Replacing My Smartwatch

Developing a cyclist’s ideal workout app

May 11, 2024 - Willem L. Middelkoop

As a little side-project, squeezed between my normal work, I have been working on something of personal interest: a native workout tracking app for iOS. I wanted to make my smartwatch obsolete, instead using my phone to track workouts. How hard could it be to gather detailed sensor data using native Swift APIs?

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Nothing makes you feel alive like going outside for some physical action - I love working out!

I got some magic in my pocket: The app tracking workouts from the background - during recordings it just shows a widget on the homescreen

Screenshots of the app's onboarding process: asking for permissions and guiding new users

I used my Garmin Edge data layout as an inspiration when designing my app's layout when used as mounted bike computer

"Goin' the extra mile": 8 hours on my bike to test battery usage (note: there is still 23% power left!)

Apple Watch workout app shows large buttons to start a workout - no need for additional configuration

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Articles (162)

2025-03-10 Workout data in 3D
2025-03-06 Open-Sourcing Gran Fondo
2025-03-05 Durable Smartphone
2025-02-10 Better Laptop
2025-01-27 Podcast Downloader
2025-01-23 Champions League of Webdesign
2025-01-18 Master of Change
2024-12-19 Data versus Feeling
2024-12-09 The Problem With Bitcoin
2024-11-11 Write your own words
2024-11-10 Go Viral on X
2024-10-20 Marathon
2024-09-10 I see dead people
2024-05-11 Developing a native iOS app
2024-03-24 Half Marathon
2024-03-05 No, I Won't Build That!
2024-02-16 Vision Pro
2024-01-16 Health and fitness data
2023-12-15 Backup Rotation Scheme
2023-11-10 Apple Watch as Phone
2023-11-01 And... there is light!
2023-10-14 Giving AI Training
2023-10-13 Hello, stranger
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2023-05-31 Impact of training
2023-05-08 Tablet as Tool
2023-05-03 Using AI to generate code
2023-05-01 Working Offline First
2023-04-20 Tips for Long-Distance Cycling
2023-04-05 Cutting Cloud Costs
2023-02-08 Back to the University
2022-12-22 Rolex DateJust 36
2022-11-01 Moving to the countryside
2022-10-23 MUSE in Carré
2022-09-15 The Ultimate Freedom Bike
2022-09-11 Computer says no
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2022-04-18 Snake '97 High Scores
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2020-07-09 Repairing a Giro AEON bicycle helmet
2020-06-24 Some thoughts on touch screen user interface design
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2020-06-12 Linking Lemmid Store with kitchens
2020-05-25 Different ways to visualise health
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2020-04-30 Minimalistic road bike with Gates carbon drive
2020-04-14 Talking tablets: what makes a great tablet?
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2020-03-25 Designing and implementing a (micro) payment system
2020-03-09 Making my own tablet OS
2020-03-03 Monolithic vs Microservices software architecture
2020-02-28 Your own addressbook and calendar cloud
2020-02-13 The day I sold my car
2020-01-28 Measuring cholesterol levels in blood
2020-01-24 Improve your sleep by blocking light
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2019-08-18 Creating a minimal road bike
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2019-01-24 My first weeks as dad
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2018-12-06 Do amazing things with a focused mind
2018-11-16 Around town in an electric car
2018-11-02 Is the Apple Watch the modern tool watch?
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2018-09-27 Swimming and cycling with Apple Watch
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2018-08-20 Google Analytics vs AWStats
2018-07-20 Helping people with free software
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2018-06-09 Removing paint from a bike frame
2018-06-02 Creating a minimal iPhone stand
2018-05-17 Listen to your body
2018-05-09 Lunch by plane
2018-04-30 Off the grid: Working on 100% renewable energy
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2018-03-07 Tablet as main computer
2018-02-24 Creating the ultimate commuter bike
2018-02-21 Updating Snake '97
2018-01-21 Something the smartwatch will never have: patina
2018-01-08 Lessons from a takeaway plastic bag
2017-12-02 Commuting by bike
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2017-09-14 Saving a MacBook Air with exploded battery
2017-09-02 Climbing Mount Etna
2017-08-31 Clouds below my floor
2017-07-31 The day I killed my LAN
2017-06-30 Fietselfstedentocht 2017
2017-05-31 Beast of the Green Hell
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2017-02-16 Programming on Apple Watch
2017-01-30 iPad Pro next to my primary machine
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