As a cycling enthusiast , I’ve used a few apps for my rides—from scenic coastal routes to epic mountain trails. Here’s some of them and my personal experience of how to planing a casual cycling! Hope you enjoy it!
For Social Riders & Competitors
Strava
- Features: Segment challenges, live speed tracking, route planning, and social sharing. Syncs with Garmin/Wahoo devices.
- Why It’s Great: The Facebook of cycling—compete on leaderboards, share rides, and discover popular local routes.
- Cost: Individual Plan · US$6.67. /month. 30-day trial for US$0 ; Student Plan. US$3.33. /month. 30-day trial for US$0 ; Family Plan. US$2.92.
Ride with GPS
- Features: Detailed route planning, offline maps, elevation profiles, and voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation.
- Why It’s Great: Ideal for long-distance touring or gravel rides. Export routes directly to bike computers.
- Cost:$9.99 mo. / $79.99 yr
For Adventure & Exploration
Komoot
- Features: Multi-surface routing (road/gravel/MTB), offline maps, and crowd-sourced “Highlights” (scenic spots, cafes).
- Why It’s Great: Perfect for discovering hidden gems. The app calculates route difficulty based on your fitness level.
- Cost: currently £4.99 / $4.99 a month
AllTrails
- Features: Filters for bike-friendly trails, difficulty ratings, and real-time condition updates.
- Why It’s Great: Blends hiking and cycling trails—ideal for hybrid adventures in national parks.
- Cost: Free (Pro: $35.99/year for offline maps and alerts).
For Mountain Bikers
Trailforks
- Features: Detailed MTB trail maps, difficulty ratings, and real-time trail conditions. Emergency GPS coordinates.
- Why It’s Great: Crowdsourced data from local riders ensures accuracy. Offline maps work in remote areas.
- Cost: Free (Pro: $20/year for global offline access).
MTB Project
- Features: Trail descriptions, photos, and elevation profiles. Community-driven updates.
- Why It’s Great: Focused purely on mountain biking—no clutter.
- Cost: Free.
For Urban Commuters
Google Maps
- Features: Bike lane routing, real-time traffic, and ETA predictions.
- Why It’s Great: Simplest tool for daily commutes. Avoid busy roads with the “Bike-Friendly” filter.
- Cost: Free.
Citymapper
- Features: Multi-modal transit integration (bike + subway/bus), bike-share availability, and pollution alerts.
- Why It’s Great: Master urban cycling in cities like NYC or SF.
- Cost: Free (Premium: $4.99/month for offline maps).
How to Plan a Perfect Cycling Route (google map)
Downland the apps from apple store or google play
Enable Bike Mode and set start and end points
Review Route Options, google map will show you the height and road you are going to cycle through and how many miles and times you are going to cost on the road. If you think you don’t need to take a rest, then no need to set a rest point. But you might want to set a rest point, then click “add destionation to add like a cofe shop or Convenience Store.
Click “Send directions to your phone” or share via link.
Export to GPS: Use apps like Garmin Connect to sync the route.
Last but not the least, check the weather before you head out!
Enjoy your cycling!
