As part of its ongoing effort to convince consumers to bike, not drive, multichannel retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. has launched a free program for Apple iPhones that lets cyclists view their progress, save the mileage they’ve traveled via bicycle, upload photos tagged by location and track how much less carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere as a result of a bike trip.
The customizable Bike Your Drive app also lets users calculate how much gas money they’ve saved by leaving the car in the garage. A user inputs the details of her car and average gas prices in her area to learn how much she’s saved on gas by cycling and how much carbon dioxide she did not produce by not driving.
The app, a small program designed for computer-like smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone, tracks such information as location, average speed, distance, elevation, compass heading, time elapsed and calories burned. Those with the latest iPhones, which include Global Positioning Service functionality, can show friends where they are in real time.
“Most people carry their phone when they’re outdoors, so we wanted to create a mobile tool that was easy and fun for bicyclists,” says Tom Vogl, vice president of marketing for REI. “Using GPS functionality and geotag capabilities, we created a user-friendly application that lets you bring your friends along for the ride.”
Maps, photos and ride histories are saved by the app for tracking at travel web site EveryTrail.com.
The Bike Your Drive app can be downloaded from Apple’s application store or from REI.com. Cyclists lacking an iPhone can access REI’s Bike Your Drive web site at www.rei.com/bikeyourdrive for cycling tips, video demonstration, calculators and reasons why they should bike more.
REI is No. 67 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.
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