Waay - cycling companion

poor stop selection without Waay
Waay in the field
testing at night
App icon
Road types preview
Weather on the route
Journey Details
Route making
Break planner (POI finder along the route)
3d elevation

Inspiration

I recently took up gravel cycling and quickly discovered that finding a route was the easy part. Strava could show me where to ride, but it couldn’t help me plan the journey.

I would often keep pedaling until I was exhausted, then stop wherever I happened to be. More than once, I rested at a bus stop only to discover a nice park or café 500 metres farther down the road. On Sundays, when most grocery stores are closed, even refilling my water bottles became a challenge. And once you’re already riding, tired and low on water, searching for places on your phone is the last thing you want to do.

That’s what inspired Waay.

What it does

Before a ride, I use Waay to find useful places along my route and turn them into planned stops. I know how far it is to my next break, where I can refill my bottles, and whether the shop I’m heading to will actually be open when I get there.

It makes the whole ride feel easier and less stressful. Instead of worrying about where to stop or searching when I’m already tired, I know what’s ahead and can simply enjoy the journey.

Waay also provides tools to help inexperienced cyclists prepare for their journeys.

How we built it

We did a lot of prototyping, went cycling at night, and discovered what worked and what didn't.

Challenges we ran into

I initially started this project with a developer friend, but when he decided to leave the project, I knew I needed a designer. UX is critical, and Andrew's ability to bring clarity to complex information was crucial to the app.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I think we're nailing the design and interactions.

What we learned

Good data is crucial. We pay for external cloud services that provide high-quality maps, as well as Google Maps POI data. It's totally worth it—trustworthy reviews and accurate opening hours are essential.

What's next for Waay

The first version of Waay focuses on pre-trip planning. Next, we need to strengthen our integrations with cycling computers and build a robust in-app navigation system.