Jill Hopkirk, owner of Newcastle Cycle Centre, owns an iPhone and has recently downloaded the Bike Hub app and used it to plan traffic-lite routes from home to work.
She said the app was "absolutely fantastic."
Available for iPhones and now Android phones, the Bike Hub app is a cycle-specific satnav that has an online routing engine that guides cyclists on quieter streets and bridleways and cycle paths, including the Sustrans’ National Cycle Network.
Hopkirk, who is a non-sporty cyclist, said the app was perfect for newbie cyclists:
"The reluctant cyclist forms most of our customer base so I’m sure it will be useful to our customers."
The app is free, paid for by the Bike Hub levy on UK bicycles and parts. It features a bike shop finding function as well as voice-and-vibrate satnav.
The bicycle industry’s investment in the app is "money is well spent" said Hopkirk.
"It’s really positive to see the industry take the initiative. This is a project that can get new people to start cycling.
"Showing would-be cyclists that it is possible to find quiet routes, without lots of cars, is something done by paper maps produced by cycle campaigns and this app is taking that knowledge and putting it on to mobile devices.
"I love the fact I can be out cycling somewhere new with my little boy, and we’ll always be able to find a quieter way home."
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