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Choosing a cycling app is straightforward enough until you go to the app store and see dozens of them all claiming to be the one you’ve been missing. The best applications will depend on your riding style and goals. Whether you’re planning a weekend vacation, chasing personal bests or attempting to train more consistently, there are tools that can help. These are the ones worth your time.
The best apps for planning your routes
Komoot has built a loyal following among cyclists who like to know exactly what they’re getting into before they clip in. You can build routes based on surface type, elevation and your fitness level, which makes it useful whether you’re a gravel rider or someone who prefers smooth tarmac. The community-driven highlights are a nice touch; real suggestions from real riders, not just algorithmic guesses.
Strava approaches route planning from a different angle. Rather than starting from scratch, you can draw inspiration from the rides of people you follow, explore popular segments nearby or use the heatmap to find well-travelled roads in places you’ve never ridden before. It’s particularly handy when you’re travelling and want to find a decent route without spending an hour researching.
Ride with GPS tends to fly under the radar, but it’s a solid option, especially for those who plan longer routes or organise group rides. The cue sheets are detailed, the offline maps work reliably, and you can share routes with others without any faff. If you’ve ever found yourself without a signal during a ride, you will understand the importance of being able to share routes with others more than most.
Choosing the right device for route planning and training analysis
While most cyclists rely on their phones while riding, the experience changes when they return home. Scrolling through a GPX file, comparing elevation on two different routes or checking months of training data is simply easier on a bigger screen. For that kind of work, a refurbished MacBook is a practical option that covers everything without the cost of buying new.
Once you’re past the planning stage, training analysis apps come into their own. TrainingPeaks is the tool most coaches and serious cyclists rely on, offering metrics like Training Stress Score and long-term fitness tracking that show how your body is responding to the work you’re putting in; the kind of data that’s much easier to digest on a decent laptop from Back Market, the marketplace for verified refurbished electronics, than on a small phone screen.
If TrainingPeaks feels like more than you need, Intervals.icu is a genuinely good free alternative. It’s grown quickly thanks to its clean design and surprisingly deep analytics, and the community around it is active and helpful. For indoor training, Wahoo’s SYSTM app adds another layer of structured sessions, video content and a power profile that adapts workouts to how you actually ride.
The good news is that most of these apps offer free tiers, so you can try a few before committing. Pick one or two that suit your riding style; you don’t need them all to get value.
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