GOING WITH THE FLOW
How the Bosch Flow App can enhance your ride
Since when did we need an app to ride a bike? Technically, we don’t. In the same way, we don’t “need” an app to pay for our groceries, find a route from A to B, board a plane or order takeaways. It is still possible to pay with cash, use a paper map, print a boarding pass and just wait in line at the fish-and-chip shop. Who’s doing that though?
Let’s admit it, we’re tech fans. We love shiny, new things, especially if they promise to make our lives more convenient, efficient and fun. The question is: when it comes to riding bikes, are convenience and efficiency a fair trade for the good old-fashioned simplicity of just sitting down and pedalling?
Who’s doing the most pedalling here: tech companies with their apps or riders on their bikes?
Apps were a hot topic at Eurobike 2024, particularly around the digitalisation and connectivity of e-Bikes. More than just a handy motor to give you a welcome boost up the hills and a battery to power longer rides, the latest e-Bike systems integrate software for functions like ride data collection, theft protection, and navigation.
Bosch, in particular, have been on a push for several years now to make e-Bikes more ‘intelligent’ and connected. We often hear talk about the Bosch e-Bike Flow App, and not just as another fitness tool, but more as the control centre for a whole suite of connected features. We decided it was time to take a deeper dive and find out what the Flow App actually is, what it does, and whether it really does make riding an e-Bike any better.
What is the Flow App?
Yes, this is a way to track your ride and fitness data. But it’s also a whole lot more.
Think of the Flow App as the brains inside the smart system. All the components—drive unit, battery and display—are fully connected. Every time Bosch adds new functions to their smart system, these are delivered via updates to the e-Bike Flow app.
For example, you can use the app to customise your riding modes and adjust how much support the drive unit gives you. It’ll also help you plan and navigate a route and gives you peace of mind that your e-Bike is secure when you’re not using it thanks to a digital lock, e-Bike alarm and GPS tracking system (sold separately).
“Think of the Flow App as the brains inside the smart system.“
What are some of the key features?
Customised riding
You can use the e-Bike Flow app to choose your four favourite modes from all the riding modes available for your e-Bike. It’s up to the e-Bike manufacturer to decide which modes they make available and different models have different options. If, for example, you’re never going to use Turbo mode you can remove it from your setup and choose another mode like Tour+ instead.
You can also customise your riding modes to suit your requirements, including support, dynamics, maximum torque or maximum speed. So, if you’d rather save battery by dialling back the support level, you can.
Reduced range anxiety
One of the best things about smart technology—whether on your bike or at home—is how it can predict and react to your needs to make life that little bit easier. With the Flow App this comes in the form of smart battery management.
As well as the display screen showing you the percentage of battery you have left, the app can use the in-built mapping technology and your personal ride data to tell you how much battery you need to ride your favourite trails.
With their most recent update, Bosch introduced the AI-based Range Control feature. You can use the app to plan a route, and it’ll show you how much battery you’ll need. Or you can tell it how much battery you want left at the finish and the smart system will take care of the rest.
Security
Mechanical bike locks are all well and good but no match for a set of bolt cutters. Having a digital lock as an extra level of security seems like a good backup plan. With Bosch’s e-Bike lock (available via the Flow App), your smartphone or Bosch Kiox display acts as a digital key. When you switch on your e-Bike, it automatically checks that your phone is nearby. If it’s not, then the e-Bike stays locked, and the drive unit won’t start.
There’s also an e-Bike Alarm system with a motion detector designed to scare off potential thieves with a short sharp alarm if it’s a small movement or a loud alarm if the e-Bike has been moved a lot. If the worst happens and your e-Bike is stolen, you receive a push notification on your smartphone along with location tracking via the Flow App. This service is an additional subscription offering with purchase of the Bosch Connect Module. Check with your retailer to see if your Bosch Smart System e-Bike is compatible.
What did we like about the Flow App?
We really like how easy it is to receive smart system updates via the Flow App rather than having to take your e-Bike to a bike store. This is about making life more convenient after all.
If you’re a fan of route planning apps and activity trackers, you’ll also like how the Flow App is designed to sync with other tools like Strava or Komoot. While you’re riding, all the key data like speed, battery level, elevation and heart rate can be viewed in one place, performance data is recorded (synchronized with Strava or Komoot if you choose to) and can then be exported after the ride.
How do you get the Flow App?
Bosch’s e-Bike Flow App is free to download from the App Store or via Google Play but first, you’ll need to check that your Bosch-powered e-Bike is equipped with the smart system. If it’s not, you won’t be able to connect it with the Flow App. One way to check is according to what sort of remote or display system you have. If your e-Bike is equipped with the Mini Remote, LED Remote, System Controller, Purion 200 display, Kiox 300 or 500, SmartPhone Grip or Intuvia display you have an e-Bike with the smart system.
Do you need the Flow App?
Does this app add anything to your ride experience – whether that be for fun, fitness or convenience? Being able to tune your e-Bike to suit your own style of riding is a big plus, as is knowing you’re not going to run out of battery on your way home. If you’re a fitness geek and love crunching the numbers, you’re also going to get a lot out of the Flow App.
If you’re riding an e-Bike, it’s fair to say you’re already embracing technology. So, if you’re riding a Bosch-powered e-Bike equipped with the smart system, why not go with the flow?
To find out more, go to bosch-ebike.com