Apple Maps Bike Routes: How to Use Cycling Directions on Your iPhone

You’d think in 2025 it’d be a no-brainer to tap your iPhone, ask for a bike route, and get instant crispy directions just like you do with cars or public transit. But anyone who’s tried to get somewhere on two wheels using their phone knows it’s not always that breezy. The thing is, Apple Maps has spent years catching up to riders’ wishes, and some folks still aren’t sure how well it works—if it works at all—in their city. The details can be pretty surprising, depending how much attention you’ve paid to the last couple of iOS updates.

Where Apple Maps Offers Bike Routes

Here’s a fun stat: as of summer 2025, Apple Maps rolls out cycling directions in more than 80 major cities and regions across the world. If you’re pedaling through places like San Francisco, New York City, London, or even pockets of Japan and mainland Europe, you can tap your destination, hit the "bike" icon, and let the app chart your journey. It’ll even warn you if there are bike lanes, sketchy stairs, steep hills, or heavy traffic.

The not-so-great news? This coverage isn’t everywhere. Try pulling up bike routes in a Midwestern suburb or a South American small town—you might find the option grayed out (which is beyond annoying if you’re already running late). Apple updates its list quietly, so some bike-friendly towns get support without fanfare, but the feature still has clear borders. Before heading out, check by entering an address and seeing if the cycling option appears. If you really want to geek out, search for Apple’s list of supported cycling cities—they dropped a real list on their site, and folks on Reddit often share where it works or fails week by week.

Another spot where Apple shines? Some European countries like Germany and the Netherlands—cyclist heaven, right?—are pretty well covered with dedicated lanes and detailed elevation notes. Apple used local city cycling infrastructure data for these regions, so the app can sometimes outguess Google Maps for showing newer bike paths first.

How Apple Maps Bike Directions Actually Work

All right, so you see the "bike" icon—what happens next? When you pick cycling directions, Apple Maps does more than paint a line on the road. The algorithm sniffs out dedicated bike lanes and paths, tries to avoid roads without shoulders or marked lanes, and throws in juicy tidbits like, "You’ll have to walk your bike up this stairway," or, "This hill’s a calf-killer." Seriously, it even rates hills by steepness and lets you tap to see stats like total climb and descent, which lets you plan (or dread) that morning commute.

If you have an Apple Watch, this gets even geekier. Twisting your wrist, you’ll see your next moves buzzed to you with haptics, plus up-to-the-minute speed and ETA updates. Missed a turn? Apple’s pretty fast at giving re-routes these days, though it still has those quirky moments where it’s convinced you’re off-roading through someone’s backyard.

One of the cleverer details: if you’re riding in a city with a lot of protected lanes or painted greenways, Apple’s routing usually prioritizes those paths instead of shoving you onto busy stretches full of honking cars. And when construction pops up or a known bike route’s blocked, Maps sometimes gives a detour suggestion with a little warning message. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely a few notches ahead of when Apple Maps first tried cycling back in 2020 and would happily send you onto stairs or highway ramps.

Looking at the layers, you’ll spot route options like “faster,” “quieter,” or “avoids hills” (your thighs, your choices!). There’s even a "preview" feature, where you can check the whole thing for sketchy patches or surprise elevator rides before you clip in.

Tips for Using Apple Maps for Bike Routes

Seasoned cyclists know you don’t want to get stuck pulling out your phone every two minutes or squinting at the screen in rain. Here are some hard-won hacks to make Apple Maps cycling more useful before your wheels hit the pavement.

• Always double-check coverage. Before you plan a trip, punch in both your starting point and destination with cycling mode on. If you don’t see a blue line, the city’s not supported yet. Bummer, but better to know before you’re on the move.
• Plan for “human error.” Even in covered areas, check for pitfalls like busy intersections, construction, or sketchy crossings by previewing the full route. Google Street View isn’t in Apple Maps, but you can zoom in or tap locations for photos shared by users sometimes.
• Use voice navigation or a handlebar mount. It keeps your eyes up and both hands steering. If you can't spring for an official mount, a rubber band hack and a ziplock bag work, but watch out for rain.
• Turn on “avoid hills” if you’re tired or hauling groceries. Cycling up steep streets sounds fun until you’re two blocks in and questioning everything. Apple Maps highlights especially hilly routes with a warning (don’t ignore it—ask me how I know).
• Sync with your Apple Watch. Keep an eye on speed, calories burned, and get wrist buzz alerts so you’re not missing turns. The navigation taps gently instead of blasting you with sound.
• Download offline maps if you’re heading somewhere sketchy for signal. Apple finally brought this feature in last year on iOS 17, and now you can save routes and neighborhoods, so you won’t get lost when coverage fizzles or when roaming abroad.
• Report route issues. If you run into a closed path, missing signage, or dangerous recommendations, Apple's “Report an Issue” tool lets you flag problems so things get fixed for the next cyclist.

These little tweaks sound obvious, but they can mean the difference between a smooth ride and a mid-city meltdown.

How Apple Maps Compares to Other Cycling Apps

Everyone’s battled the eternal Apple Maps vs. Google Maps debate, and when it comes to cycling, each has quirks. Google Maps introduced bike directions way back in 2010, and while their coverage is incredible, they often lag on adding new protected bike lanes or local shortcuts, especially in European or Asian cities.

Apple Maps shines when it’s paired with other Apple gear or if you love that privacy feels—no ad-targeting or search tracking. Its directions, especially in cities where it works, pull data from local governments, meaning lane updates appear faster than Google sometimes. Apple’s biggest weakness: rural areas and less-popular countries, where bike support is patchy or straight-up missing. Google fills those gaps, but sometimes at the cost of sending you down weird “shortcut” driveways or hiking trails. Then there’s Komoot and Ride with GPS—hardcore apps that let you build routes tailored down to the meter but require more setup and usually cost something extra for deep features.

For weekend rides or daily commutes in a supported city, Apple Maps runs neck and neck with Google, plus throws in Apple Watch sync, biking-specific voice prompts, and those hill elevation data points. But if you’re the type who goes off the grid or rides internationally, it’s smart to keep a backup app ready.

What the Future Holds for Apple Maps Cycling

The past couple of years, Apple’s been flexing like crazy when it comes to updating Maps. Remember the time when everyone dunked on Apple for weird directions and missing landmarks? They’ve since invested in crowd-sourced updates, worked with city planners, and rolled out real-time hazard and closed-road alerts. Rumor mills and feature leaks point to big improvements for off-road or trail routing, with early beta testers mentioning mountain bike path inclusion in some parts of Canada and the US.

Another good sign: Apple’s partnered with cycling app developers, so more third-party data is feeding in. That means real-time status of bike parking at train stations, temporary construction reroutes, and even bike-share dock status pop up for select cities. By iOS 19’s fall release, watch for even deeper city-level cycling improvements—think live air quality overlays, pop-up tips for nearby repair shops, and AI-powered safety alerts when routing through high-accident zones.

Until then, if you’re a cyclist living in or visiting a major city, Apple Maps is finally playing for real. If you’re an early adopter with an Apple Watch, the combo turns your ride into a connected, safety-forward adventure. And for casual riders or commuters, the cycling directions have moved from a wow-it-exists gimmick to something you can actually trust, at least most of the time. Just don’t forget your charger. Or, you know, a sense of direction when Maps’ blue line trails off unexpectedly five blocks short of your favorite bagel shop.