Biking GPS App Assessment: Do not Get Misplaced

The present state of biking navigation apps: Choices. Galore. Loads of states are increasing commuter biking infrastructure. The bike trade continues to push gravel bikes as do-it-all choices that increase navigable terrain, and it’s someway trendy. Bikepacking is even in vogue.

The choices for a way and the place to experience at the moment are extremely diversified, and everybody who places foot to pedal wants a method to map their rides. Extra person information and higher tech have made navigating via city and backcountry environments extra handy and correct than ever.

That stated, not each biking GPS app has the identical execs and cons. Most of the finest options are solely out there via premium plans. We’re all more likely to have greater than sufficient subscription companies working.

Briefly: It’s no shock that there’s a glut of biking GPS apps, all boasting totally different robust fits and approaches to navigating two-wheeled rides. So, we took a peek behind the paywalls and put half a dozen of the most well-liked platforms via a number of hundred miles of planning, mapping, and using throughout totally different states to see how they stack up. Learn on to seek out our conclusions.

Journey With GPS

Journey With GPS (RWGPS, $60 yearly for Primary and $80 for Premium) was simply probably the most easy do-it-all biking navigation app available on the market. If you happen to’re in search of an app that may mean you can navigate round city areas with out Google Maps, plan out backcountry bikepacking journeys, observe rides, learn evaluations of latest routes, and see the place everybody else is using — RWGPS will get the job achieved.

Its navigation was by far the best of the bunch to make use of. I typed in a vacation spot, and it shortly auto-generated a route with turn-by-turn instructions. In contrast to many different biking apps, the navigation rerouted in actual time and supplied arrival time estimates primarily based on earlier rides.

For bikepacking and touring journeys, RWGPS premium supplied intuitive however detailed mapping instruments for each cell and desktop. When it was time to experience, these routes supplied turn-by-turn instructions and could possibly be exported in additional file codecs than some other biking GPS platform.

One other standout function of RWGPS premium was the warmth maps, that are maps of biking visitors patterns (both your individual or from their huge person base). These maps made it simple to see which trails and roads had been the most well-liked, each basically and lately.

RWGPS didn’t excel in every single place. Its navigation had loads of idiosyncrasies. The common to-a-point navigation was intertwined with its route recording function, making it awkward to simply experience from one place to a different with out recording it.

Pre-planned routes, resembling bikepacking or touring ones, had a default course. The one method to simply reverse this was on a pc. Set off on a route in reverse with RWGPS, and also you’ll shortly be drowning in less-than-useful “flip round and go the opposite means” alerts.

Likewise, RWGPS was in the midst of the pack for locating new trails and annotating geographical options. It supplied loads of filters and maps for viewing trails.

Nonetheless, it didn’t segregate them visually (e.g., MTB versus gravel or newbie versus intermediate). It additionally prioritized routes mapped and ridden by customers. In much less standard areas, missing a available legend, the app supplied much less normal information on path composition and situations.

On well-mapped and reported trails, it delivered a wealth of knowledge on campsites, water refill stations, bike outlets, evaluations, and extra. Nonetheless, with out ample person reviews, the RWGPS maps usually did not annotate options like dispersed campsites and path restrictions.

onX Backcountry

If RWGPS occupied the intense finish of streamlining navigation and route mapping, onX Backcountry ($30 yearly for Premium) occupied one other excessive: it supplied all the data I wanted in regards to the land I used to be traversing.

OnX confirmed probably the most granular native climate reviews and data on what authorities company presided over the realm of curiosity. The ($100 yearly) Elite plan additionally supplied info on who owns non-public land parcels as properly.

In contrast to platforms like RWGPS, which prioritized user-mapped and ridden routes, onX prioritized geographical trails. Its common map layer made them abundantly clear and straightforward to observe. Its MTB overlay was improbable at displaying and instantly categorizing MTB routes into newbie, intermediate, and superior trails.

That stated, with a more recent biking person base, fewer MTB routes have been mapped or ridden by customers. Moreover, being MTB-focused, its MTB layer failed to incorporate many paved or gravel trails. This added as much as onX displaying extra trails extra clearly than most biking navigation apps — however highlighting fewer routes total.

In our testing, onX routinely did the very best at annotating and differentiating between landmarks resembling dispersed campgrounds, paid campsites, mines, waterfalls, archeological factors of curiosity, and extra. This was aided by one of many clearest and most accessible legends of any cell mapping app.

Nonetheless, onX began as a looking app, and it confirmed. It didn’t provide turn-by-turn instructions. It didn’t auto-generate any biking routes for commuter biking. With a slim MTB-focused layer and the smallest biking person base, its MTB layer highlighted the fewest trails and user-generated routes. If you need an app that makes planning a bikepacking journey or every day commute so simple as potential, this isn’t it.

If, however, you need dependable land info and extra handbook controls, onX was second to none. For the multi-sport-minded, or these in search of a backup app for crafting unique routes, onX was it.

It usually supplied probably the most up-to-date path situations and hyperlinks to land company websites so I may examine present restrictions. Its maps had been clear and straightforward to learn. Downloading high-quality offline maps (albeit solely in a vertical format) was a breeze.

The wildfire and air high quality filters had been notably helpful out west. And the offline monitoring routinely supplied me among the most correct and detailed breadcrumb trails of any biking navigation app.

GAIA GPS/Trailforks

Throughout testing, Gaia and Trailforks had been a two-for-one particular — and so they had been a damned highly effective one at that. Whereas each companies had been supplied individually, they’ve been introduced underneath the identical Outdoors+ for $7.49 month-to-month. So, for lower than $3 per 30 days, I may entry Trailforks as a map layer inside Gaia Premium.

It was onerous to discover a job that this dynamic duo couldn’t sort out properly. By itself, the Trailforks layer clearly highlighted biking trails and user-generated routes in keeping with sport (gravel, MTB, street, and so on.), graded them by expertise degree, and supplied normal info on restrictions, evaluations, and common experience stats.

Utilizing Trailforks as a layer as a substitute of a standalone app did make the person expertise a bit extra sophisticated. By way of Gaia, there was no easy method to entry Trailfork’s heatmaps. Happily, I may nonetheless assess these via the Trailfork app, which was a part of the bundle. So, it doesn’t matter what, the added capabilities Gaia delivered to the desk had been properly price it.

Gaia had by far probably the most map layers of any platform on this checklist. Mountain climbing, fishing, overlanding, normal outside recreation — no matter different hobbies you might need, there was a layer for it in Gaia. This made it simple to customise maps. Downloaded routes, as properly, could possibly be personalized to incorporate no matter layers I desired.

After all, all this added utility got here with issues. Gaia had the steepest studying curve and most intricate person interface of any app right here. Even with all its layers, it often missed dispersed campsites in any other case highlighted by onX. Furthermore, whereas Gaia supplied turn-by-turn navigation (which I may reverse) for routes and point-to-point rides alike, it didn’t auto-reroute like RWGPS.

Even so, when you’re the form of multisport outside fanatic who merely desires one app for every thing outdoors of city biking (the place there’s at all times Google Maps), the Gaia and Trailforks bundle acquired the job achieved. It hit the candy spot between onX and RWGPS.

Komoot

Komoot ($30 yearly for worldwide premium options) was all about simplicity and ease of use. The house display screen was photo-forward, selling the most well-liked and scenic routes in every space.

Tabbing over to the app’s “Routes” web page delivered me to a map. I honed in on an space, zoomed in, and hit “Search this space.” Komoot confirmed me routes, graded by issue, and highlighted in keeping with which layers I had energetic.

Komoot did delineate between trails a bit awkwardly, dividing them into “mountain,” “touring,” “bikepacking,” and “street” biking classes. The “touring” and “bikepacking” attorneys tended to spotlight solely lengthy, promoted, mutually unique trails. The dearth of a “gravel” class felt a bit dated for biking in 2024. And Komoot highlighted by far the fewest routes of any of the apps examined.

Nonetheless, the routes highlighted had been standard within the space. I may choose any of them, and it was a breeze to examine climate situations, obtain the route, or export GPS information. Komoot additionally supplied easy, clear turn-by-turn navigation — each for established routes and for auto-generated ones between two factors.

Routes and their turn-by-turn directions may simply be reversed. When mapping or importing longer routes, Komoot supplied the choice to routinely divide the routes by every day stretches primarily based on my self-reported health and bike sort. Pre-established routes additionally are inclined to function pictures and evaluations which are routinely translated by Google into your language of desire.

Komoot’s navigation isn’t as slick as RWGPS, however its person interface was extra easy. The app had nowhere close to the granular path and data supplied by onX and Gaia. Nonetheless, it excelled at being terribly simple to make use of.

A few of the biking navigation apps on this checklist may be overwhelming in options and capabilities, particularly for a weekend rider who merely desires to discover a enjoyable, skill-appropriate path to entry and pedal alongside. Even skilled long-distance cyclists who have already got extra detail-oriented GPS apps can get so much out of Komoot’s stay, shared ride-tracking function and easy interface. 

AllTrails+

AllTrails+ ($36 yearly) was the odd one out. It was the one app within the lineup with no handbook route-mapping skill. It additionally didn’t permit for point-to-point navigation. And whereas it had a number of map layers, they solely beat out Komoot when it comes to map particulars like campsites and landmarks.

What AllTrails did have was easy, social approachability. AllTrials was much less of a GPS and mapping app, and extra of a social platform geared towards discovering, score, and documenting new routes.

AllTrails was simply probably the most photo-forward platform right here. Its residence web page supplied easy, picturesque, community-oriented previews of routes others had ridden. Very like Komoot, it wasn’t geared towards granular particulars of trails and the land they’re on, however relatively towards displaying pictures, evaluations, and maps of routes ridden by others.

The app operated like a extra polished Komoot. Solely the kinds of trails (MTB, street, or touring) chosen had been proven in a given space. They stayed collapsed till I clicked on a highlighted level, at which level all routes in that space had been highlighted. Once I chosen one, I acquired climate, size, elevation acquire, and all the essential path information — plus the slick choice of a 3D animated preview.

This made for a clear, easy person interface. An extended checklist of additional layers was out there on Komoot and onX resembling “scenic driving,” “paddlesports,” “fishing,” and extra. Nonetheless, I leveraged AllTrails for community-informed views on locations of curiosity for different sports activities.

Going all in on neighborhood contributions left AllTrails missing in mapping instruments. I may solely import and export routes on a pc. Route had been simple to hint with stay monitoring, however AllTrails didn’t provide turn-by-turn navigation. Likewise, it lacked the power to change imported maps, generate unique routes (besides via recording rides), or see many particulars in regards to the lands I rode alongside.

Its maps had been easy, with helpful information on climate, mild air pollution, air high quality, and extra. The huge person base offered a glut of evaluations and pictures of standard routes. The offline maps, route monitoring, and built-in options for alerting contacts had been all easy and efficient. To not point out, with AllTrails donating 1% of its annual Professional gross sales to varied outside charities, they provide again to the outside they map.

Backside line: AllTrails didn’t change devoted route-mapping platforms. Even so, it did justify its value for a easy, extra social strategy to path rides.

Biking Navigation App Conclusions

There’s a bevy of biking navigation apps vying to information your subsequent experience, whether or not via metropolis streets or backcountry singletrack, however all of them nailed totally different factors.

Journey with GPS made an amazing case for it being your one devoted biking app for mapping and navigating each two-wheeled experience. OnX and Gaia (with Trailforks) as a substitute leaned into extra multisport utility by placing as a lot info on the paths and land out there in an space as potential, and letting me resolve what to do with it. Komoot and AllTrails opted for fast and straightforward utilization with a social bent that made them joyously nontechnical to make use of.

So, whereas there isn’t a one biking navigation app that did all of it completely, you’ll be able to relaxation assured realizing that one of many above will in all probability give you the results you want — and nearly any mixture of two of them will cowl you utterly.

As for me, addict that I’m, I’m going to maintain utilizing all of them concurrently to map as many routes as I can — and preserve questioning why my telephone has so little cupboard space and battery life.