As London gears up for Mayor Boris Johnson's London Cycle Hire scheme, one iPhone developer is encouraging commuters and those out for a day in the sun to stay on two wheels longer.
Bike Doctor for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch from developer London Cyclist promises tips on repairing and maintaining your bike.
"It's called Bike Doctor and it helps complete beginners look after their bike. It's like having a little bike mechanic in your pocket ready to spring into action whenever you need them," Andreas Kambanis, London Cyclist founder tells Macworld.
"Say for example you are cycling on your way home and suddenly you hit a bump and your brakes keep touching the wheels. Load Bike Doctor, tap the part of the bike with a problem and you get a list of repairs. You can then follow each repair with easy step-by-step instructions and colour pictures."
So far Bike Doctor has outperformed Kambanis's expectations, currently a Top 5 hit in the iTunes App Store, updates will appear shortly.
"There has been a lot of positive feedback and also a lot to build upon," Kambanis notes. "The first priority is to increase the number of repairs in the app from 20 to 30. Then we will start looking into ways we can make bike maintenance as easy as possible for someone and something they can largely forget about."
"We also want to add an on-the-road emergency repairs section so that anyone stuck in the middle of nowhere can improvise and get their bike home."
Available from the Apple iTunes App Store, Bike Doctor costs 2.99 and requires the iPhone OS 3.1.3 Software Update or later.
Meanwhile, the Major's London Cycle Hire scheme starts tomorrow, Friday, 30 July. More than 9,000 people have already signed up to the scheme which offers bikes for hire across London. Two dedicated iPhone apps, including one from FIPLAB offer details of cycle stations, local cycle routes and more to complement the new service.
A TFL spokeswoman said: "Barclays Cycle Hire is designed to be an easy-to-use, low cost, convenient, quick and healthy way to make short trips." More information can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire.
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