Bike Commuter

In my cycling life, I’ve gone through many cyclometers. They are a useful tool for tracking your speed, mileage, or even just to check the time. But they are also easy to lose or break and expensive to replace.

Similarly, I’ve used a pedometer to track how many steps I’ve taken but it’s also hard to keep track of. Then there’s the odd challenge of making sure the pedometer is NOT tracking bumps on a bike ride as steps.

So I was pleased to learn of the Moves for iPhone app, which tracks walking, cycling, and running whenever you’re doing these activities (and are carrying your smartphone). For cycling, you get the mileage covered and time elapsed, while with walking you get an additional count of number of steps. Any time you spend on a motorized vehicle (car, bus, or train and presumably boats) is counted as transport.

There’s also a detailed storyline of what you did (walk, bike, run or transport), where you went, and what time it took to do it.

So far I’ve been pleased with Moves as an easy way of keeping track of my biking and walking.  I should also mention that it is free.

Pros:

• As long as your phone is on and you’re moving, it is keeping track.  No need to remember to turn it on and off.
• The app keeps of summary of activity by days, weeks, and months.
• It’s easy to correct mistakes.  For example, the app sometimes rather flatteringly describes my slow-ass biking as “transport” but it’s easy to reclassify it as “biking.”  The app is supposed to learn from such mistakes.

Cons:

• Unlike a cyclometer, it doesn’t show your speed as well as other data points you may be interested in.  It’s just mileage and time elapsed (and steps for walking).
• It obviously doesn’t help much if you forget your phone or the battery dies.  And there is no way to manually enter in activity that you do in the circumstances.
• Moves uses GPS data to track your activity.  If you’re concerned about privacy, this app is literally creating a record of your every movement.  (I do wonder if it would be acceptable evidence in court if you needed an alibi).

Do you use any apps to help with your bicycling activity?  Have you tried Moves?  If yes, let me know in the comments.  I’d love suggestions for alternate apps, as well.