BikeBrain iOS App - Computer & GPS for your bike

[Carbon_Dude]

Today I played around a bit with a new iOS app named BikeBrain.  It's free in the Appstore but there are a few features that are disabled in the free version.

I don't have a bar mount for my iPhone, and I doubt I ever will, but I do carry my iPhone with me when I ride.  I don't care for iPhone bar mounts because putting a phone on your bars is just too much for me.  I like my small Planet Bike Protege 9 just fine.

The app is cool in a few way though, first it gives you some pretty cool screens if you did choose to mount the phone on your bars.  Here are some screen shots:



Here is a screen shot from my ride today:



I'm not sure the GPS is as accurate as a calibrated bike computer, the GPS only polls so many times a minute and I doubt it accounts for wheel travel during elevation changes.  Today's ride was 10mi on my bike computer but only 8.8mi on BikeBrain.  The app has the ability to link up to bluetooth sensors to get wheel rotation, heart rate, etc.  So maybe if I had a BT wheel sensor of some sort it would be more accurate.  The app does store previous rides so you can see and compare your ride stats.

I'm not a huge technogeek but I thought the app was pretty cool.  The only real drawback I saw was during my 2 hrs of using BikeBrain my battery level dropped by as much as 50%, so you need your phone to be well charged prior to riding.

[Sitar_Ned]

Have to admit to being a pretty huge techno geek here. Very excited about the continual emergence of apps and other technology that's making it's way over to the MTB world. Things are just getting heated up.

Have you tried Strava yet CD? I plan to start logging my rides here within the next couple of weeks when i feel my times won't be as embarrassing but I've been riding a lot these past couple weeks so maybe I'll just have to go ahead and start using it sooner. Pretty cool how they've basically turned your local MTB trails into an extension of Xbox live or something like that, with leader boards and fastest laps and everything else. Talk about knowing where you stand. Competing with yourself is one thing, but when you see the same guy pop up over and over and he seems to be not only beating your times but maybe even getting faster.. now that's motivating.

This app looks pretty good - but like you, my phone simply is not going on my handlebars. Nope. Not happening. For a few reasons. But that's still a lot of functionality and information to get for free and all you have to do is keep your phone in hydration pack or whatever.

I'm looking forward to when Google Glass gets more mainstream, and while you're wearing them on trails.. It will display in your field of vision the grade of the climb coming up, how many feet until elevation begins, how long it took you last time to climb, and what gearing you chose to use.. Now THAT is what my techno geek self is waiting for!

That and my fancy, over priced, flexible carbon seatpost and I'll be set! 

[Carbon_Dude]

Yep, had my iPhone in my Camelbak for the ride.  Like you said, no way it's going to be mounted on my bars.  I have not tried Strava yet but I'm not a competitive rider that wants to know how fast everyone else is riding the trail, I go at my own pace an if I pass people great, if people pass me that's fine too.  I know I'm not usually the fastest rider but I'm sure I'm not the slowest either.

I like having the history of my time and average speed, that's pretty much all I care about an my $30 wired bike computer gives me that and the current temperature .  I also enjoy some tunes while riding so I will usually have an iPOD Shuffle in my Camelbak or clipped to my shirt but with one earbud in so I don't completely block out all the sounds around me.

[Sitar_Ned]

I have not tried Strava yet but I'm not a competitive rider that wants to know how fast everyone else is riding the trail, I go at my own pace an if I pass people great, if people pass me that's fine too. 

Good point. I don't want to get too sucked into competing and forget the whole reason I'm out there in the first place. I'm the type too.. to toally focus on beating other people on Strava and ignore the peaceful, beautiful surroundings lol... I'll keep that in mind when I test it out.

[manmythlegend]

Have to admit to being a pretty huge techno geek here. Very excited about the continual emergence of apps and other technology that's making it's way over to the MTB world. Things are just getting heated up.

Have you tried Strava yet CD? I plan to start logging my rides here within the next couple of weeks when i feel my times won't be as embarrassing but I've been riding a lot these past couple weeks so maybe I'll just have to go ahead and start using it sooner. Pretty cool how they've basically turned your local MTB trails into an extension of Xbox live or something like that, with leader boards and fastest laps and everything else. Talk about knowing where you stand. Competing with yourself is one thing, but when you see the same guy pop up over and over and he seems to be not only beating your times but maybe even getting faster.. now that's motivating.

This app looks pretty good - but like you, my phone simply is not going on my handlebars. Nope. Not happening. For a few reasons. But that's still a lot of functionality and information to get for free and all you have to do is keep your phone in hydration pack or whatever.

I'm looking forward to when Google Glass gets more mainstream, and while you're wearing them on trails.. It will display in your field of vision the grade of the climb coming up, how many feet until elevation begins, how long it took you last time to climb, and what gearing you chose to use.. Now THAT is what my techno geek self is waiting for!

That and my fancy, over priced, flexible carbon seatpost and I'll be set! 

HA! same here on Google Glass. I strap my Galaxy Gear on for now.
I had no idea there were bluetooth wheel sensors thats great. I do however like the simplicity of a regular bike computer. I use "MOVE!" app on android as a simple secondary to have a visual of my rides.