Cyclemeter for iOS: A Great App for Cyclists (and Runners Too)

I try to ride my bike most mornings, assuming it’s not pouring down rain. It’s the same route most days, but it occured to me a few weeks ago that I really had no idea how far, or fast, I was riding. Being the nerd that I am, I decided to find a technology solution to this problem.

Enter Cyclemeter

Dedicated bike computers and GPS devices have existed for some years now, but like most everyone else these days, I’ve got an iPhone with a GPS built right in. A little searching led me to a number of apps that did what I wanted, and after reading some reviews, I settled on Cyclemeter. The name is actually a bit of a misnomer, since the app will also work for walking, runnig, skiing, or pretty much any other activity that involves moving forward on a mostly-horizontal plane.

How it Works

Once you’ve installed the app, it’s easy to get started. Open the app, and click the giant green “Start” button. Then get moving. Cyclemeter will plot your route as you go, and calculate your time, speed, distance, elevation and calories burned (if you provide your weight). When you’re done, click “Stop”, and CycleMeter saves the information. You can look back at previous days on the calendar.

Cyclemeter has a slew of other features, like sharing via Facebook, Twitter or Daily Mile, competing against yourself or someone else, and a bunch of nice ways to visualize your results. You can also export all of the data, so you’re not locked in if you want to move to something else, or just want to play with the numbers yourself. All of your data can be backed up to iCloud as well, so you won’t lose it if you run into a tree and shatter your iPhone.

You Need This

At $4.99 Cyclemeter is quite a value when you consider what it replaces. If you bike or run, I’d highly recommend it. You can buy it on the App Store.