Trail maps UK

JoeBlow

JoeBlow

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Ross-On-Wye
What's the best app for finding and navigating trails in the UK? I'm not interested in recording rides nor social media features which seem to be the main selling points of some apps. I am aware of Strava, Komoot and Tailforks which all require a subscription but I don't want to commit before knowing more. Which of these three is best? Are there any others? Are there any free ones?

From what I have seen of them they all seem to be somewhat light on trail information but that may be because I have not subscribed.

Al
 
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I'm a late convert to Komoot, and for a one off payment of £29.99, you unlock all the maps you'll need, rather than buying individual regions.
I've found it good for finding routes in areas we're visiting and have saved routes and then easily amended them ie to start from our accommodation, on the PC version.

It's important to save the routes for offline use though (just an app onscreen toggle), otherwise the app will drain your phone battery rapidly as it keeps trying to update the map using the phone's data connection while it's in use (guess how I found that out...).

The route is also broken down by distance on various surface or road type which is very useful.
You can also import/export routes as .gpx files if you also use a OS maps app as backup as I do.

I ignore all the social media bits, though you can share routes very easily if your fellow riders are also on Komoot.
 
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+1 for Komoot, it’s all I use now for finding and navigating routes.
It started off slow but now more people are using it there are some realy good routes building up. All giving you type of terrain, distances of each etc. and you can filter them to suit your preferences.
You can also send route to garmin device from the app, I send to my Fenix watch and navigate from there, rather than use phone.
 
JoeBlow said:
What's the best app for finding and navigating trails in the UK? I'm not interested in recording rides nor social media features which seem to be the main selling points of some apps. I am aware of Strava, Komoot and Tailforks which all require a subscription but I don't want to commit before knowing more. Which of these three is best? Are there any others? Are there any free ones?

From what I have seen of them they all seem to be somewhat light on trail information but that may be because I have not subscribed.

Al
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Are you looking for off piste type trails or just bridleway/paths etc?
For general nav I use the app outdoor GPS which you pay for the year and have access to all the os maps and they actually work offline unlike the os app. Unsure if it has navigation as I only use the map like a paper one.
 
Off piste in the uk doesn’t generally show up on apps. Trail center/official trails are on their websites.

If you want XC, various sites publish routes, for example: Best mountain bike routes: 21 great rides in the UK - MBR

There are some great XC e-bike loops in the Brecon Beacons. If you want to ride off piste, just go explore the local woods.
 
There seems to be a reluctance to share. I understand that MTBr's dont want to attract crowds but it's very frustrating when videos are published that show trails that look really good but there is no mention of start/finish points. I can't think of anything more boring than watching some guy, albeit very skilled, speeding down a trail with no additional information or commentary on single track through trees that could be anywhere.

I've had a look at Komoot but it's very disappointing. It only shows trails in my area that I am already aware of. I do know the general whereabouts of other trails but do not know any details that would enable me to find them easily and I do not have time to go out and explore as some will surely suggest. My personal circumstances mean I have to grab a couple of hours as and when I can so I want to make the most of it and I cannot afford to get lost and get delayed.
Elsonator said:
Are you looking for off piste type trails or just bridleway/paths etc?
For general nav I use the app outdoor GPS which you pay for the year and have access to all the os maps and they actually work offline unlike the os app. Unsure if it has navigation as I only use the map like a paper one.
Click to expand...
I'm looking for recognised single track trails. For example someone kindly sent me printable sections of map of trails near Ross-On-Wye which I knew nothing about. The quality is poor but probably enough for me to find them as he also sent What3words co-ordinates of key points.
 
The best way to discover trails is to latch on with other riders but that comes down to how much they want you around.
 
The strava heatmap has helped me find off piste routes that link trails togeather. I check the segment kom/qom leaderboard and download the GPX I like the look of. You can do all that with the free version, would probably work better with a subscription as you can view more than the top10
 
Bear-uk said:
Arsey twat
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Really. That's very offensive. I did not know how to answer it as I can't answer sensibly. I don't know names and saying MTBr's seems obvious. Saying people in the know even more so. It was not a good way to word my post. Look what happens we go off point for what was a simple query. Whats the best app?

If I have offended you I apologise, it was rather abrupt, would you like to take the opportunity to apologise for being so rude?
 
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JoeBlow said:
Really. That's very offensive. I did not kow how to answer it as I can't answer sensibly. I don't know names and saying MTBr's seems obvious. Saying people in the know even more so. It was not a good way to word my post. Look what happens we go off point for what was a simple query. Whats the best app?

If I have offended you I apologise, it was rather abrupt, would you like to take the opportunity to apologise for being so rude?
Click to expand...
1754981937609.jpeg
 
JoeBlow said:
Say what? You didn't say anything but you posted a picture suggesting I was back pedalling. I responded to that.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry your humour is too subtle for me I no longer know nor care what point you are trying to make. All you have managed to do is detract from the OP.
 
Occurs to me that the OP might be from the Forestry Commission or other "official" body surreptitiously trying to find out where so-called "unofficial" trails might be?
 
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I found most of my trails using a Garmin with Trailforks integration.

I've be riding round a regular forest loop and see a blue line off the side of it on the Garmin. Have a look between the trees, and find a new trail I've never been down before, and never knew existed.

Use the Trailforks website to create 'routes' using a whole heap of trails you've never been on before, and download it onto the Garmin. Then use the Garmin as a 'sat nav' when out on your bike - where it tells you to "turn right in 300 yards".
I've found lots of new forests, trails and routes using Trailforks / Garmin.

I'm on a Garmin Edge 840 now, but have done the Edge 800, 810, 820 and 830 over the last 15 years.
 
I've downloaded all three to try. Trailforks seems to be the clearest and most accurate for the area I know best, FOD. Strava seems to have the most trails overall but the presentation seems a little fuzzy and not too clear. It may be better once you start navigating but I did not like it. Komoot seems reasonable but I have spotted some anomalies with regard to naming and grades. Until someone can convince me otherwise I think I'm going with trailforks. I am currently unable to travel further afield so the fact that I could download the one area for free is a bonus.

I also like the fact that Trailforks has gone some way to doing what I have suggested in another post. Grading sections. So for example Sheepskull is Red in the top section and Black in the bottom. This IMO reflects the reality on the ground. I also think Trailforks is more MTB orientated than the other apps.

Thanks everyone for your input and I'm still open to changing my mind.
 
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I like Komoot for the ease of finding established routes, saving my own routes, and sharing with others but the maps themselves are awful for planning new routes compared to using OS Maps.

I really like the feature where you can see photos from along the route in the order you reach you those points.

When importing gpx files you also have to be careful it doesnt decide to replot them where it thinks is a better way to go!

As I think the OP has found, trailforks is best for sessionable trails and komoot for XC loops.
 
In general I found all the apps a bit lacking. It has happened several times that the route I was navigated on ended up being an unusable or impassable overgrown pain in the ass. And that includes all the major apps. Also I hate subscriptions.
 
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There are Facebook groups for the fod area which you could post on and see if you could tag along with a group. The fod is getting hot with FE sabotaging trails (in some cases they have made them more dangerous) at the moment and unfortunately that is the reason most people won't share this type of info with a stranger. For the fod and wye valley your best bet is strava heat maps and segments on there(check the incline/decline as some stuff can be quite steep).
 
Elsonator said:
Are you looking for off piste type trails or just bridleway/paths etc?
For general nav I use the app outdoor GPS which you pay for the year and have access to all the os maps and they actually work offline unlike the os app. Unsure if it has navigation as I only use the map like a paper one.
Click to expand...
I have the OS app and always download maps for offline use. If not it would be useless for areas without a signal.
OS maps are really the only ones to show exactly what you are riding on unlike the Steet Map based apps.
 
I tend to use a mixture of 3 apps OS Maps, OSMand and Komoot. If you buy a physical OS paper map then you get free online access to that map area via the OS Maps app. OSMand shows all the gates and stiles along just about every route and you're allowed a few area downloads without paying to store offline. And Komoot is well Komoot, it's good even in the free version.
 
JoeBlow said:
I've downloaded all three to try. Trailforks seems to be the clearest and most accurate for the area I know best, FOD. Strava seems to have the most trails overall but the presentation seems a little fuzzy and not too clear. It may be better once you start navigating but I did not like it. Komoot seems reasonable but I have spotted some anomalies with regard to naming and grades. Until someone can convince me otherwise I think I'm going with trailforks. I am currently unable to travel further afield so the fact that I could download the one area for free is a bonus.
Click to expand...

Trailforks is fairly useless for anything other than official trails in the UK (hence the question about what sort of trails you’re looking for is relevant). It only shows the official trails (plus the classic XC singletrack Dr Johns and Big Pig) in the base view:
IMG_2624.jpeg


The official website has almost as much info, with the benefit of having current trail status (unlike Trailforks which is showing part of the verderers descent currently closed).

Add the Strava segments view on Trailforks and you get some more trails, but no info or grading on the trail beyond the length and gradient. This gives you some clues where to go look for trails.
IMG_2625.jpeg


IMO Trailforks isn’t worth the £30/year (or whatever they charge now) for riding in the uk. I use it for finding singletrack and navigating in the alps, but never bother to open the app in the UK.

OS Maps app is more useful, although it is frustrating - even when you have a paid subscription with offline maps, it has to phone home to check you are allowed to view them. So those times when you want to view a map without having opened it recently, it sits there on a blank screen if you don’t have any signal…which is most of the places where I want to look at a map.
 
Dax said:
Trailforks is fairly useless for anything other than official trails in the UK (hence the question about what sort of trails you’re looking for is relevant). It only shows the official trails (plus the classic XC singletrack Dr Johns and Big Pig) in the base view:
View attachment 166227

The official website has almost as much info, with the benefit of having current trail status (unlike Trailforks which is showing part of the verderers descent currently closed).

Add the Strava segments view on Trailforks and you get some more trails, but no info or grading on the trail beyond the length and gradient. This gives you some clues where to go look for trails.
View attachment 166228

IMO Trailforks isn’t worth the £30/year (or whatever they charge now) for riding in the uk. I use it for finding singletrack and navigating in the alps, but never bother to open the app in the UK.

OS Maps app is more useful, although it is frustrating - even when you have a paid subscription with offline maps, it has to phone home to check you are allowed to view them. So those times when you want to view a map without having opened it recently, it sits there on a blank screen if you don’t have any signal…which is most of the places where I want to look at a map.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's why I dropped the OS maps app, the outdoor GPS app has all the os maps which you can download after a subscription of about a tenner I think and it actually works offline.
 
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My OS Maps used to do that sometimes but not for the past year or so, and I also no longer have to login to view my offline maps on the OS app. Think it was a problem with the desktop site and the mobile app not remembering each other.
 
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