Comparison

Lactate Express vs Loom Cycling

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lactate Express

This app provides precise lactate step-test data capture and analysis for endurance athletes and performance diagnosticians. It computes thresholds using scientifically recognized models and generates clear training zones, eliminating the need for manual spreadsheets. Professional reports can be generated and shared easily.

Highlights
  • Lactate step-test data capture
  • Bluetooth sensor integration
  • Multiple threshold analysis models
  • Automatic training zone calculation
  • Branded PDF report generation
  • Test comparison and trend tracking
  • Athlete roster management
Features
Read full description

Lactate Express brings the lactate step-test to iPad, Mac, and iPhone — built for performance diagnosticians and serious endurance athletes. Capture every step-test precisely, compute thresholds with scientifically recognized models, and turn them into training zones you can actually apply. No more error-prone spreadsheets and manual entry. CAPTURE — fast and error-free • Step-test one step at a time: load (watts or km/h), lactate, heart rate, and Borg per step • Automatic readings over Bluetooth: SensCore lactate meters and Polar heart-rate sensors • Clear phases: rest, examination, recovery — with the current step clearly marked • Large input fields and one-tap entry, even under time pressure during a test ANALYZE — scientifically grounded • Six threshold models: Mader (4.0 mmol/l), Dickhuth, LT1, dMax, dMaxMod, and user-defined fixed values • Automatic curve fitting with coefficients and R² — the math stays transparent • Training zones such as GA1, GA2, and EB at a glance • Publication-grade charts REPORT — professional • Branded PDF reports with header and footer, charts, tables, and zones • Share via the native iOS and macOS share sheet COMPARE & TRACK — over time • Compare Tests: put any two step-tests side by side (Mac and iPad) to see exactly what changed • Home dashboard with threshold trends and deltas — an athlete's form at a glance • Roster overview to manage many athletes from one place (Team/Pro) • Cohort percentiles: see where an athlete ranks within the group WHO IT'S FOR • Diagnosticians: fast capture, athlete management, professional reports • Athletes: clear zones instead of jargon, an honest performance snapshot PLATFORMS Native SwiftUI — optimized for iPad and Mac, compact on iPhone. SUBSCRIPTIONS Lactate Express offers auto-renewable subscriptions with monthly and yearly terms. The subscription title, duration and price are shown in the app before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your Apple Account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.lactate-express.de/lactate-express-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Lactate Express — train smarter, not harder.

About

Loom Cycling

Features
Read full description

Most riders don't forget how to wax. They forget when they last did it. Loom tracks your chain by distance rather than by feel. Every bike carries an odometer, and every wax event saves a snapshot of it. The distance since your last wax, how much of its expected life you have used, and whether you are overdue all come out of those two numbers. IT LEARNS YOUR INTERVAL Loom starts at 186 miles for hot wax and 93 miles for drip lube. After two wax events it switches to a rolling average of your own history, so the number follows your roads and your weather rather than a figure off a bottle. It warns you at 80%, and again at 100%. RIDES WITHOUT THE TYPING Connect Apple Health and your cycling workouts become rides on their own — date and distance, nothing else. Strava is there if that is where your riding lives. Neither is required: type a distance and Loom works exactly as well with no connection at all. MORE THAN THE CHAIN Chains, tires, sealant and service run off the same odometer. Set an interval, log a change, and Loom counts the distance down. TIRE PRESSURE Tell Loom your weight, your tires and your roads, and it gives you a front and a rear pressure, each with a good range either side. It respects hookless rim limits and your tire's printed maximum, says what set the number, and saves setups to each bike. Road, gravel and cyclocross, in psi or bar. ON THE HOME SCREEN A widget carries wax life at a glance, so you find out in the kitchen rather than in the garage. YOUR RIDING HISTORY IS YOURS No account to create, no Loom server, no analytics, no third-party SDKs, and no tracking. What you log stays on your iPhone and, if you use iCloud, in your own private iCloud database — where Loom cannot read it either. Apple Health and Strava are optional and read-only; Loom never writes anything back to either. ALL OF IT, FREE Every part of Loom is free: as many bikes as you own, automatic ride import from Apple Health or Strava, component tracking, the tire pressure calculator, the widget, and the full Statistics tab — averages, the timeline, which product lasted longest, and when the next wax is due. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads. Privacy Policy: https://loomwax.ridetogether.io/privacy.html

Screenshots

Lactate Express2 screens
Loom Cycling4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Loom Cycling at every 9 days against Lactate Express's every 3 weeks. Lactate Express's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lactate Express sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month and Loom Cycling sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lactate Express ships an update every 3 weeks, Loom Cycling every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
Lactate Express versus Loom Cycling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLactate ExpressLoom Cycling
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.5 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCOPAtec GmbHTom Haythorn

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Lactate Express

Subscriptions4
  • Teams (Monthly)$24.991 Month
  • Professionals (1 Month)$44.991 Month
  • Teams (Yearly)$250.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Professionals (Yearly)$399.001 Year
1 purchases

Loom Cycling

Subscriptions1
  • Loom Pro7 Days trial$6.991 Year

Questions

Is Lactate Express free?
Lactate Express is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loom Cycling free?
Loom Cycling is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lactate Express or Loom Cycling have ads?
Neither Lactate Express nor Loom Cycling shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lactate Express or Loom Cycling?
Lactate Express ships an update every 3 weeks, and Loom Cycling every 9 days. Most recently, Lactate Express was updated on October 24, 2026 and Loom Cycling on October 22, 2026.

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