5 Of The Best Mountain Biking Apps To Try Today
Technology these days is amazing, isn’t it? No matter what you’re interested in, there’s an app for that as they say! And it’s certainly no different to when you’re out and about on your 650b mountain bikes – if you have your smartphone with you, you can really revolutionise the way you ride. Here are just a couple of our very favourite apps to help you combine tech with trails.
Chuck out your old bike maintenance manual – all you need is this handy little app on your device. It works on the iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch, as well as Android gadgets. All you have to do if you have a problem with your bike is load the app up, tap the part of your bike you’re having problems with and then follow the instructions as to how to fix it. Simples! Step-by-step pictures are included so whether you’ve got bleeding disk brakes or your gear cable needs replacing, all your bases are covered.
A weather app is a must if you’re going to be out and about in the great British countryside. Our weather is remarkably tempestuous, after all. The Dark Sky app has a multi-day forecast but also sends out alerts to tell you about inclement weather. It’ll let you know when rain is on the way, as well as when it’s going to stop, which means you can really plan when you’re next going to take a rest and when you should pull your jacket on quickly. Hyperlocal forecasts are really useful when you’re out on your bike.
What’s worse than getting lost? You can put this fear well and truly behind you if you download the OS MapFinder app, digital versions of paper maps. You do have to pay for your map tiles but you’d be paying for a map anyway, and it’s a lot easier carrying your guides around on your phone than a bulky fold-out map in your bag. It’ll help you plan and record routes, you can zoom through different scales, use GPS integration to track your progress and average speed, and lots more.
St John Ambulance mobile first aid
If you’re a seasoned mountain biker, you’re certainly going to be no stranger to bumps and scrapes. Part of biking involves falling off, inevitably, and it is possible that you might hurt yourself along the way. But you can avoid panic by making good use of this first aid app for cyclsits, which will equip you with the skills you need to deal with common woes like cuts, grazes, muscle injuries and head injuries.
Transform your device into a cycling computer using the Strava app, which works with GPS watches and head units as well. Get it going before you start biking and it’ll measure your performance, create leaderboard times set by other Strava users, mark popular stretches of road or trail, and even find you places to go in your local area.
