Available for: iOS and Android Price: $12/month Website: www.rouvy.com

Rouvy gives you the freedom to explore the world on your bike without leaving your house. Another indoor training app, it differs from other cycling platforms in that it provides you with video footage for you to ride with. Famous roads and climbs like Mont Ventoux are included so you can ride along with the video, which automatically adjusts based on your speed and power. 

Workouts are also included, as well as races. During the pandemic, Rouvy offered its services for free, making it the best free indoor cycling app. However, now that the world has begun to reopen, they have reintroduced their pricing. Currently, it is $12 a month, or $144 a year. 

14. Trailforks

Image source: trailforks.com

Available for: iOS and Android Price: Free (Premium for extra features) Website: www.trailforks.com

Trailforks is a community-led app that helps mountain bikers find and rate local trails. It allows you to identify trails on the map as well as update their current condition. Information like this can really help riders find new places to ride and plan their rides accordingly if they know whether or not a trail is rideable. 

This intuitive approach and impressive level of detail make it one of, if not the best free cycling app for iPhones. If you’re not local to an area or are a bit lost in a trail center, you can use the app to find your way around the different trails, and even plan out your whole day. You can use it online, or download it from the Google or Apple app store. 

15. Wattson Blue

Available for: iOS and Android Price: $5/month (£3.99) or $39 /year (£29.99) Website: www.wattson.blue

We’ve all heard of Whoop bands by now, especially with half the pro peloton seemingly using them to track their recovery! Wattson Blue uses your heart rate variability to determine a number of things and estimate how you’re recovering, it tracks your sleep, your stress, and other biomarkers to help you be more aware of your health and how it impacts your cycling. 

You can sync your training directly from Strava to the Wattson Blue app, which is available on iPhones and Android phones. You can track your metrics within the app, or pull data from wearables such as the Oura rings.

The Wattson Blue app can really make a difference to how you view your recovery, insight into your readiness to train, and other helpful data sets that you need as an athlete. 

You can download the app and use it for free, or there is a premium option depending on how much information you need. It costs around $5 a month (£3.99) or $39 (£29.99) a year. 

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Rebecca Bland

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Bicycle touring. Outdoor adventures. Solo female travel.

Top 6 navigation and route planning apps for bicycle touring in 2024: Comprehensive Guide

Whether you’re planning a weekend ride or a cross-country tour, having a reliable navigation app can make all the difference. In this guide, I explore the best navigation apps and route planners for bicycle touring in 2024, helping you find the perfect tool for your next adventure.

How do I plan my route?

My approach to planning a route for my bicycle tours is fairly lax. You would never see me spending hours designing every tiny detail of my trip and creating an exhaustive itinerary. I usually pick a couple of highlights, look up the best bicycle routes in the area, and then try to connect the dots, leaving some space for spontaneous detours when someone I meet tells me about The Most Stunning Place. 

Depending on my fitness at a given moment, I decide what mileage I can do per day. I would typically plan 5-6 days of cycling a week and 1 or 2 rest days for simply enjoying a place, recovering, and other activities. On top of that, I leave some buffer for unexpected events.

Sometimes, planning the whole trip overwhelms me, especially if I am about to travel for weeks. In these cases, I calculate how long is the shortest route from point A to B. I add about 40-50 % buffer I need for detours. Then I check if I still can make it on time for any deadline awaiting me back home. During my trip, I plan for 3-4 days at a time. It feels easier and less overwhelming than creating a whole itinerary for a two-month trip.

What makes a good navigation app for bicycle touring?

Here are the criteria you need to consider when choosing the right app for navigating your bike tour:

1. Reliability

User-friendliness, great design and thousands of features mean nothing if the app makes you wade through the thicket or directs you to a highway where cyclists are not allowed.

You want something that can easily calculate the fastest route when your schedule is tight but can also suggest the most bike-friendly and pleasant trail. An app that considers climbs and road quality will make the planning process smoother and uncomplicated.

Never rely on any automatic route planner 100 %. Bear in mind that the weather in the mountains can make some roads and trails dangerous and that the maps are not always up to date.

2. Maps offline

The option to download the maps offline is a must for bicycle tourists. You don’t want to find yourself in the mountains with no phone coverage and zero clue where to go. Downloading the maps offline will also save your mobile data. Some apps include the offline maps in the free version, in others, you’ll have to pay extra for this feature.

3. Cycle routes and hiking paths

Viewing the cycle routes with their names on a map is crucial. This way, I can easily find This-Cool-Bike-Route-someone-told-me-about and adjust my planning to follow it. 

I also appreciate being able to control whether I want to go more on the road or off the road. Some apps allow you to choose whether you prefer the fastest route or the most scenic one. 

I like to take some days off from cycling and do small hikes instead, so I find it very useful to have an overview of the hiking trails in the area, too.

4. Points of interest

A good app will make it easy to find a grocery store, campsite or restaurant in the area. It will also help you explore the interesting places near you; a giant waterfall, a weird monument or an off-the-grid local museum.

5. Route planner in the browser

During my trip, I almost exclusively rely on navigation on my phone. The planning itself, however, I prefer to do on my computer. It allows me to see the bigger picture more clearly; everything is faster than on my phone. I hate doing things like this on my phone, so a route planner in the browser is a must. 

Useful but less important features

Voice directions.

Some people like having a phone in their pocket telling them when to turn left or right. I rarely use my maps in navigation mode (except for the cities where it is tricky to find your way around). It drains too much battery. My phone is usually placed on the frame with a Quad Lock phone holder (you can see the list of the gear I am using here) with the screen off most of the time. I only check the directions before intersections. 

Trip recording

A lot of people use apps to record their GPS tracks. It is useful if you can access the routes you cycled before. This way you can share them with your friends visiting the same country.

It drains a lot of battery, so I would give it up if I had to do it on my phone. Luckily, I have a sports watch with GPS ( Garmin Forerunner 630) from when I was a passionate runner. I record all my routes on it. It automatically synchronises with my Strava account. Thanks to it, my family can also check where I am at the end of the day (unless I sleep in the middle of the forest with no internet connection). 

Best navigation apps for bicycle touring

Most of my tours have taken place in Europe, so I can only speak for the reliability of these apps in this part of the world (+ in Kyrgyzstan). I discussed this topic with many other cyclists and tried to include their opinions on these apps in other places as much as possible.

All the apps below are available both for Android and iOS.

The Czech app Mapy.cz is my indisputable number 1 for planning my bicycle routes. I am surprised how few cyclists use it, as in my opinion, this app has everything you need on your tour.

Things I like about mapy.cz

• Free offline maps 
• A lot of cycle routes and hiking paths are marked and described (more in some regions like Central and Western Europe than, for example, the Balkans)
• Two modes, road cycling and MTB, allow you to plan your route on or off the road depending on your preferences.
• A lot of points of interest like landmarks, nature places, campsites, water sources etc. (there is even an option to directly book your accommodation on booking.com)
• Clean interface
• Easy to plan a route in the browser and adapt it on your phone
• Clear elevation markers and elevation profile

Things I dislike about mapy.cz:

• Sometimes, typing in a precise address doesn’t work. You have to look up the address on Google Maps, copy the coordinates and paste them into mapy.cz
• A few times mapy.cz led me on trails terrible for cycling (In their defence: it was in MTB mode, so I should have been prepared for some obstacles).

Google Maps 

I never use Google Maps to plan my route when cycling. However, it is the best app for looking for points of interest. Whether you are looking for sights to visit, a bike shop, a grocery store, or a campsite, Google Maps is the best. 

The street view also helps you plan: you can check out what the views from a given road look like and the quality of the road. You can also check the traffic on different routes and estimate the safest. 

Described by many as the best app for cycling and bicycle touring, Komoot is a real machine.

Things I like about komoot

• Komoot is a navigation app and a community platform where people share stories and photos from their rides. This makes it an outstanding tool for the planning phase when you are still looking for inspiration.
• Route planner in the browser and on the phone.
• Detailed information about the difficulty level of the route, type of surface, etc.
• Option to choose between cycle touring, road biking and mountain biking. The first is a mix of both worlds, combining dirt and paved roads.

Things I dislike about komoot:

• The free version offers offline maps for only one region. Offline maps for the whole world cost 29,99 euros. I appreciate that, in the world of the omnipresent subscription model, komoot offers this feature for a one-time payment.
• No points of interest. It only has the “highlights” – interesting spots marked by the community.

To sum up, komoot is probably the best app from an outdoor adventurer’s point of view but not really from the traveller’s point of view.

Ride with GPS

A few cyclists from the US and Canada recommended Ride with GPS to me. Having tested it briefly in Poland, I am sceptical. The suggested routes were overly complicated—I don’t know if this is an issue in Europe or if you simply need to adjust them manually. 

Why I like Ride with GPS:

• It shows the type of road (paved/unpaved).
• Heatmaps allow you to see what routes are popular among cyclists in the area (paid feature).
• Cycling routes and hiking trails are well marked (use OSM Outdoor layer to see them).

Why I dislike Ride with GPS:

• Route planning is only available in the browser; it is not possible to plan your route in the app, so you have to do all the planning at home.
• Offline maps are only available in the paid version.
• Heatmaps are only available in the paid version.

Open Street Map (OsmAnd)

Why I like OsmAnd:

• User-friendly interface.
• Possibility to choose a preference for dirt roads, shortest route, fewer climbs etc.
• Rich database of points of interest.
• Road quality feature. 
• Offline Wikipedia articles about the location visited – save your data.

Why I dislike OsmAnd:

• The free version has a limited number of maps you can download and use offline. The OsmAnd+ app costs 39.99€

What apps do you use for bicycle touring? Let me know why in the comments!

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Thank you very much for these useful tips. I also like Mappy.cz and komoot most for planning a tour and navigating. But google maps definitely has the best search engine.

Thanks for your comment, Daniel!Definitely, for finding points of interest, Google Maps is the best:)

I’m quite surprised that Locus Map is not in this list because unlike some in the shortlist it is mostly designed (text copied from Play store) “for hiking, mountain biking, cycling, running, geocaching, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities”. Having used the other apps, although long ago, in can say the level of customization is well beyond every other app. The forum is very active, the developers extremely engaging, the updates including betas very regular.

Hi Andrew! Thanks for your comment and for recommending Locus. I haven’t had a chance to test it out yet but after your positive review, I might give it a try! 😉

Pity that you left out Locus Map in your great overview. Is that because Locus has no Iphone version?

Hi Henk, thanks for your comment! I am using Android myself, so that was definitely not the reason I left Locus out. I just haven’t had a chance to try it yet (difficult to find time to test all the available apps ;)). But since it has been mentioned by so many people commenting, I might give it a go!

Hi Michael, thanks for commenting! I guess one can always do better but no one is perfect 😉 I did a bit of online research on Orux and based on the info I found, it looks a bit intimidating. I will probably give Locus a go on one of my rides in the future, since a lot of people seem to be happy with it!

Many looks great but I can’t seem to set up an account from canada, which is needed to plan routes. Any suggestions?

Hi. Thanks for the great review. I had a look at Maps and it looks great. Does anyone know if I can set up a Maps account from Canada?

Hi Adele, are you talking about maps.me? Normally, it should be possible to create an account from Canada, I remember a Canadian friend of mine was using it without any issues. If you’re unable to create an account, maybe try to contact their support team? https://maps.me/contacts/

Sorry for the typo, Mapy.cz is that app I like but can’t set up an account for in Canada.

Thanks for clarifying! I think you still can set up an account but you need to create a new e-mail account with seznam.cz (that’s the website mapy.cz is part of)

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I have used “Cyclers” app on recent cycle rides in France. It’s free and I found it to be accurate and easy to use……..Give it a try!

Duncan McLean. 26/01/2023.

Hi Duncan, thank you for recommendation, I just checked out the route planning on their website and it looks impressive! I love that they have the “heavy traffic” warnings and all the extra features, I am definitely going to try out this one.

Hello. I found that the “Cyclers” app used almost all of my ‘phone battery after about 5 hours but when you stop for coffee / lunch cafes will allow to re-charge. I also have a “mobile” re-charging unit that I intend to use this year. Using “Cyclers” to get from Paris to Versaille and then back up to Dieppe was brilliant. No main roads, good cycle tracks and a very reliable guidance system.

Duncan McLean. 28/01/2023.

Yeah, I noticed this as well when I tested the app last Sunday. But there is an option for deactivating the screen to save the battery, I found it pretty ok! My only complaint is that there is no option to download the maps offline (or at least I couldn’t find it). I agree that the route planning is quite reliable, I was very happy with the route Cyclers suggested. Definitely will test it more on my next trip, thanks again for the great suggestion!

I did find that at first I found myself “pressing” various icons on trial & error basis. I am not at all tech-literate but after a few attempts I found the app. to be really good. It got me from Versaille to Paris and back on great paths through the royal forests and then from Versaille to Dieppe along cycle paths and quiet, scenic, roads.

Best wishes,

Duncan McLean. 31/01/2023.

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Best Cycling Navigation Apps [Safe Route-Planning Guide]

By Kevin Glenton

Updated Jan 15, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links, which help to keep Discerning Cyclist rolling. Learn more .

There are moments in a cyclist’s life that fill all of the senses. The excitement and speed of a long straight downhill. The dread when you scan the horizon, knowing the road you’re on is the only one around, and it’s going up and up. Seeing the lights of an open café, when you really need a break, or some food. 

These moments are a response to how you might be feeling on a ride, and often catch you unawares. However, there are ways you can plot and plan a way to find the places that inspire these feelings. Or avoid them!

It’s a little bit old-school these days to set off for a ride without knowing your route in advance. There’s safety and security in knowing what’s ahead of you. Even a simple, recalled memory of sights and turns along a route helps.

Before the advent of cycling computers, or cycling navigation apps, preparation for a ride might take the form of stuffing a map into your pocket. Or in my case, writing the names of villages and towns en-route onto a piece of paper, and sticking it onto my top tube!

Relying on local authorities to provide adequate signage is not recommended. This is especially true in areas you don’t have much knowledge of. Technology can now provide a cyclist with the information and data necessary to plan and enjoy routes. This ensures a ride that’s free of stress and uncertainty. 

Riding on holiday, either in your own country or abroad, is also improved by having the comfort of knowing where you’re going. We no longer need to rely on rudimentary planning, or paper maps!

Of course, regardless of the navigation method you choose, you should always make sure you’re prepared in advance.

How to Plan Bike Routes

One of the most important things is to know your limits. Have a think about your physical condition, and state of mind. Think about the capacity of the bicycle you’re riding. This is all crucial to making the best of the route.

Have you checked the weather forecast for the full distance? Do you know if there are trains running nearby, if needed? Should you take a spare phone charger?

Safety considerations and preparation are vitally important. This is not only for your peace of mind, but for successfully planning the ride itself. There’s a lot to be said for sitting down well in advance of a ride at your desk and planning, even though looking at a PC monitor might not feel like the beginning of an adventure!

Having a clear picture of where you’re planning to go is improved by utilising the mapping applications your computer or smartphone offers. When engineering your route, take in as much information as possible before setting off, or transferring the route to your cycling navigation app, or cycling computer.

A little bit of research works wonders. If you have time, type the route into google to find out what others think of cycling in the area. Make notes of key areas to explore, coffee-break stops, and potentially fun (or exhausting!) parts of the route.

A browse on YouTube could reward you with on-board camera shots of hills, trails, or terrain. This can help you determine how exposed they are. It pays to do this level of planning. Most cycling navigation apps also have a live-tracking feature, so friends and family can keep an eye on your progress.

How Do I Find the Best Cycling Route?

Using a variety of online tools, and combining them into one plan, will provide you with some of the best routes and maps. Google Maps, Komoot, MapMyRide, Strava, Ride with GPS, Ordnance Survey Maps, and Sustrans (in the UK) are great sources of previously ridden routes.

Remember that one route planning app doesn’t necessarily hold sway over the others. Different cycling navigation apps could give you a new nugget of information to note down, allowing you to improve and/or edit parts of the route.

Maybe you’re focused on roads used for speed , or by professional athletes. Or perhaps your aim is off-road or leisurely pursuits. There are cycling navigation apps to suit all preferences, and most have editing functions which take into account your ability, biking style, or desire for a decent lunch!

Using the best parts from a variety of cycling navigation apps to help you plan your route is worth the effort. 

How Do You Know Which Cycle Route is Safe?

Research and planning are your friends here. A grasp of mapping is really helpful to identify the grading of a road, its surface, and the contour lines (which help to identify the gradient). Knowing the road-surface, and quality of the terrain are essential. Google Street View is a real bonus here.

On opening most cycling navigation apps, the application’s databases, as well as pre-existing routes provided by other users, can give you an increased awareness of the realities of the route. 

If you’re unsure what lies ahead, think about the worst case scenario. This could be the risk of injury to yourself, or the possible mechanical failure of your bicycle. Remember, there’s always the chance you may not have a phone signal, or battery, to help you out of an unknown area, or one with no visible landmarks around.

Heatmaps, contained within some applications, are a good indicator of how cycle routes are used by others. This can provide you with crucial additional information.

Bear in mind there’s a risk that the heatmap on a route might have been chosen for its difficulty. This may be more true for off-road sections.

Best Free Cycling Route Planner + Navigation Apps 

The convenience of effective GPS (Global Positioning Systems) can take some pressure off your planning. Smartphones and cycling computers can be synced up, and secured to the handlebars of your bicycle to provide guidance. It’s not recommended to use the device with headphones, however. This is to ensure the safety of yourself, and those around you.

Less time spent at junctions deciding which way to turn means more time for enjoying your ride! Some cycling navigation apps allow you to calculate how long you might be out on the road, which makes life easier when it comes to your diary, social life, and family commitments.

Google Maps is a reassuring place to start. It’s a route planner we’re all familiar with, and ideal for a commute, or recreational road-ride. 

Free route planners are increasingly being chipped away at, and turned into subscription services. However, the essential elements of cycling navigation apps with ‘in-app purchase’ options are often still free, and can be re-planned on a free application, then synchronised with a smartphone or cycling computer.

1) Komoot 

Komoot was born in 2009. It uses the open source OpenStreetMap database for mapping. 

The app overlays its own algorithm to emphasise features of interest, such as point to point climbs created by other users. The helps you establish the best route, based on the type of bicycle you’re riding, and the waypoints you select.

Is Komoot Any Good?

The range of activity types, and fitness levels, in conjunction with the database of information from existing users, makes Komoot a wide-ranging app to suit riders of all levels of experience. It’s very easy to use, and actually quite addictive when planning!

Desktop and mobile versions are available. Navigation can be done via the screen, and the speaker, or earpiece. The details of surfaces in existing routes is a really useful feature for those who like to ride on mixed surfaces. It’s of particular use to gravel riders, who can use their bicycle for multiple terrains.

Care is required however. There are segments that make their way onto the gravel classification, but are better suited towards mountain bikes, and worse, electric mountain bikes. I say worse because the gradients here would force most riders to get off and walk.

Some roads automatically chosen by the app may also be on the busy side. This is why it’s well worth checking the route (on a computer if possible) beforehand with a fine-tooth comb. You can easily divert from high classification roads, while still retaining the other aspects of the ride you’d like to include. Mountain bike routes on the app are designed to be as off-road as possible.

The gradient and surface type options can be edited down to sections, so that you can avoid the ‘smoothing out’ process.

Having clearly established gradient types will also help you if you’re riding in an unknown area!

Unsuitable segments can be chopped out, and replaced with a surface that suits your bicycle, mood, or the weather. The gravel section is a treasure trove of tracks and paths which are completely off-grid, providing you with exciting alternative routes. 

The mapping and navigation can also be used offline, and the voice guidance (created in-house) is very good. The routing is elementary at present, but has improved as more subscribers and users save their rides. 

It’s worth mentioning that very occasionally, the off-road routes can lead you on to unpaved public footpaths. I’m talking about the kind of public paths that have stiles, and a grass track! 

You’ll have to be patient with the app until you’re used to its quirks. You can rule out trying to achieve record route times or speeds initially. 

Is Komoot Route Planner Free to Use?

In order for Komoot to work for you, the mapping must be unlocked. You get one free region when you sign up. Subsequent regions cost £3.99. If you’re located in the middle of a region, this will be to your advantage. However, you’re likely to pay more if you’re on the fringes of two areas.

Bundles of collected, adjoining regions are available for £8.99. Alternatively, you can opt for a worldwide package. Additional regions are a welcome addition to any cycling holiday, and remember that your package can be expanded to include walks, hiking, and cycle touring. 

What Are the Benefits of Komoot Premium?

The features offered by Komoot Premium, available on a subscription-basis, are multi-day planning, discounts on products, and planning features for extended riding packages. The World Pack is also available. All existing features of the maps function work with Komoot Premium.

The full outdoor package costs £59.99 as an annual subscription, or £4.99 if billed monthly. 

Multi-day planning lets you create tours for all skill levels, including accommodation suggestions, routes reviewed by riders, a summary of the expected hours you’ll be riding per day, and the expected metres of climbs per day. Detours are included, and can be made en-route.

The Personal Collections feature lets you catalogue specific rides by region, for filing for personal use, or for sharing.

Weather, and sport-specific mapping features help reduce the margins for error.

Komoot Premium also unlocks discounts for you on cycling gear. At the time of writing, over 100,000 products are on offer at discounted prices. The current promotions are on offer with Bikester and Campz.

When it comes to Komoot, worldwide maps and navigation, plus live tracking, builds a complete package for you – and those who want to follow every turn of your wheels.

How Do I Plan a Route on Komoot?

(All speech bubbles the author’s own)

Step 1 – Planning the Route

Planning can be done via a PC or smartphone. After entering your start and finish waypoints, the blue line will indicate the most appropriate routing. Once you have this template on screen, you can click any points of interest, specific rides, or the red discs which have been entered by other riders, to find out more. 

The app will give you the option to include them on the route. Any points of interest created by the community of riders using the app will usually have a bio, and images attached.

Step 2 – Waytypes and Surfaces

This view allows you to gauge the surfaces you’re going to be riding on. It’s useful in identifying the specifics of the route, and when the application will guide you onto a cycleway, as opposed to the road. 

If you have a preference for roads over cycleways, you can edit the screen here by clicking on the blue line, and making the minor adjustments necessary to move the line.

If you know the roads you are travelling on, you could leave this setting. The guidance from the speaker, or your headphones, will tell you when it senses you’ve veered off course. Distance in metres is provided by the voice software, for example, “route begins left in five hundred metres”. It also tells you when you’re back on course.

Step 3 – Points of Interest.

Simply click onto these to add the POI of your choice.

Step 4 – Summary

The app will create a summary on the webpage, ready to be sent to a smartphone app, or to a third-party device.

For information, here’s an image from the smartphone app mid-route.

2) Garmin Cycling Route Planner

Garmin Connect is the platform used by the company as its database and homepage for route users. Dashboards, challenges, calendars, newsfeeds, activities, and reports are all included. Like many route-planning apps, the interface is moving towards a social media, virtual room style.

User data entered on social platforms is of great value to all of the companies mentioned in this article. Route planners rely greatly on rider data to move users towards bike-friendly routes.

The Garmin Connect application has a smartphone app too. The main intent here is synchronisation with a Garmin device . 

Does Garmin Have Navigation for Cycling?

The navigation tool preferred by Garmin would be one of their own devices. Routes can also be set to be added automatically if they’ve been created via third-party services.

You can synchronise with Garmin Connect via your PC if this is where the route is saved, or alternatively, the route can be sent to a compatible device. This can be transferred via a .GPX file or .FIT file.

How to Plan a Cycling Route on Garmin 

Step 1 – Open Garmin Connect

Click through Training/Courses/Create a Course. You can then decide whether you want to share your location with Garmin.

Step 2 – Choose a Course Type

You can choose from Road Cycling, Mountain Biking, or Gravel/Unpaved Cycling. Next, choose the drawing method from either a custom built route, or a round trip. 

If you choose a round trip, you enter a distance and start direction from the points of a compass. You can then add a course point onto it. There are general points such as food, water, first aid and danger, as well as cycling specific points like climbs, or sprints. An elevation and pace calculator is also provided.

With the Custom Drawing option you can choose to follow popular routes as ranked by the Garmin community, follow exiting roads, or ‘draw’ a route freehand.

Step 3 – Create Your Route

Scroll through the map to locate your start point. You can also enter a postcode to narrow down the search, then use the +/- zoom function to narrow in. You can choose from a satellite or map view. As you start to narrow in, heatmaps will show roads coloured in increasingly deeper shades of purple, which are the most popular routes cycled by other Garmin users. 

The Google Maps bike lanes tool is overlaid in green too. We’ve switched to a Map view to highlight this in the image below. The Google Maps bike lanes tool is less visible when planning your route via a smartphone.

Your course can then be saved for synchronisation with a relevant device.

3) Google Maps for Cycling

Straightforward, helpful, and free, Google Maps helps millions of journeys to go a little more smoothly. The software syncs well between devices, and the voice direction is very good. However, there are challenges when it comes to bicycle routes in terms of their popularity with other road users.

How Do I Create a Cycling Route on Google Maps? 

(We’ll be looking at using Google Maps via a smartphone for simplicity and efficiency – assuming that the phone will be attached to the handlebars once the ride begins)

Step 1 – Go to Google Maps

The application, depending on Location Services being enabled, will centre in on where you are with a blue dot. You can touch the screen to centre in on the start point, or enter the address or postcode details.

Step 2 – Enter the Route Directions

Remember to choose the bicycle icon for your proposed destination. You can then toggle through the options offered – the shortest time taken is usually the default, which the map is set to. There are options for satellite and terrain, as well as cycle routes .

Step 3 – Preview Your Route

Route preview offers you the chance to look at the specifics of the ride. This can help with identifying dual carriageways, or what look like busy A-roads. 

Clicking on the layer icon in the top right hand corner opens up the mapping detail, and clicking ‘traffic’ will give real-time information on how busy the route is. Remember, this will be specific to the time of day you’re looking at the smartphone, by default.

For information, here’s a mid-route screenshot using the Google Maps app.

Is Google Maps Good for Cycling?

The rate at which Google offers updates and product improvements bodes well for cyclists. Discerning cyclists are at home in cities, and the wealth of data Google obtains is of great help in this environment. The advanced algorithm and real-world conditions add to the usefulness of the app.

However, remember that when it comes to the roads chosen by the algorithm, at times there may be quieter routes available. In the example above, the 8 minute slower route takes in a dedicated 5kms of cycleways, some of which are segregated by a kerb. The left turn of the fastest route pushes you into bus lanes, and A-roads.

4) Strava Route Planner

As well as offering one of the largest social networks for cycling fans, the Strava app is well known for having segments – portions of road or trail created by members, where cyclists can compare times. We’re entering into the world of Lycra here, record-making locations known for precise start and finishing points, or record times achieved by the kings and queens of the mountains. 

The Strava route planner builds on these segments, and you can add or remove them according to your wishes. Strava’s origins are in road-cycling, and although it has developed itself (and its subscription services) to cover all sports, the legacy of road cycling remains embedded in these segments.

The basic operating principles are similar to the other cycling navigation apps we’ve covered. You create the route, save it in your profile, then navigate the route via your smartphone application or other appropriate device .

The route creation is available for PC as a subscription-only package. You can view previously saved routes on the free service.

Route creation includes trail names, elevation guides, and information about the surface type. The Segment Explore options allows for micro-assessment of the routes.

Does Strava Have Turn-by-Turn Navigation?

The navigation is limited to a blue line on the application’s map. Strava doesn’t offer audible directional navigations. Strava segments are displayed on the map also.

How Do I Follow a Route on Strava? 

Once you’ve downloaded the free application onto your smartphone, simply save and select your route, then click the orange start button once you’ve found the GPS signal.

Is Strava Good for Navigation?

The Strava application has the most elementary capabilities of the apps we’ve covered when it comes to route planning and navigation. These aspects are better left to the other cycling navigation apps we’ve looked at. The road-riding community element dominates the cycling aspects of the application. 

As this service has moved to subscription-only, outside of any free trials, this is a feature that the developers will need to stay on top of to keep paying customers satisfied – so it may be worth keeping an eye on future updates.

Komoot vs Garmin vs Google Maps vs Strava [Bike Route Planning] 

What is the best map app for cycling .

It’s a difficult one to call! There’s the convenience of Google Maps, the segments and heatmaps of Strava and Garmin, or the micro-planning abilities of Komoot. All are working on their integration and synchronisation, so you may find that using a combination of apps works best for you.

That being said, for all-round accessibility on the PC, and visualisation of new and different routes, Komoot edges it for an advance-planning nerd like me.

(all prices accurate at the time of writing)

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Best cycling apps 2024 | 19 of the best iPhone and Android apps to download

Our top pick of bike apps for your mobile device

Stan Portus / Our Media

The best cycling apps will help you plan a route, train effectively, fix your bike and much more. There's no shortage of apps aimed at cyclists, with many more being released all the time, so sometimes it can be difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Fear not – these are 19 of the most useful apps for cycling, as recommended by the BikeRadar team.

We've included a variety of cycling apps for iPhone and Android devices, ranging from highly analytical training tools to simpler social apps and useful navigational resources.

For some apps – Google Maps, for instance – you need to have your device on the handlebar to take full advantage. For others, such as Strava, you can just hit start, put your phone in your jersey pocket or in a bike phone mount and go.

What's more, with Bluetooth accessories such as heart-rate monitors , speed sensors and power meters becoming more common, you can get your smartphone’s Bluetooth connection and processor to do the work that used to require a separate computer and, not so long ago, wires.

Some of the apps featured here are free, some are not, and some are free up front with an option to buy or subscribe for more bells and whistles. The best indoor training apps cost just over £12 a month and the best smart trainers will get the most out of your subscription.

Fair warning: any GPS cycling app will tax your phone's battery, so these are generally better suited to shorter rides unless you're able to charge on the go. The best bike computers will last much longer.

And remember, these are our recommendations, so make sure to add your own in the comments.

The best cycling apps in 2024

To make the list more digestible, we've grouped our favourite cycling apps into ride recording, navigation and route planning, fitness, mountain biking and miscellaneous categories.

Use the links below to jump to the section you need:

Best cycling apps for tracking your rides

• Best cycling apps for routes and navigation

Best cycling apps for fitness

Best cycling apps for indoor training, best apps for mountain biking.

• Best miscellaneous apps for cyclists

The best cycling apps for tracking will record your ride and show your speed, distance, route and other metrics, such as elevation.

These are probably the most popular cycling apps out there, with Strava leading the field (and offering a host of other features, including segments, leaderboards and route planning).

While you can use Strava like a cycle computer on your phone, most riders use a separate GPS computer to record and upload their rides and then use the app to see what their friends are up to.

All rides uploaded to Strava deliver automatic rankings of your times over popular stretches of road and trail – known as 'segments' in Strava-speak – along with a GPS map of where you rode.

The real-time feature, which tells you how fast you are tracking on a selected segment, such as the local hard climb, works on smartphones but also newer Garmin Edge and Wahoo computers, too.

Strava’s special sauce, which separates it from its competitors, is the slick social component. Much like Facebook, you can follow friends and see where and how hard they’re riding, leave comments, send them direct messages and give kudos on their rides, as well as post photos of your own rides.

Strava pivoted heavily towards a subscriber model in 2020, putting formerly free features such as segment leaderboards and route planning behind a paywall .

The cycling app also increased the price of its subscriber model in 2023 .

Cycling-related ' Points of Interest ', such as cafes and bike shops, show up in Strava's base map in its app and browser.

• Price: Free (premium version also available: £8.99 monthly; £54.99 annually)
• Download: Strava for iOS or Strava for Android
• BikeRadar is on Strava: Join the BikeRadar Strava club

MapMyRide is similar to CycleMeter, but benefits from the parent company’s online history with route-mapping software.

The app is well-equipped for tracking not only rides but nutrition, weight and more, and can also get you to your destination.

The premium version includes training plans, more advanced routing options and live tracking that can be shared with family and friends. The premium version also ditches the advertisements you’re stuck with on the free app.

• Price: Free (premium version also available: $5.99 monthly; $29.99 yearly)
• Download: MapMyRide for iOS or MapMyRide for Android

Best cycling apps for route planning and navigation

Cycling apps for route planning and navigation will help you discover more roads and places to ride.

The best cycling apps aimed at route planning will allow you to plan your own rides as well as discover routes from other riders.

Some apps will do the heavy lifting and plan a route for you if you enter a destination, which is ideal for on-the-go adventures or cycling around town.

Bikemap is an iPhone and Android app that offers route planning, navigation, real-time updates and plenty more.

In our experience, it’s a good alternative to Strava or Komoot for route planning and offers more for free, though both Strava and Komoot also have their own unique features.

The app’s real-time updates allow you to alert other Bikemap users to problems encountered during a ride. It’s not something we’ve found much use for, but might be more appealing to cyclists riding regularly in an urban environment.

Other features include an archive of more than seven million user-generated routes, route collections and in-app ride stats.

Most of Bikemap’s features are free to use, but there’s also a Bikemap Premium service, which opens up additional mapping options, including cycling-friendly map layers, turn-by-turn directions and 3D views of your planned routes, as well as offline navigation.

• Price: Free (Premium version also available – £9 / €9 / $12 / AU$14.99 / monthly; £35 / €39 / $49 / AU$59.99/ annually; £89 / €99 / $99 / AU$179.99 one-off payment for lifetime access)
• Download: Bikemap for iOS or Bikemap for Android

Google Maps

Few tech companies can beat Google at mapping.

Just like you use your phone on the fly to find places, read a few reviews and then go to the one you select, you can use Google Maps to do this too – and get there on bike paths and bike-friendly routes.

Like any app, it’s not foolproof, but in its category it's among the best there is. The audio turn-by-turn instructions are nice when riding, too; for riders who choose to ride with headphones, you can have your phone in your pocket and easily get where you need to be.

• Price: Free
• Download: Google Maps for iOS or Google Maps for Android

While Google Maps is arguably the gold standard for navigation in general, it can sometimes come up a bit short for bike directions.

Komoot uses the open-source OpenStreetMap database and allows you to plan road , mountain bike and gravel rides as well as commutes . The big difference over Google Maps is in the routing, where Komoot tries to choose the most efficient route, taking into account how bike-friendly a road or path is, as well as your fitness.

Using a start and end point, Komoot will tell you the difficulty, fitness required, what road surfaces you’ll come across and an elevation profile to boot.

Once you’ve started your route, it will give you speed, distance travelled, distance remaining and allows for easy on-the-fly route changes. You can also check out other route recommendations in your local area.

Komoot also features curated highlights, as suggested by local riders and Komoot ambassadors. These can be a great way to discover unknown gems in your local area.

In June 2024, Komoot launched Gravel Routes, a collection of 160,000 ready-made gravel biking routes.

A premium subscription unlocks additional features, such as a multi-day planner and live tracking.

• Price: First map region free, subsequent map regions £3.99 / €3.99 / $3.99 (Premium costs £59.99 / €59.99 / $59.99 annually)
• Download: Komoot for iOS or Komoot for Android

Ride with GPS

Ride with GPS can plan routes in great detail, navigate and record your ride.

It's got a user-friendly interface that allows you to start recording with a single tap, and can even be used to navigate offline, which makes it extremely useful out in the sticks or on long rides, where preserving battery power is important.

The route data provided is particularly helpful, with detailed elevation profiles that you can zoom in and out of, and see exactly where on the route the biggest climbs will be.

Want to share your rides in real-time? The app lets you do just that. It will even read comments aloud as you pedal. Not a bad thing to have when you need that last motivational push.

The free version allows you to create routes and record your rides, as well as set yourself goals. There's a Basic subscription that gives you access to mobile app features such as turn-by-turn navigation, live logging and offline mapping. You can also publish ride reports.

The Premium version gives you all of this, plus advanced route editing, custom cue sheets, stationary bike support and private segments.

• Price: Free; Basic costs £6 /€6 / $6 monthly or £50 / €50 / $50 yearly; Premium costs £10 / €10 / $10 monthly or £80 / €80 / $80 yearly
• Download: Ride with GPS for iOS or Ride with GPS for Android

To some, paper Ordnance Survey (OS) Maps are a joy to use and things of beauty. But anyone who's grappled with a South Pembrokeshire OS Explorer as it flaps in an Atlantic onshore wind will appreciate this app's practicality. It's a cartological database of the whole UK on your mobile device, and the Ordnance Survey says it has over five million users worldwide and six million routes.

You can plot and record rides on the app, but the plethora of more cycling-focused alternatives makes it a better research tool for us two-wheeled explorers.

The map overlays are handy for cyclists. The Greenspace option highlights grassy areas for off-road routes, while the National Cycle Network one displays quiet lanes and family-friendly routes.

For free, you can access the standard maps, aerial and night maps online. A subscription includes premium features, such as all 25,000 (Explorer) and 50,000 (Landranger) maps on- and offline.

The Landranger is brilliant for planning long rides and multi-day epics. It shows towns and campsites for stop-offs. The more detailed Explorer is useful for poring over the terrain of gravel or mountain bike adventures, for example to differentiate byways and bridleways from footpaths where cycling isn't permitted. You could research in the app then plot the route on Komoot, which is easier to sync to your GPS computer.

Ordnance Survey updated the app in March 2024 to improve navigation, add personalisation through route recommendations, and tips to hep you get the most out of the app.

• Price: Free or £6.99 monthly / £34.99 annually for premium subscription
• Download: OS Maps for iOS or OS Maps for Android

The best cycling apps for fitness will help you track your performance over time.

They work particularly well with other sensors such as heart rate monitors and power meters to provide a whole load of data that will give you a greater insight into your riding. Some, such as TrainingPeaks, offer training plans dedicated to different abilities and goals.

TrainingPeaks

If you’ve ever had a cycling coach, you’ve probably used TrainingPeaks. Heck, even if you haven’t had a coach you may have used TrainingPeaks.

For everyone from coaches and high-performance athletes, to data-hungry office-based crit enthusiasts, TrainingPeaks offers one of the most comprehensive tools for tracking fitness and fatigue.

However, it is not to be confused with a social network, navigation, or route-planning app, so look elsewhere if that's what you're after.

The app allows you to create and schedule workouts, or choose from a wide selection of training plans crafted by coaches such as Joe Friel and Frank Overton.

• Price: Free (premium versions from $19.95 monthly)
• Download: TrainingPeaks for iOS or TrainingPeaks for Android

Cyclemeter turns your smartphone into a great cycling computer – if you’re down with putting your phone on your handlebars, that is.

It's similar to Wahoo Fitness in its wealth of customisable options during the ride, but you also get a smorgasbord of post-ride analysis. Plus, you don’t have to log into any site; the data stays on your device.

You can start/stop rides with your iPhone earphone remote button, too (if you choose to ride with headphones), and integrated Google Maps can assist you in unfamiliar areas.

Cyclemeter also plays nicely with Strava, Facebook, Twitter and more, while importing and exporting routes is also easy.

• Price Free (in-app upgrades available for $9.99 each)
• Download Cyclemeter for iOS or Cyclemeter for Android

Indoor training apps are designed to make sitting on the turbo trainer a far more enjoyable experience. They are a great way to avoid bad weather and get riding when the rest of life stops you from cycling outside.

Some indoor training apps are focused solely on training, with personalised workouts and training plans based on power output and intervals , while others enable you to race against other riders or simply admire the virtual scenery. Here are some of our favourites.

Wahoo SYSTM

Wahoo SYSTM is a training app that gives you access to the Wahoo X training platform. It does things a little differently to the likes of Zwift and other smart trainer apps. It doesn't have a virtual world, but you can ride simulations of pro race finales. In the On Location feature, you ride along to videos of real-world roads.

Having bought The Sufferfest in 2019, Wahoo's SYSTM app runs in the same vein as the no-frills workout gallery did. It's for dedicated athletes who'd like to follow a structured training plan, while there is the option to pick and choose workouts. Some of them can be performed outdoors.

Wahoo creates a bespoke training schedule for you after identifying your strengths and weaknesses using the brand's own Four Dimensional Power Profile (4DP). This is meant to give a more nuanced picture of your fitness than a Functional Threshold Power test.

• Price : Free 14-day trial for new users, then $14.99 monthly or $129.99 annually
• Download: Wahoo SYSTM for iOS or Wahoo SYSTM for Android / Wahoo RGT for iOS or Wahoo RGT for Android

With an internet connection, turbo trainer and device compatible with the app, riders across the world can ride with or race each other inside the world of Zwift .

As well as being an efficient training tool, thanks to the built-in workouts and training plans, Zwift promotes social interaction and is a great way to break up the tedium of indoor riding.

• Price: £17.99 / $19.99 per month
• Download: Zwift for iOS or Zwift for Android

Rouvy is an indoor cycling app that offers real-life routes and augmented reality courses for you to ride on.

Unlike Zwift, which simulates virtual worlds and roads, Rouvy uses video recordings of real roads and combines them with elevation data to provide an interactive riding experience. On certain courses, the app can also generate animated 3D riders.

Beyond augmented reality, there are also route films to 'ride' on, which should keep you entertained for several lifetimes.

The app is available for iOS and Android, as well as for PCs, Apple TV and more.

• Price: $14.99 monthly
• Download: Rouvy for iOS or Rouvy for Android

TrainerRoad

Compared to Zwift and Wahoo X , TrainerRoad takes a stripped-back approach to indoor training. Instead of entertaining you with virtual worlds, races and group rides, TrainerRoad focuses solely on making you faster with a personalised training plan.

TrainerRoad claims the app uses AI to adjust your plan to your performance levels in sessions, increasing the difficulty if you're going better or decreasing it if you're struggling.

This leads to fewer unfinished sessions and more subscribers increasing their Functional Threshold Power, according to TrainerRoad.

The app is available on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows.

• Price : $21.99 monthly / $209.99 annually
• Download : TrainerRoad for iOS or TrainerRoad for Android

Many cycling apps are focused on road cycling, building on already available technology like Google Maps. But there are also dedicated mountain biking apps that will help you make the most of the trails.

Relying on crowd-sourced information, Trailforks has more than 161,000 trails around the world and includes conditions reports, live tracking and even points of interest, such as bike shops, in case you need a spare tube.

The maps are downloaded onto your device for offline use, so no worries if you lose reception.

The app also has an emergency info function that will generate your exact GPS coordinates and the name of the nearest trail.

The free version gives full access to one area and partial view anywhere for emergency navigation. The pro version adds unlimited worldwide maps and downloadable routes.

• Price: Free or €2.49 monthly for pro
• Download: Trailforks for iOS or Trailforks for Android

More of the best cycling apps

Bike maintenance, first aid, weather forecasts and just pure entertainment. If you can think of something novel or useful, someone has probably made an app for it.

Here's a selection of some of the best cycling apps the team at BikeRadar love to use. They might not fit into the categories we've already featured, but in most cases they are simply too useful not to have.

What3words takes a unique approach to finding, sharing and navigating to a precise location, having assigned every single 3m x 3m square in the world with a unique combination of three words.

The app is pitched as the new global standard for communicating location, whether it's for coordinating meeting points with friends, finding your tent at a festival or directing the emergency services to exactly the right spot in a remote place or undefined location. It's not a totally foolproof system but, for those who don't know how to give a grid reference or coordinates, it's a quick and easy way to communicate your location.

It's compatible with navigation apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and others – just add the three-word address. You can also use voice command.

• Download: What3words for iOS or What3words for Android

First Aid by British Red Cross

If the worst should happen on a ride, it pays to be prepared. While it’s hard to beat going on a proper first aid course, this is probably the next best thing.

Using a range of videos, quizzes and step-by-step advice, the First Aid by British Red Cross app helps you learn how to deal with common first aid emergencies, as well as being an invaluable reference when things go wrong.

All the information is stored on the phone, so it’ll also work fine when you don’t have a data connection.

• Download: First Aid by British Red Cross for iOS or First Aid by British Red Cross for Android

Using ride data from Wahoo, Garmin Connect, MapMyRide and more (but no longer Strava), Relive generates a 3D video flyover of your ride, similar to the course previews shown ahead of WorldTour road races.

The moving map not only shows your progress over the route but also pinpoints where you hit your top speed and the elevation profile, as well as any photos you may have taken along the way.

• Price: Free or Relive Plus premium version — first 30 days are free then £6.99 monthly / £38.99 yearly
• Download: Relive for iOS or Relive for Android

DotWatcher.cc

If you're into long-distance racing , DotWatcher is a must-visit.

Managed and updated by a small team – all of whom are experienced long-distance racers – the site hosts tracking maps, insight and analysis on the majority of major long-distance bicycle races.

There is no dedicated app available, but the site is very well mobile-optimised, so there's no reason to stop tracking on the go.

The web app was also recently updated to include profiles for each rider featured, making following your long-distance heroes that bit easier .

• Visit DotWatcher.cc

While not a downloadable app, MyWindsock is a properly nerdy, mobile-compatible web app that will delight KOM/QOM-hunting Strava users the world over.

The site pulls weather data from the Cloud and overlays a heat map of where you are most likely to encounter head, cross and tailwinds over a Strava segment or ride.

This allows you to focus your efforts on segments that will have the most advantageous wind, or, if you’re a real TT-freak, alter your setup for a race depending on the conditions. Totally nerdy, totally brilliant.

• Price Free or premium features from $2.08 monthly
• Visit MyWindsock.com

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You may also like, bikeradar newsfeed, best indoor cycling apps 2024: which training app should you use, zwift: your complete guide, komoot: your complete guide.

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Home > Blog > The 5 Best Cycling Route Planning Apps

The 5 Best Cycling Route Planning Apps

By Toby Blake

If you’ve found yourself searching for a cycling route planning app, you’ll know there is no shortage of options. The best cycling apps out there can help you train by showing your speed, distance, route and other handy metrics and allow you to plot a route across unknown terrain or simply discover new places to ride. We’ve put together this article to help you choose between five of the best cycling route planning apps currently available to download.

Komoot  is a popular route planning and navigation app that allows you to generate routes based on your preferences, such as ride type, terrain or rider ability. Routes can be planned and downloaded to either your cycle computer or smartphone. If you are planning a trip, you can even use your desktop to make routes at home before downloading via  komoot.com/discover .

When you are ready to ride, Komoot syncs your data across all devices, for example, Apple Watch, Android wear, Wahoo or Garmin devices, to name a few.

The Komoot app is free and includes one free regional map. Users can then purchase additional regional map packages or a world pack to unlock every region globally.

Strava  has earned a name for itself as one of the best cycle route planning apps. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. The app allows you to plan routes, view previous rides and track performance metrics such as distance covered, calories burned, pace and heart rate, all from your smartphone.

Strava is a social fitness-sharing platform where you can share video clips, photos and tips with other Strava users and compare your stats on leaderboards for popular routes. Strava offers a free version, or you can subscribe to access additional features.

RideWithGPS

Ride with GPS  is another app that has gained quite a following in the cycling community. The browser-based system allows you to create and find rides and then download them to your device.

RideWithGPS has two modes. The first is where you can plot your route using the interactive map, or you can choose to search for nearby routes to explore.

Once you have chosen your options, download your ride to a device for use on the road. Like other apps, RideWithGPS offers a free or paid version.

Google Maps

It might not be the obvious choice for cycling route planning, but  Google Maps  has a lot to offer. The free app is easy to use, just type in your destination, and Google Maps will show you the best routes to get there and display the estimated time, distance and live traffic updates.

Google’s real-time navigation system will also reroute you if traffic conditions change and a safer route is available.  The app also has businesses you might encounter on the route saved – looking for a cafe pit stop? Just pop that into the search as a via point for a list of nearby options. Google Maps doesn’t offer a route-building option like other cycling apps, but it can certainly get you from A to B without any issues.

Bike Citizen

Bike Citizen  is a great smartphone route planning app that can help you find the best routes for your ride. It has a great feature where you can input the type of bike you are riding, and it will avoid any unsuitable surfaces for your setup. The route planner also informs you of elevation profiles so you are not taken by surprise by a steep climb.

The app also lets you know about points of interest along your ride, making it a great addition to any cycling trip, especially when exploring new areas. Maps can be downloaded and used offline, or you can use the live GPS option.

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