Looking for easy to use app for locating mtb trails. Suggestions please.

CarolinaCrawler

Active member
Jan 30, 2023
258
271
North Carolina
I am a huge trailforks fan but I'm having a hard time stomaching the 50% price increase this year. I'm truly disappointed with that. I've been trying to use MTB Project but its just not as user friendly as trailforks. I may have to bite the bullet and just pay the man.

Been looking an OnX. I'm not quite sure about it yet.

I'll be interested to hear what everyone else are using to see of there's an affordable alternative.
 

RustyIron

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Jun 5, 2021
1,842
2,878
La Habra, California
I am a huge trailforks fan but I'm having a hard time stomaching the 50% price increase this year.

I'm also a fan of Trailforks. My price is grandfathered in. I continue to pay so I don't loose the discounted price, and also out of a sense of fairness. It they were to ever jack up my price, I'd just cancel and use the free model. You can download one state at a time for free. Typically, I don't NEED multiple states, but it's convenient.

MTB Project is a good alternative. I don't fined it as comprehensive as Trailforks, but Trailforks seems to be run by a lot of "woke" people who delete trails of questionable legality. Trailforks also "sanitizes" trail names that they deem inappropriate. Mentally Sensitive... T&A... Fook You... are all too "triggering" for Trailforks management.

So for me, it's Trailforks with MTB Project as a backup. In the old days, we used Geoladders. It faded away, and then there was a resurgence, but I never went back.
 

Streddaz

Active member
Jul 7, 2022
302
429
Tasmania
If you are just looking to see where people are riding and what is popular you can use Strava heatmaps and if you have Premium there's now Strava routes. I don't have Premium so I have no idea what it is like, but I have used heatmaps to find trails. Still won't give you anywhere near the useability and the information that Trailforks provides. As others have said there's MTB Project but it depends where you are as it doesn't cover a lot of places
 

flyingjack

New Member
Jul 14, 2024
10
8
80516
If you are just looking to see where people are riding and what is popular you can use Strava heatmaps and if you have Premium there's now Strava routes. I don't have Premium so I have no idea what it is like, but I have used heatmaps to find trails. Still won't give you anywhere near the useability and the information that Trailforks provides. As others have said there's MTB Project but it depends where you are as it doesn't cover a lot of places
Not too concerned where others are riding; the vast majority of this group appears to be fast movers and jumpers. AT 73 with a couple of metal joints I'm just having fun getting on the single track blues/blacks= no technical stuff. Looks like great fun; but, that ship has sailed for me. I've been on MTB project for about 5 yrs and new to Trail Forks; just asking for what apps others consider the best. OBTW-live in N Colo and take ebike with camper to northwest US at least once per year and Arkansas as well. AR has wonderful bike trails; from flat trails to the really tech stuff. Planning to ride as much of the Colorado Trail as we can= nearly 500 miles and most above 10k elevation; BUT, I think only about 60 miles allows ebikes. I'm working on getting maps to figure this out-very confusing where legal vs not. May just pick the fun places and take my chances. I've paid way too much taxes to be told I can't ride my bike.:):)
 

skizzian

New Member
Jul 23, 2024
7
2
Hurtwood
it's Trailforks all the way really...
I think you can look at any area just by going to the site https://www.trailforks.com/ but not trail info
I think you don't need to join pinkbike anymore
but it is pretty pricey if you subscribe
you get one area for free...
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,730
2,112
FoD
Trailforks is very location dependent, none of my local trails are on there, but I’ve used it a ton in the alps. Pricing has got fairly ridiculous thou
 

Mrj35

Member
Sep 29, 2023
194
124
canada
ive still got the early adopter price for trailforkspro guess I wont cancel it lol. I also used to use fatmap for the hidden trails, but I think strava purchased it.
 

flyingjack

New Member
Jul 14, 2024
10
8
80516
Mrj35; does Trailforks Pro have more pics or give more info on actual types of trails. I'm no longer a technical rider; but, I'm not dead yet either. We would like to stay of blue or light black and out of heavy rock trails; takes me too long to heal.
 

CraigR

Member
Aug 10, 2020
72
66
Livermore, Ca
MTB Project - Will allow sanctioned trails to be added. You have to have a trail map with the trail on it and bike approved to get it on MTB Project.

Trailforks - Allows most any trails to be added.

In both cases, they are only as good as the trails added by users. If your local trails are not on one or either of them don't complain, fix the problem. The next time you ride record the trail (Both apps have recording options in them) and upload the trail to the app. Once you upload to one of them, you can then download the GPS file and upload it to the other app as well. Both apps allow you to edit the trail once you have recorded it in the app. This way you can fill in missing GPS points that your phone/watch missed along the way and smooth out the curves in the trails. You can also change the start/end point to match the start/end of the trail. And in the case of trailforks, if there is no official name to the trail, you can give a name too (though as someone pointed out, it needs to be PC name).

Again, you can upload most any trail to Trailforks. as long as it is on public property. If you upload to MTB Project you need to upload the digital trail map from the park that you are ridding in as well as the name of the land owner so that they can verify it is a legal bike trail.

As for the cost, you are riding a bike worth $5k-$12k (USD) plus whatever you spend on gear and clothing. Is $54 (USD) [Trailforks] (Isn't MTBProject free to use?) a year that much to make sure you have fun and get you where you want to go and more importantly get you home when you are lost?
 

Downhillr

Active member
Jul 2, 2021
292
154
SF Bay, California
Not too concerned where others are riding; the vast majority of this group appears to be fast movers and jumpers. AT 73 with a couple of metal joints I'm just having fun getting on the single track blues/blacks= no technical stuff. Looks like great fun; but, that ship has sailed for me. I've been on MTB project for about 5 yrs and new to Trail Forks; just asking for what apps others consider the best. OBTW-live in N Colo and take ebike with camper to northwest US at least once per year and Arkansas as well. AR has wonderful bike trails; from flat trails to the really tech stuff. Planning to ride as much of the Colorado Trail as we can= nearly 500 miles and most above 10k elevation; BUT, I think only about 60 miles allows ebikes. I'm working on getting maps to figure this out-very confusing where legal vs not. May just pick the fun places and take my chances. I've paid way too much taxes to be told I can't ride my bike.:):)
I’d suggest going to see your ortho doc. If you have bum knees or back (at 73 I have one) get application form to submit to your state dmv ask for disabled placard due to you issues. Once you have that, according to federal ADA laws you are allowed to use e-bike wherever “analog” bikes are allowed. Don't know if that helps in your situation but it may open some options for you.
 

Mrj35

Member
Sep 29, 2023
194
124
canada
Mrj35; does Trailforks Pro have more pics or give more info on actual types of trails. I'm no longer a technical rider; but, I'm not dead yet either. We would like to stay of blue or light black and out of heavy rock trails; takes me too long to heal.
it depends on your area. in canada theres a lot of good trail photos and info. I would just check the free version of your area first and see what is there.
 

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