Developing a cycling computer app

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punk
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:10 pm
Location: portugal

by punk

Hi all. Like the title says I'm developing a cycling computer app for mobile phones and I'd like to get your opinion.

What features would you want in such an app?

What I've already got:
- Fully customizable pages
- Recording and loading of GPX and FIT routes
- Strava integration (upload rides and load your Strava routes)
- Connecting to bluetooth sensors (hr monitors, powermeters and Varia radar)


What I have planned
- Location sharing
- Navigation (to a point or following a route)
- Offline maps
- Strava live segments
- Weather info
- Connecting to Di2 and eTap (if possible)
- More website integrations (ridewithgps, komoot, ...)

I'm hoping to have a working version on Google Play in a few weeks.

RTW
in the industry
Posts: 3756
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:32 pm

by RTW

I would like it to also work with ZWO files (Zwift Work Outs).

It would also be great if it could upload to Garmin, or Wahoo, or Hammerhead's software as if it was one of their units, rather than using Strava as an aggregator from all of the different manufacturers' versions of the same thing.

What is your USP going to be?

by Weenie


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punk
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:10 pm
Location: portugal

by punk

The ZWO files are for controlling your trainer, right?
A workout mode would be a nice to have, but it's not a priority at the moment.

Interesting point about the head unit manufacturers, I don't know if they even allow that, from what I saw Garmin's API is only meant for browsing your data.

As for USP, the goal is to be the closest to a Garmin/Wahoo/etc that you can get in an app. Maybe even have something like Garmin's climbpro.

RTW
in the industry
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Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:32 pm

by RTW

The ZWO files will control your trainer. But with a Hammerhead, for example, you can run them outdoor, and it will tell you if you are in zone, too low, or too high, and give you prompts to move between efforts. I've only done this once and am still experimenting.

punk
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:10 pm
Location: portugal

by punk

I see, like a workout without ERG mode, I'll look into that.

maurice1
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Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:51 pm
Location: Jura

by maurice1

I would make a BIG effort optimizing battery performance, making sure the app has as little impact as possible. It's probably the biggest reason we use separate devices

MichaelK
Posts: 452
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 4:50 pm
Location: London, UK

by MichaelK

punk wrote:
Wed May 17, 2023 7:52 pm
- More website integrations (ridewithgps, komoot, ...)
Wandrer Earth integration would be nice.

punk
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:10 pm
Location: portugal

by punk

maurice1 wrote:
Fri May 19, 2023 11:49 am
I would make a BIG effort optimizing battery performance, making sure the app has as little impact as possible. It's probably the biggest reason we use separate devices
Agreed, battery run time is one of the major disadvantages of using a phone. Maybe having a "battery saver" mode with lower screen refresh and recording rate.

MichaelK wrote:
Mon May 22, 2023 11:50 am
Wandrer Earth integration would be nice.
I don't know that particular website but I'll look into it.

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ultimobici
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Location: Trento, Italia
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by ultimobici

+100 on the battery life. A Garmin or Wahoo will easily last all day out on the bike with frequent reroutes whereas a phone will die in a fraction of the time. That is the Achilles heel of any phone based app.


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Omiar
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:20 pm

by Omiar

I would target some features that are currently lacking on the market, rather than to blow the development wide open with tons of features that will be time consuming to develop and maintain.

To me what is currently lacking or inadequate is location and data sharing, nice to have would be to share the route/course I'm riding.
Garmin does sharing, but that is just location. I would like to share a few extra key metrics that would allow friends to join me in the ride and let my significant other know if i'm ok.

Don't really care everything being fully customizable or that social crap that if im 1 sec slower of faster somewhere.
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punk
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:10 pm
Location: portugal

by punk

Thanks for the suggestion, I plan to show the route you're following and what you already did, on the sharing view.

by Weenie


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