Biking GPS App Evaluate: Do not Get Misplaced

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

The choices for a way and the place to journey at the moment are extremely different, and everybody who places foot to pedal wants a strategy to map their rides. Extra consumer information and higher tech have made navigating by city and backcountry environments extra handy and correct than ever.

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

In brief: It’s no shock that there’s a glut of biking GPS apps, all boasting completely different sturdy fits and approaches to navigating two-wheeled rides. So, we took a peek behind the paywalls and put half a dozen of the preferred platforms by a number of hundred miles of planning, mapping, and driving throughout completely different states to see how they stack up. Learn on to search out our conclusions.

Experience With GPS

Experience With GPS (RWGPS, $60 yearly for Fundamental and $80 for Premium) was simply probably the most simple do-it-all biking navigation app available on the market. In case you’re searching for an app that can can help you navigate round city areas with out Google Maps, plan out backcountry bikepacking journeys, monitor rides, learn critiques of recent routes, and see the place everybody else is driving — RWGPS will get the job performed.

Its navigation was by far the best of the bunch to make use of. I typed in a vacation spot, and it rapidly 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 based mostly on earlier rides.

For bikepacking and touring journeys, RWGPS premium supplied intuitive however detailed mapping instruments for each cellular and desktop. When it was time to journey, these routes supplied turn-by-turn instructions and may very well be exported in additional file codecs than every other biking GPS platform.

One other standout characteristic of RWGPS premium was the warmth maps, that are maps of biking site visitors patterns (both your personal or from their huge consumer base). These maps made it straightforward to see which trails and roads have been the preferred, each normally and not too long ago.

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 characteristic, making it awkward to only journey from one place to a different with out recording it.

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

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

Nevertheless, 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 basic data on path composition and situations.

On well-mapped and reported trails, it delivered a wealth of data on campsites, water refill stations, bike outlets, critiques, and extra. Nevertheless, with out ample consumer reviews, the RWGPS maps typically 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 knowledge I wanted in regards to the land I used to be traversing.

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

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 simple to comply with. Its MTB overlay was unbelievable at displaying and instantly categorizing MTB routes into newbie, intermediate, and superior trails.

That mentioned, with a more recent biking consumer 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 general.

In our testing, onX routinely did one of the best at annotating and differentiating between landmarks akin to 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 cellular mapping app.

Nevertheless, onX began as a searching app, and it confirmed. It didn’t supply 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 consumer base, its MTB layer highlighted the fewest trails and user-generated routes. If you would like an app that makes planning a bikepacking journey or each day commute so simple as doable, this isn’t it.

If, then again, you need dependable land info and extra guide controls, onX was second to none. For the multi-sport-minded, or these searching for a backup app for crafting unique routes, onX was it.

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

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

GAIA GPS/Trailforks

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

It was exhausting to discover a process that this dynamic duo couldn’t sort out effectively. By itself, the Trailforks layer clearly highlighted biking trails and user-generated routes in response to sport (gravel, MTB, street, and so forth.), graded them by expertise degree, and supplied basic info on restrictions, critiques, and common journey stats.

Utilizing Trailforks as a layer as an alternative of a standalone app did make the consumer expertise a bit extra difficult. Via Gaia, there was no simple strategy to entry Trailfork’s heatmaps. Thankfully, I may nonetheless assess these by the Trailfork app, which was a part of the bundle. So, it doesn’t matter what, the added capabilities Gaia dropped at the desk have been effectively value it.

Gaia had by far probably the most map layers of any platform on this record. Mountaineering, fishing, overlanding, basic outside recreation — no matter different hobbies you might need, there was a layer for it in Gaia. This made it straightforward to customise maps. Downloaded routes, as effectively, may very well be personalized to incorporate no matter layers I desired.

After all, all this added utility got here with problems. Gaia had the steepest studying curve and most intricate consumer interface of any app right here. Even with all its layers, it sometimes 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, for those who’re the form of multisport outside fanatic who merely desires one app for the whole lot outdoors of city biking (the place there’s at all times Google Maps), the Gaia and Trailforks bundle obtained the job performed. 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 preferred 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 problem, and highlighted in response to which layers I had lively.

Komoot did delineate between trails a bit awkwardly, dividing them into “mountain,” “touring,” “bikepacking,” and “street” biking classes. The “touring” and “bikepacking” legal professionals tended to spotlight solely lengthy, promoted, mutually unique trails. The shortage 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.

Nevertheless, the routes highlighted have been standard within the space. I may choose any of them, and it was a breeze to verify 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 mechanically divide the routes by each day stretches based mostly on my self-reported health and bike sort. Pre-established routes additionally are likely to characteristic images and critiques which can be mechanically translated by Google into your language of choice.

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

A few of the biking navigation apps on this record 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 loads out of Komoot’s dwell, shared ride-tracking characteristic and easy interface. 

AllTrails+

AllTrails+ ($36 yearly) was the odd one out. It was the one app within the lineup with no guide route-mapping means. It additionally didn’t enable for point-to-point navigation. And whereas it had a number of map layers, they solely beat out Komoot by way of 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, ranking, and documenting new routes.

AllTrails was simply probably the most photo-forward platform right here. Its house 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 quite towards displaying images, critiques, and maps of routes ridden by others.

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

This made for a clear, easy consumer interface. An extended record of additional layers was out there on Komoot and onX akin to “scenic driving,” “paddlesports,” “fishing,” and extra. Nevertheless, 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 have been straightforward to hint with dwell monitoring, however AllTrails didn’t supply turn-by-turn navigation. Likewise, it lacked the flexibility to change imported maps, generate unique routes (besides by recording rides), or see many particulars in regards to the lands I rode alongside.

Its maps have been simple, with helpful data on climate, gentle air pollution, air high quality, and extra. The large consumer base offered a glut of critiques and images of standard routes. The offline maps, route monitoring, and built-in options for alerting contacts have 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 worth for a easy, extra social method to path rides.

Biking Navigation App Conclusions

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

Experience with GPS made an important case for it being your one devoted biking app for mapping and navigating each two-wheeled journey. OnX and Gaia (with Trailforks) as an alternative leaned into extra multisport utility by placing as a lot info on the paths and land out there in an space as doable, and letting me determine what to do with it. Komoot and AllTrails opted for fast and simple 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 figuring out 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 fully.

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.