Frequently Asked Questions

Battery life is a priority, and Bike IQ is built to be efficient. In typical use a ride takes about 10% of the battery per hour with the screen on, so a 3-hour ride uses roughly 30%. Super Dark Mode, lower brightness and newer iPhones use less; full brightness in bright sun uses more.

For longer rides, see our battery life guide for tips on riding all day.

Very accurate. For GPS-based metrics (speed, distance, route), your iPhone uses the same satellite systems as dedicated devices. For power estimation, we use physics-based modeling that accounts for grade, wind, and rider weight. It's surprisingly close to a power meter on most terrain.

That said, if you have a power meter or heart rate strap, Bike IQ supports Bluetooth sensors and will use that data directly.

Bike IQ connects to Bluetooth sensors including: power meters, heart rate straps, cadence sensors, speed sensors, radar units (like Garmin Varia), and tire pressure sensors. Standard Bluetooth sensors pair directly, while radars, tire pressure sensors and electronic groupsets are supported by model. See Compatible Sensors for the full list.

That said, Bike IQ also estimates power and detects cadence without any external sensors. You get full ride data from day one, no hardware required.

Yes. All ride recording, GPS tracking, sensor data, and navigation work completely offline. You'll never lose a ride due to poor signal.

The one exception: real-time weather data. We use current wind conditions to calculate wind impact and power estimates. Without cell service, those features won't update until you're back online. We're thoughtful about data usage and keep requests minimal.

Syncing rides to Strava or other services happens after your ride when you have connectivity.

We recommend a quality stem or handlebar mount. Popular options include Quad Lock, Peak Design, and SP Connect. All offer secure, vibration-dampened mounts that protect your phone.

You can, but you don't have to. Bike IQ supports voice commands for hands-free control: start a ride, pause, mark a lap, or even ring the bell, all without touching the screen.

Yes, as a companion. The Apple Watch streams your heart rate to Bike IQ on your iPhone and shows your heart rate and zone on your wrist. See Apple Watch.

The Watch can't record a ride on its own: your iPhone records it and does the calculations. Mount it on your handlebars to see the full ride screen, or carry it in a jersey pocket. With BLE Broadcast in Bike IQ Pro, a Garmin, Wahoo or other head unit can show Bike IQ's heart rate, speed, cadence and estimated power while the phone stays in your pocket.

Yes. Connect your Strava account and publish your ride when you finish. Contact us if you'd like us to integrate with other platforms.

Yes, for most riders. Ride recording, sensors, metrics, and Strava sync are free with no time or distance limits on your rides.

Bike IQ Pro unlocks route planning, turn-by-turn navigation, and a few other extras. If you want guided navigation or plan your routes in the app, that's when Pro makes sense. See Free and Pro for everything that is free and what Pro adds.

No. There is no account to create and no sign-in. Just download Bike IQ and start riding.

Behind the scenes, the app does create an anonymous user with no personal details attached. It is not a login. It simply lets Bike IQ reach our backend services, like the weather lookups behind the wind calculations, while keeping those resources protected from abuse.

Your ride data stays on your phone and is backed up through iCloud. We don't store your rides on our servers.

We occasionally collect anonymous data samples to improve our models, and we collect crash reports to fix issues in the wild. This helps us make Bike IQ better for everyone.

For full details, see our privacy policy.

Your iPhone is more powerful than any bike computer on the market. It has a better screen, better GPS, better processors, and you already own it. Bike IQ unlocks that power with cycling-specific software.

Plus, no extra device to charge, update, or carry. Your phone is always with you, and now it's also your bike computer.

Modern iPhones are water resistant and handle rain without issue. For crash protection, mounted between your handlebars is actually one of the safest places on the bike: the hoods and bars protect it in most falls.

Consider the alternative: a phone in your rear jersey pocket can actually injure you in a crash. A quality handlebar mount keeps your phone secure and away from your body.

For most events, including gran fondos, gravel races, charity rides, and local group rides, yes. Bike computers and GPS devices are standard.

For UCI-sanctioned or USAC-sanctioned road races, rules vary and officials may have specific restrictions. When in doubt, check with the race organizer before your event.