Ever gone out on a ride or run wishing you had worn more or even less clothing? Two new iPhone apps are looking to take the guess work out of getting dressed before you head outdoors. Using local weather forecasts matched with your personal preferences, these apps tell you exactly what to pull out of the closet in the morning, without ever having to look out the window.
What To Wear Cycling ($2.99) will sort out what you need to wear on the bike wherever you are and even wherever you currently aren't. Using the GPS in your phone, the app finds out what's happening with the weather outside now, or even tomorrow, and then lets you know how to plan for your ride, tapping into a comprehensive clothing reference to give you a recommended list of items.
You can save locations from around the world in order to check those distant conditions rather than your current location. You can also enter your own custom conditions in case you don't have a wireless connection to access local data.
What To Wear Cycling was created by Christopher Mullen, an avid cyclist who was tired of being too cold or too hot on rides. Group rides meant texting back-and-forth with fellow riders before setting off ("Is it cold enough for tights?" or "Full-fingered gloves or fingerless?"), and solo jaunts meant guesswork after reaching out the window for a feel. He decided to do something about it and created the iPhone app for him and his fellow ride buddies to use.
For those of you that tend to be hotter or colder than everyone else, What To Wear Cycling uses a slider that allows you to specify how much warmer or cooler you tend to be on your rides. Slide it toward the right if you tend to run hot, and slide it to the left if you usually run cold.
You can share your recommended gear list with friends by simply tapping the Tell The Peloton button. Enter their email addresses and they will instantly be updated with your What To Wear Cycling information.
What To Wear Running (Free) is similar in concept, helping you figure out what items to pick from your running apparel arsenal to match the current weather conditions. This running app also takes into account your personal preferences and whether you are generally cool, normal, or warm on your runs.
Download these apps now and hopefully you will never be over or under-dressed for your outdoor activities again.