Got a smart phone? Get this app for cycling!

We love the Bike Hub App. It’s a really useful piece of programing that acts like a cycling version of a Tom Tom satnav on your iPhone or Android mobile. If you are a new owner of a smart phone, or just a cyclist who would like to utilise their device more, the Bike Hub app is for you.

So what is it?

Effectively, it’s a bike sat-nav. However, unlike your in-car street navigating device (we use the term losely), the Bike Hub app also contains cycle paths – information from cyclestreets.net. The beauty of the app, is you can tell it where you want to go and it will find you the quickest, shortest or quietest route, or just one that doesn’t involve riding on roads – great for recreational riders who might not be that ‘au fay’ with the hustle of riding on the highway.

Updated

The recently updated app will now cache (ie remember) your downloaded maps, so when you go back to that same geographical area, the maps will load quicker and save you downloading the data every time you go for a spin. Or even download them when you are on a WIFI network and save your bandwidth for facebook and twitter.

Bar Mount

If you are going to use the Bike Hub app, we strongly advise you don't go holding a phone and trying to navigate whilst you ride – even if you are female and have the ability to multitask. Even the app itself (pictured right) recommends you mount it before use.

There are now specifically designed mobile phone holders available that allow you to attach your smart phone to your bike. They are weather proof and work well through the screen covers – so no fiddling required.

 

A few we like are:

Tigra BikeConsole Bike Mount For iPhone £34.95	Topeak iPhone Drybag £16.19
Weatherproof housing Can swivel 360 degrees by simply rotating the whole unit Headphone jack can be reached from outside Can use iPhone’s camera for recording your trip Loads more features here	Designed for all iPhone models TPU and foam construction is weather resistant and shock protective Window allows iPhone’s display to remain visible so you won’t miss a phone call QuickClick mountable pack

Off road use

We wouldn't really recommend these cover/phone cobinations for mountain bike use. If you are heading out for some proper mountain biking, there is nothing more robust and accurate than the specifically designed GPS units from makers like Bryton, Garmin and Memory Map. But if you’re an avid user of cycle paths, or just want to avoid roads, get the Bike Hub App now! Oh, and it’s FREE, so well worth having it just to see what what you are missing out on locally.