Track Your Ride: Top Apps for Mountain Bikers

Getting out on the trails with your mountain bike is one of the great pleasures in life: just you (and perhaps a few close friends) and the open trails winding through the forests, meadows and mountains of the country. It can make you forget about everything else and let you live in the moment.

And with today’s ubiquitous mobile devices, you can take advantage of technology and use a few apps that can help make your rides even more enjoyable. From finding the right trails to knowing what the weather has in store for your ride, there are plenty of apps out there to help you find all of the information you need. Here are some apps that you may want to check out next time you hit the trails.

Avenza PDF Maps

This app is great for helping you locate trails to try and to map out your route, with or without an internet connection.

The app allows you to download geographical PDFs and store them on your mobile device, so you will have a copy of them no matter where you are. Many mountain bike clubs throughout the country are adding maps every day, so you can find ones marked for many locations you may ride to. The app itself is free, as are many of the available maps, but there are some you may have to pay for, which usually just cost a dollar or so.

Weather Live Free

If you plan to hit the trails, you probably want to know what the weather will be like so you can dress and plan accordingly, and this weather app has everything you will need to know what to expect.

Along with the real temperature, it offers a “feels like” temperature, so you will know how badly the humidity may affect you on your ride. Weather Live also gives you the wind speed and direction, the total precipitation for the day and the times for sunrise and sunset so you know when to head out and when to start heading back.

There is also a weather radar that will let you keep up with any fronts that may be moving into your area. If you want, you can use the widget that comes with the app, so you can have all of the information set on your home screen for easy access.

Bike Gear Calculator

This gear calculator app will tell you everything you need to know about your chain and gear setup so you can have the most efficient ride.

You just plug in your information and the app will tell you how far you can travel on a certain number of pedal rotations. This way, you can adjust your gears and settings accordingly to get the most out of your trail rides. You can play around with the ratios to find the one that’s best for you.

Just because you’re heading to the trail doesn’t mean you can’t let technology help. Try these apps next time you hit the trails.

Maisie Finch is an outdoor adventurer who loves travel, working in the industry for many years. In her free time, when not off exploring new places she enjoys mountain biking and hiking.