Why and how I use Komoot...before, during and after each cycle

It's natural (at least in my world) to use tech as part of my cycling journey. This goes all the way back to using YouTube and online resources to learn about the different types of bikes and components, to understanding what apps are available to make my life easier.

I get the impression that most people use Strava as their first port of call to monitor and track performance. For me, I naturally leaned towards Komoot. I'm not really fussed about tracking how fast I go, my heart beats per minute or anything that relates to race performance. That is not my ultimate goal when I get on two wheels.

This article is not a review of Komoot or how to use it, as there are tons of them out there on the web. Instead, I'm going to focus on what I personally do on it before, during and after I cycle.

1. What I do on Komoot before I cycle

"Window shopping" by looking at other journeys

I find that it gives me inspiration when looking other cyclists' journeys, whether they are on an adventurous path, gives me an encouragement to get out, or if I'm in need of an inspiration.

Plan and create my routes or get some inspiration

One of Komoot's strengths is the ability to plan your routes, be it automatically or if you want to customise to the most minute details. At times, I just type in the location from A to B and then edit the routes accordingly. Other times, I look at what other people have done to give me inspiration and use their pre-made routes as my cycling journey.

Once I have planned or gotten some inspiration, it's time to plan out. Although it's easy enough to do that on the mobile, I prefer to plan it out on desktop as it allows me to get intricate and detailed with my routes. I find it too fidgety to do it on my mobile.

Engage with community now and then

Like any forms of community-based websites, you get a lot more out of it if you put a lot into it. Although not essential, I like to give a small boost or nudges of congrats to those who have completed their routes.

2. What I do on Komoot while I cycle

Keep an eye on the GPS

At the moment, I don't own a cycling computer. A suitable replacement would be to use your own phone as a way to track your routes. I have a Rockbros top tube frame bag/phone case with touch screen where I have an Anker power bank with a charger cable inside it, and my phone attached facing upwards towards the see-through screen.

Having a power bank is important as using GPS (combined with location setting and internet data) can suck up your battery on top of all the things a phone does in the background. There are ways to overcome it by downloading the route and accessing it offline but I like to have options.

Take pictures during my stops

I don't do this too often as 1) I'm too engrossed in my surroundings and don't want to ruin it, 2) I often forget because I'm too engrossed, and 3) it's a lot of faff to get it out of my top tube bag and potentially disconnect it from my power bank.

But I do like to create snapshots of my journeys so that I can keep them for my own memories, create a cycling photo journal and share some tips and helpful insights to the Komoot community since they do the same thing for me.

Find new routes if I want to reroute or extend my journey

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has done this. But often when I have a specific route in my mind, I take a detour because I want to explore a new path that I didn't expect to see, or perhaps I've got more time to kill and I'm keen to keep exploring.

Or both!

But that's the joy of cycling; it can create a new adventure without you knowing it. And Komoot helps me to do that.

3. What I do on Komoot after I finished cycling

Submit my tour, upload photos, and share tips and highlights with community

Once I have completed a route, I like to share it with the community. If I don't have photos, that's OK. But where possible, I like to share tips and highlights to provide further insights on specific parts of the journey.

Marvel at or show-off my journey

I'm not going to lie; I do take pride in my routes when I complete it. I look back and reminisce on what I have done, particularly if it's an achievement that I'm proud of like I've covered a long distance or accessed a high peak.

I would love to hear more about how you use the platform yourself personally. In the meantime, you can naturally follow me on Komoot here.