Best Cycling Apps for E-Bike Riders: Tracking Performance and Routes
Written by: Rémy Rossi | February 10, 2025 | Time to read 5 min
Learn about some of the best cycling apps that can help track your ride, plan routes, and fine-tune your electric bike’s performance.
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
As the saying goes, there’s an app for that— and it’s never been more true in cycling. There are tons of apps available designed specifically for bike riders, making it easy to track performance, plan routes, and even find out which way the wind is blowing.
Smartphone app stores are full of cycling apps but there are a handful of options that stand out because of their user-friendly and feature-rich interface. E-Bike riders have it even better because many brands have built their own apps that allow users to personalize power settings and other drive unit metrics to their liking. I’ve put together a shortlist of the best cycling apps for e-Bike riders below!
Note: Just remember that using your phone while pedaling isn’t the greatest habit (although I am guilty of it sometimes). Instead, use a phone holder mounted to your handlebars if you need to see or use your phone during a ride— it’s one of the best e-Bike accessories out there.
Smartphone app stores are full of cycling apps but there are a handful of options that stand out because of their user-friendly and feature-rich interface. E-Bike riders have it even better because many brands have built their own apps that allow users to personalize power settings and other drive unit metrics to their liking. I’ve put together a shortlist of the best cycling apps for e-Bike riders below!
Note: Just remember that using your phone while pedaling isn’t the greatest habit (although I am guilty of it sometimes). Instead, use a phone holder mounted to your handlebars if you need to see or use your phone during a ride— it’s one of the best e-Bike accessories out there.
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Best cycling apps for tracking rides
Strava
Probably the most popular app for cyclists, Strava is loaded with features. The app started as a ride tracker but has gradually ballooned into an all-inclusive app for ride tracking, route planning, and sharing your ride with friends.
Users can use the app to track their rides in real-time, gathering data like speed, distance, route, and elevation. But the real magic of Strava is being able to upload your ride to your profile where certain segments receive an automatic ranking based on elapsed time— this allows you to track your progress, but the most fun feature is sharing those rides and Strava achievements with friends. And there’s even an electric bike category.
Strava has evolved into a sort of social media app for cyclists, encouraging training achievements and competition. You can follow your friends on the app, leave comments on their rides, give kudos, and post photos. It’s a sleek setup that’s easy and fun to use, and you may get addicted to chasing segment times! Strava is free but there’s also a paid premium version that provides access to certain features like segment leaderboards and route planning.
Users can use the app to track their rides in real-time, gathering data like speed, distance, route, and elevation. But the real magic of Strava is being able to upload your ride to your profile where certain segments receive an automatic ranking based on elapsed time— this allows you to track your progress, but the most fun feature is sharing those rides and Strava achievements with friends. And there’s even an electric bike category.
Strava has evolved into a sort of social media app for cyclists, encouraging training achievements and competition. You can follow your friends on the app, leave comments on their rides, give kudos, and post photos. It’s a sleek setup that’s easy and fun to use, and you may get addicted to chasing segment times! Strava is free but there’s also a paid premium version that provides access to certain features like segment leaderboards and route planning.
MapMyRide
MapMyRide is a data-rich cycling app that helps riders track everything about their training, performance, and rides. There are training plans as well as tools to track nutrition, weight, workouts, and bike rides so you can keep all the information at your fingertips.
Many cyclists enjoy the advanced route-mapping software on MapMyRide that’s more accurate and extensive than other similar apps. MapMyRide has a free version and a premium version that gets rid of the in-app advertisements.
Many cyclists enjoy the advanced route-mapping software on MapMyRide that’s more accurate and extensive than other similar apps. MapMyRide has a free version and a premium version that gets rid of the in-app advertisements.
Best cycling apps for maps and route planning
Google Maps
If I could only have one app on my phone, it would probably be Google Maps— though, WhatsApp would be tough to give up. Google Maps is essential for directions in daily life and is quite useful when cycling or planning a ride. The Bike Mode of the app is fairly accurate and does a good job of guiding you to bike paths and bike lanes, especially in cities.
Google Maps’ usefulness is limited on lesser-known trails and remote bike routes, but it’s a must-have for cyclists in the city. If you’re trying to find the best route for your commuter e-Bike, Google Maps provides real-time traffic information and receives frequent updates, and it’s totally free!
Google Maps’ usefulness is limited on lesser-known trails and remote bike routes, but it’s a must-have for cyclists in the city. If you’re trying to find the best route for your commuter e-Bike, Google Maps provides real-time traffic information and receives frequent updates, and it’s totally free!
Komoot
Komoot is like an expanded version of Google Maps’ Bike Mode, providing more specific and efficient route information for cyclists. The app uses the open-source OpenStreetMap database to plan any type of ride, from road, mountain, gravel, and commutes. Riders can browse tons of routes that other users have already uploaded, or they can upload their own personal rides. It’s a good place to discover new rides in your area or find recommended routes from local cyclists.
I especially like that Komoot will tell you the ride surfaces, difficulty, and fitness required for the route. There’s also a toggle for electric assist for more accurate route estimations. For an even more capable route-planning app, you can try out Ride with GPS.
Trailforks
If you ride an electric mountain bike, you’re going to want to download the Trailforks app. Online mapping and route planning are notoriously difficult for mountain bike trails because tools like Google Maps or car-sourced GPS data won’t help. But Trailforks has uploaded information on hundreds of thousands of MTB trails across the world thanks to crowd-sourced uploads and maps. Riders can leave notes about trail hazards, post photos, and easily navigate the app’s maps.
Best electric bike apps
When it comes to handy tech, there’s more to electric bikes than their powerful motors and batteries. Many electric bike models are compatible with proprietary apps that allow users to customize the performance of their boosted bike.
Riders can adjust pedal assist settings, monitor battery health, track rides, or even locate the bike if it’s stolen. For example, if you purchase an Aventon or Specialized used electric bike from Upway, you’ll be able to use the branded apps!
Here are some of the best apps from electric bike manufacturers:
- Aventon App: Aventon e-Bikes work with this app to record and track rides, gather milestone medals, and connect with other Aventon users.
- Specialized Mission Control App: If you own a Specialized e-Bike, you can adjust motor settings, track your ride, and diagnose any issues with the e-Bike from the app.
- Bosch eBike Flow App: Plan routes, personalize your display, set power levels, unlock your e-Bike, activate an alarm, and get real-time info on your bike’s location if it gets stolen.
- Giant Ridecontrol App: The same goes for this app from Giant Bicycles, allowing users to customize the power levels of the e-Bike motor and track rides.
- Additional motor brands: Motor manufacturers like Shimano, Mahle, Brose, and Bafang also have apps for additional functionality but some aren’t quite as developed as other branded apps.
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Key Takeaways
- Top Ride Tracking Apps: Strava and MapMyRide help cyclists track performance, plan routes, and engage socially.
- Best Navigation Apps: Google Maps, Komoot, and Trailforks offer tailored route planning for city, road, and mountain biking.
- E-Bike Customization Apps: Brands like Aventon, Specialized, and Bosch provide apps for motor tuning, ride tracking, and security.
