Great apps for cycling during National Bike Month

In case you haven’t heard, May is National Bike Month. The League of American Bicyclists sponsors yearly events each May to raise awareness for the environmental and fitness conscious mode of transportation.

In honor of the vélo-friendly month, we’ve come up with a list of bicycle-related apps. Whether you are a road cyclist, a back roads trailblazer, or just taking off the training wheels, we have a list of apps we think you’ll enjoy…

Map My Ride IconMap my Ride

Hit the road and keep track of your progress with this handy GPS tracking app. It is specifically designed to make the most use of cycling information. You can track your speed, distance, and route. Gather data on intake and output of calories by adding your food and nutrition information. Share your daily activities with friends and family. Log your workout to view your progress. This is a great app for anyone looking to start a new exercise routine. This app also features a huge database of routes for cycling, walking, and running. You can also upgrade to MVP for additional training help, like an internal coach, interval training, and live friend tracking. This app is available for $2.99.

Bike-o-Meter IconBike-O-Meter

When you are blazing down the hot asphalt as fast as your bike will take you, you may want to track just how fast you are going. If you like to know your speed, distance, and direction and want to be able to check it with a quick glance, this app features a simple, easy-to-read interface with big bold numbers. You can mount your iPhone to your handlebars and use this app to keep track of your current progress. It can run in the foreground, which means your iPhone won’t automatically switch to lock screen while you are riding. It will stay on the entire time, so you can always see your speed. This app is available for $1.99.

Runtastic Road Bike IconRuntastic Road Bike

If you are an avid cyclist you may need something a bit more feature rich than the average GPS tracker. Road bike owners are a different breed. This app features live GPS tracking as well as archiving of trips. It comes with voice feedback of trek metrics and includes motivational messages. Find the nearest bike route from a list of thousands. Check your current rate-of-climb, track weather and wind data, and measure your cadence. You can also track cycle pace, speed, grade, elevation, and heart rate using color traces.  Once your road trip is complete, share your results on Facebook and Twitter. This app is available for free.

Bike Repair iconBike Repair

Anyone who rides a bike on a regular basis will know that, inevitably, you will need to fix something. Maybe your chain has broken off, or maybe you just ran over a nasty sticker that has popped your tire. Whatever the issue, this app probably has the solution. Start a list of all of your bike’s parts and keep a maintenance history. Find out about the best way to outfit yourself for the safest, most comfortable ride. Read step-by-step instructions on how to repair your bike with pictures and annotations to help you visualize your operation. You can even find nearby bike shops if the repair is out of your league. This app is available for $3.99.

Bicycle Blue Book IconBicycle Blue Book

If you are in the market to buy or sell a bike, you should be able to determine its market value. Some bikes are more expensive than a car and you wouldn’t want to be taken advantage of if your fixed-gear sells for less than it is worth. This app features an algorithm created by industry specialist and technology experts that evaluates and assesses your bike’s value. The app is made up of information based on millions of transactions for bike purchases, repairs, and parts sales. When you enter your criteria, you will receive an estimated value of your bicycle. This is also great for finding out if your getting a great deal on a used bike or if someone thinks they can pull one over on you. This app is available for free.

Bicycle Bike Back Safety Flashlight IconBicycle Bike Back Safety Flashlight

I have to admit that when I first saw this app, I thought, “There is no way I’m clipping my iPhone to my back seat.” However, it didn’t take long to realize how convenient an app like this is. Not only does it display a full screen of bright, red, flashing lights, you can also program it to read text. You can change colors between red, blue, and green, and adjust the intervals between flashing. I’ve had my bike lights stolen, broken, or run out of batteries. This app solves all of those problems. All you need is a way to mount your iPhone to your backside. This app is available for $1.99

Touchgrind BMX IconTouchgrind BMX

If, for some reason, you are unable to get out and ride this month, you can still participate in National Bike Month with this epic BMX game. Ride, slide, and glide your way through awesome obstacles and sweet jumps. Preform two-finger tricks to earn points and win tournaments. Unlock new bikes, create videos of your stunts, and have fun grinding though the biggest cities in the world. It doesn’t matter if the weather is too hot or you don’t even own a bike, you can still claim that you joined in on the festivities by competing for the BMX championship. This game is available for $4.99.