For those getting around by bike, planning a route starts and ends with Google Maps. It's convenient, familiar, and usually gets you from A to B in fairly short order.
But if you've ever found yourself squeezed between a lorry and a 2-inch concrete curb while wondering why there wasn't a quieter alternative just one street over, you'll know even its ‘Biking Specific’ routing isn't always designed with cyclists in mind.
Cyclemate thinks there's a better way.
This navigation app has a simple mission: help more people choose the bike for everyday journeys by making cycling feel safer. Rather than prioritising the fastest route, Cyclemate looks at factors such as road classifications, traffic levels, lighting, user reports and local conditions to guide riders along quieter, more comfortable streets.
We caught up with founder Tom to find out why he built the app, how it differs from Google Maps and where cycling navigation could be heading next.
Cycling isn't just a sport
Ask most people in Britain what cycling is, and many will picture weekend club rides, lycra and hill climbs. Tom believes that's part of the problem.
Having spent time living between London and Los Angeles, he noticed a stark difference in how cycling is perceived. In London, more people increasingly use bikes as everyday transport, as well as those who whizz around Richmond Park in the mornings and at weekends. In much of the US, cycling is still largely associated with fitness and recreation.
"I wanted to build something that would encourage more people to use a bike instead of driving or taking the train," he explains. "To do that, you have to overcome two barriers. The first is the idea that you're 'not a cyclist'. The second is that people simply don't feel safe riding."
Those two ideas became the foundation of Cyclemate.
The frustration with existing navigation
The inspiration for Cyclemate wasn't one dramatic ride. Instead, it was years of small frustrations.
Anyone who has cycled through London has probably experienced the same thing: Google Maps directs you onto a busy main road, despite there being a network of quiet residential streets running alongside it.
"I'd constantly wonder why it wanted me on the main road when there were parallel streets everywhere," says Tom. "London is basically a grid of side streets."
Rather than expecting cities to build brand-new cycling infrastructure overnight, Cyclemate tries to make better use of what's already there.
Its philosophy is simple: if a quieter road already exists, why not use it?
How does Cyclemate choose safer routes?
For anyone using a bike navigation app, route planning can appear straightforward. In reality, it's anything but.
Cyclemate starts by analysing existing map data. Every road already has a classification, whether it's a major arterial road, residential street, roundabout or pedestrian area. The app uses that information to score how desirable each road is for cycling. From there, additional layers are added. These include things such as reported safety issues, collision data, temporary events such as markets or for rides after dark, lighting conditions.
Instead of simply calculating the shortest journey, Cyclemate asks a different question: How much extra distance is worth travelling to avoid an unpleasant or intimidating road?
Interestingly, Tom says many users initially assume safer routes involve huge detours. In practice, that's rarely true. To demonstrate this, the app now shows both the quickest route and its safer alternative, along with an AI-generated explanation of why it recommends one over the other. Often, the difference is only a few minutes.
Building routes with the community
One of the app's newest additions allows riders to report issues directly within the app. If a road feels unsafe, if traffic has changed, or if a better alternative exists, users can flag it. Those reports are then reviewed and used to improve future routing.
Unlike larger navigation platforms, Tom says the team actively responds to reports, sometimes within an hour, making users feel they're helping shape the product rather than simply using it. That sense of community is becoming increasingly important.
Leaderboards, group rides and location sharing have all been introduced gradually as the user base grows. Rather than launching every social feature on day one, Cyclemate has focused on making the app genuinely useful for individual riders before layering on community tools.
A virtual cycle lane
Physical cycling infrastructure remains the gold standard. Cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam demonstrate what happens when governments invest heavily in protected cycle lanes. But more recently, Paris and New York have also transformed large parts of their cycling networks.
However, Tom doesn't see Cyclemate as a replacement for that infrastructure. Instead, he describes it as creating "virtual cycle lanes". Rather than waiting years for new bike lanes to appear, the app connects existing quieter streets into routes that feel significantly more comfortable to ride. It's a practical solution while cities continue improving their infrastructure.
Every city is different
In building the app, one of Cyclemate's biggest lessons has been that no two cities (at the time of writing, the app is live in London, New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles) behave the same. Initially, the team hoped a single routing system would work everywhere. It quickly became clear that wasn't the case. London commuters wanted efficient daily navigation, whilst American riders use bikes more recreationally, meaning features such as custom routes and route sharing become more valuable.
Shared bike schemes also play a much larger role in cities such as London, where integration with Lime, Forest and Santander Cycles helps create a smoother experience. Despite those differences, one thing has remained remarkably consistent. Across every city they've launched in, riders care about one thing above all else: Feeling safer.
Can Cyclemate compete with Google Maps?
It's the obvious question. Google Maps already lives on almost everyone's phone, and Strava dominates ride recording for enthusiasts. So where does Cyclemate fit?
Tom sees an opportunity somewhere in the middle. Google Maps is built for everyone. Strava is built for athletes. Cyclemate is designed for everyday transport.
It isn't trying to replace your Sunday club ride on Strava. It's trying to make your Tuesday commute feel less stressful. The app also tracks everyday riding habits without the pressure of chasing personal bests, integrating with Apple Health and highlighting the environmental and health benefits of cycling to work, the shops or the station.
This is a different type of cycling altogether.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from our conversation wasn't about routing algorithms or AI. It was Tom's hope that riders finish a journey feeling like they've discovered a different side of their city. "I've just ridden across London for 35 minutes and barely seen a car."
If a navigation app can leave you thinking that after every ride, it might just encourage more people to choose the bike tomorrow than they did today.
Learn more about Cyclemate at cyclemate.club. App available for iOS and Android.
0 comments