Which cycling app is best?

Paulm20000

Hi guys
Well here goes with my first post... Am trying to guage people's opinions on the best cycling app to use on an android phone. Have been riding for few months and been using mapmyride. Like it generally but the auto pause feature doesn't work even though it's on. Friends version on iPhone seems to work fine though. But since I've heard many people talking about strava and also heard something about endomondo? What's the difference between them and has anyone any advice on best to use? Can any of them be used in conjunction with bike computer if/when I can afford one!
Thanks
Paul

mrbubbaman

I've used a few over the years for running and at the moment I'm using the Strava app and its quite good (seems very popular with cyclists as you can use it with Garmin)

I was a huge fan of Endomondo, it has loads of options including auto pause and it worked well when I was running (but tried it on the bike)
Adidas mi coach - similar options to the above
Run keeper - great on the iPhone, but not used the android version myself

elderone

Strava for me,never failed yet and is usable with android or garmin and its good for segments you choose.

s@intsteve

+1 for strava

clubsinger

i had been using mapmyride+

downloaded strava now, but i've also just ordered a pebble watch, so i guess it's whatever that is compatible with that i'll end up using.

or i'll just bite the bullet and get a garmin

Bullet1

Strava all the way for me too.

Works really well and the segments add a good bit of interval training and motivation

mactedder

Strava is the clear winner for me also.

pkngster

Strava for me also, even when i am not riding with friends, i can challange myself and the others that have riden the segments, this has saved me being bored on rides and also which help the bug, bite hard!, be warned.....

Paulm20000

Cheers. Thanks for the responses. Does strava have an auto pause feature or can you switch it on in settings somewhere?

Graham K

I use Runkeeper myself as I can use it for other activities other than cycling.
My mate uses Strava, seems like a decent app from what people say and ive seen some kind of competitions on there for parts or segments of your route, so could add abit to your ride, not used it myself yet.

Bullet1

Yes - there is an auto pause

RubbishCyclist

Garmin 500 and Strava = Awesome

Mikey23

Agree, the best combination...

ajhapps

I use both Endomondo and Strava with my Garmin. There are advantages and drawbacks to each. Strava is great for tracking "records" on segments, but I like Endomondo's layout and data availability better. Of course, it is annoying to manage 2 different apps, so I'll probably end up going exclusive with one or the other.

charlie_potatoes

ajhapps wrote:

I use both Endomondo and Strava with my Garmin. There are advantages and drawbacks to each. Strava is great for tracking "records" on segments, but I like Endomondo's layout and data availability better. Of course, it is annoying to manage 2 different apps, so I'll probably end up going exclusive with one or the other.

+1
Agree with all of this apart from the fact that it is annoying to operate 2 apps. Before I got a Garmin I used Endomondo app and Downloaded/uploaded to Strava without any hassle. So you only need to run 1 app on your phone. Endomondo runs for about 4 1/2 hours on my Windows phone. Worth considering a spare phone battery for long distances(emergency calls). You can pick these up for peanuts on ebay

Grenouille

Before I got a Garmin 500 I used Strava for recording the ride and Cycledroid as a bike computer during the ride as it had more display options and showed more data while cycling than Strava.

Phone kept falling out of the mount so got a Garmin in the end!

orangatang

I have been using Runkeeper. Works well for me. Maps my ride, time, and what I call an guesstimated calorie counter and average time per mile.

bikingjohn

Strava +1

lotus49

Grenouille wrote:

Phone kept falling out of the mount so got a Garmin in the end!

I use Strava and I just put my phone in my jersey pocket. It hasn't fallen out so far.

royce

If you just want to record route etc then I'm sure those already mentioned are great.
However I use an app called walkmeter. I believe they also have a ridemeter, but the walkmeter version contains everything ridemeter has. You can preplan route details such as distance or time. Then the app will tell you when you reach your goal. i.e. 15 miles then it will tell you to turn around and go back. Or you can programme intervals fast pace for 20 mins, steady for 50mins etc. For me this is much better as I'm still learning routes near where I live. So I decide how far I want to ride and just programme accordingly. It measures all the normal things distance/time/averages etc etc. I think it's great, but each to their own..

Bustacapp

Strava is unique in that it has 'segments' created by fellow cyclists. If you happen to ride over one of these segments then Strava automatically places you in a leaderboard and thus brings out the competitive side of you. This in turn gives greater motivation than a standard tracking app.

SMAC19

RubbishCyclist wrote:

Garmin 500 and Strava = Awesome

⏫⏫⏫ Amen to that brother ⏫⏫⏫

ajhapps

How is this for good timing. . . just found this article on how to pick the best cycling app:

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/Ch ... r-You.html

HeatherMillsLeg

SMAC19 wrote:

RubbishCyclist wrote:

Garmin 500 and Strava = Awesome

⏫⏫⏫ Amen to that brother ⏫⏫⏫

Just find these Garmin + Strava posts quite moot.

If you are spending £100+ on a dedicated bike GPS then they should be bloody good.

However if you are a canny buyer like me, who has a Smartphone they just seem like an unecessary expense when you can spend a few quid on an app that turns your phone into, essentially the same thing.

I have tried a few - and since I have now got an S3 my iPhone 3Gs has turned into my dedicated bike GPS with a Ram mount.

Bought Cyclemeter for £2.99 & Endomondo Pro for 69p on a deal. Just use Endomondo Premium - paid $15 dollars for a year. Also Mytracks from Google - Free - is pretty damn good.

Strava seems expensive to me and have heard about too many people getting their bikes nicked as apparently thieves are able to easily track where you start off from!

A quick search of it showed me over 50 rides within a 5 mile radius of me that were over 50 miles. I could see where they started - and finished!

Common sense tells me that people riding over 50 miles are probably going to have fairly decent bikes. The same information that a thief has...

edgarallen

Strava on my S3 in my middle jersey pocket.

cookeeemonster

I tried strava on my iphone but found it really drained the battery a lot worse than cyclemeter. It's great for 'racing' against other cyclists on the segments but I thought the info etc you get with it was crap compared to cyclemeter, which I'm really happy with.

Basically though apps are dirt cheap so try a few and see what you get on with

inkz

Used Strava on my Galaxy S and recently got a Garmin 200, and now use that instead

supermurph09

CookeeeMonster wrote:

but I thought the info etc you get with it was crap compared to cyclemeter, which I'm really happy with.

I initially used my Iphone with Strava and it works fine but decided to switch for the Garmin 500+HRM+Cadence which then gives you pretty much everything you need and more as you are on the road and via Garmin Connect. However if you just use Strava then try veloviewer.com as an excellent way to check even more stats. The Race Shape and Jonathon O'Keefe links on Veloviewer are both very good.