Gear: Endomondo (app)

I admit it - I'm a geek.  I log things and I write everything down.  I like to keep stats and understand progress.  I track fuel mileage in my car and I track every kilometre I run or ride.  But I'm also a tech geek.  If there's an Android app for it, I will find it.  And if it's free, I'll try it out.  Combine my tech geekiness and my need to log things and you have someone who incessantly tries out and tests new apps that track stuff.

A couple of years ago, for my bike rides, I got a Garmin Bicycle GPS (Edge 200).  While I love the device itself, I was never satisfied with the Garmin Connect website.  Which led me to search for something that worked on my phone (an Android Motorola Atrix 4G at the time) and also allowed me to import from my Garmin Edge.  I tried a few: MapMyRide, Google's My Tracks, to name a couple.  But then I found Endomondo (available on Android, iOS, and some BlackBerry devices).

I immediately liked the straight-forward layout and simple functionality.  And the social media junky in me appreciated the ability to add friends and share my workouts.  I can log my runs and rides directly on my phone, which uploads upon completion to the website, or I can log them on my Garmin Edge and import them afterwards directly to Endomondo (still requires the Garmin plugin to be installed on your computer).  While I had all kinds of trouble with the GPS signal on my old Motorola Atrix, my Nexus 4 is a dream and rarely loses signal at all.

One of the things I like about the website too is that I can plot my rides before I set out, allowing my to set a distance and plan my time.  Helpful if I'm running or riding in an unfamiliar area and want to explore a little but without getting to far.

There is a premium version but I've always found the simple free version to be more than sufficient.