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The number of iPhone apps for cyclists is growing and growing. From ANT+-enabled apps which measure performance through to iPhone cycle route satnav apps which locate bike shops and – soon – bike-friendly cafes, there now seems to be an app for everything.
Joining the fray are cycle campaigning apps from CTC and Cyclestreets.
The CTC’s app is a mobile version of the pothole-reporting website Fill That Hole.
Developed with funding and support from Aggregate Industries, the Fill That Hole app can combine a photograph of a pothole with GPS tags to pinpoint the exact location of the hazard. This report is lodged on FillThatHole.org.uk and the relevant local authority is informed.
Chris Peck, a campaigner at CTC, was injured after cycling over a pothole in 2008.
He said: “Potholes are a serious concern for cyclists. We’ve had a number of members end up in hospital after riding over potholes and nearly 20 percent of cycling crashes amongst CTC members have been caused by road defects.
"The Fill That Hole website was set up to make it easier for local authorities to find and fix potholes quickly, so fewer cyclists are hurt. The iPhone app makes reporting problems even easier.”
Tom Longland, General Manager at Aggregate Industries, (and a member of the CTC) said:
“Potholes and general poor road maintenance continue to be major gripes of the British public and are areas requiring substantial further investment from the Government.
"The Fill That Hole app is designed to put the ball back in the road users’ court, so they can take their own action, report potholes and monitor the response from their local authority.”
The Cyclestreets app is a journey planner and photomap. Developed by Simon Nutall and Martin Lucas-Smith, stalwarts of the Cambridge Cycling Campaign, the app can be used "to browse examples of problems or good practice, and add your own pictures. Need more cycle parking in your favourite spot in town? Sign in with a free account and add a photo of it to the Photomap."
