Reference
Choosing a bike maintenance app
We make one of these, so read this knowing that. What follows is the honest version: the three or four dimensions that actually decide which app suits you, where Loam is a bad fit, and links to the alternatives so you can check them yourself rather than take our word for it.
Every claim about another app below comes from that app's own published copy, checked on 2 September 2026, and links to it. Where their site does not state something, this page says "does not advertise" rather than "cannot do" - because we can verify what a company publishes, not what its app does in private.
The question that actually decides it
Not the feature list. Where does your ride data come from? Every one of these apps turns riding into a service clock, so the app that reads your riding most accurately wins, and the rest is detail.
| If your riding is... | What matters |
|---|---|
| An eBike with a Bosch motor | The motor's own hour meter. Motor hours are the only honest suspension clock on an eBike, because Strava moving time undercounts what the motor put through the fork. |
| All in Strava, and you want browser access | A hosted account. This is where ProBikeGarage and Geer are a better fit than Loam. |
| Head-unit files, or nothing digital at all | GPX/TCX import and a manual odometer that is a first-class input rather than a fallback. |
| Something you would rather not upload | Whether the app needs an account at all. |
Where Loam is the wrong choice
Worth getting out of the way first, because it is the part comparison pages usually leave out.
- You want a web login. Loam is local-first: your garage lives on your phone and there is no account. The web companion opens a garage from a recovery code, which is deliberately not the same convenience as an email and password. Geer's own site leads with a browser login; if that is what you want, take it.
- One bike, several setups swapped by ride type. ProBikeGarage advertises exactly this - "install components only for some types of rides", a different cassette for indoor and outdoor, lighter wheels for a race. If that is your setup, that is a feature built for you.
- You want the biggest community. We are small and new. The established trackers have more users, more reviews and more road-cycling focus.
Where Loam is different
Four things, and only the first is unusual enough to be the reason someone switches.
- Bosch eBike Flow motor hours. Loam reads the motor's own odometer and hour counter and treats it as authoritative for that bike. Neither ProBikeGarage nor Geer advertises Bosch eBike import on its site. On an eMTB this is the difference between a suspension clock that is right and one that is quietly 40% short. See how the Bosch import works.
- Manufacturer intervals built in, with the sourcing written down. FOX, RockShox, Öhlins, DVO, EXT, Cane Creek, Formula, SRAM and Shimano, per model year, with a labelled estimate where a brand publishes nothing. Our methodology page says where each class of figure comes from.
- No account, and backup you hold the key to. Cloud backup is encrypted on your device before upload, so the server stores a blob it cannot read. There is no Loam login to breach.
- Four ride sources, one clock per bike. Strava, Bosch, Apple Health, GPX/TCX files or a manual odometer - but exactly one feeding any given bike, because two sources on one bike is how a ride gets counted twice.
If your rides live in Strava specifically, the units problem is worth understanding before you pick anything: what Strava's gear tracking does and does not cover.
What all three do well
If you are choosing between them, do not let a comparison page convince you the differences are bigger than they are. All three sync rides from Strava, track wear per component rather than per bike, keep a service history, and notify you when something comes due. ProBikeGarage states intervals on distance, moving time, elapsed time and ride count; Geer leads with component wear, Strava sync and maintenance alerts. Those are the same fundamentals Loam runs on.
The honest summary: if your bike is a Bosch eBike, or you want no account, Loam is built for exactly that. If you want a hosted account and per-ride-type setups, one of the others will serve you better, and we would rather you used the right one.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to ProBikeGarage?
Loam MTB is free with no subscription. Geer advertises a free tier. ProBikeGarage publishes a pricing page - check its current tiers there rather than trusting anyone's summary, including ours.
Which app works without Strava?
Loam runs on a manual odometer, GPX or TCX files, Apple Health cycling workouts, or a Bosch eBike, none of which need Strava. ProBikeGarage and Geer both lead with Strava sync.
Can I move my history over?
Partly, and honestly: there is no importer. You can enter a bike's current odometer and mark when each part was last serviced, which reconstructs the clocks without the ride-by-ride history. If you have GPX or TCX files, those import directly.
Try it against your own garage
Free, no account, and nothing to cancel if it is not for you.
