SimpleBC

Reference setup

What we ride with.

SimpleBC is built and tested on this exact rig.

Will it work with other hardware?

The Pixel 9a has a very nice, bright OLED display and a sizable battery that translates to long real-world battery life on the bike — but there's nothing in SimpleBC that specifically binds it to a Pixel. You should have success on other Android phones too.

As for HR straps and other sensors, we may add support for more gear down the line. For now the focus is on making this set of reasonably priced yet excellent gear work well together.

Are the sensors needed?

No. If you don't have the HR strap or Garmin sensors yet, worry not — the app will work fine with phone GPS alone. You'll still get speed, distance, maps, and full ride history.

The speed sensor adds a bit more accuracy to speed and distance (we calibrate against GPS but read from the sensor when available), and it keeps working where GPS doesn't — under heavy tree cover, in tunnels, or on the trainer.

The cadence sensor gives you visibility into the RPM you pedal at. Most road riders settle around 80–95 rpm — many find it more sustainable over long rides than low-cadence mashing. The sensor lets you see your actual number instead of guessing, so you can experiment and find what works for you.

The HR strap obviously gives you visibility into your heart rate. Again, it's rarely optimal to ride full power — most of your saddle time is better spent in Zone 2 (steady aerobic — you can still hold a conversation) with occasional Zone 3 efforts. That's where aerobic fitness gets built; Zones 4 and 5 are short, sharp tools used sparingly.

Why not a physical bike computer?

Yeah — that was the first question I asked myself too. Turns out they were too expensive for what they do, and the more I researched, the more I realized I wouldn't have liked the UI of any of them. So I built one I'd actually want to use. ;-)

I'm no pro cyclist btw — I ride for fun and for the cardiovascular benefit. My bike is a flat-bar gravel bike and I spend as much time off road as on pavement. A pretty core requirement for me was actually a good and useful map view, so that part has gotten way more love than any physical cycling computer ever has.

Do I need a separate phone for this?

Not necessarily — but I ride with two phones, since I have a dedicated development phone that happens to fit the holder I sourced. Worth considering how you'd call for help if you happen to run out of battery: this app pulls a lot more juice than a phone sitting in your pocket with the screen off, since it's talking to sensors constantly and rendering a smoothly rotating map with a lot of calculation going on in the background.