Logging GPS tracks of your rides can be fun and informative. You can compare your times from previous rides, use the data to make full-blown maps for yourself or others, and you can even use those maps to earn a free, lifetime pro membership here at Singletracks!

Just a couple of years ago, tracking your ride required a dedicated GPS device, some retail or other proprietary software on your PC, and usually a paid membership to some website to upload all the tracks to. The evolution of GPS-enabled smartphones has changed all of that for the casual user. There are still excellent dedicated units on the market, and they usually come with bundled software and special websites, but for this article, we will focus instead on doing it for free with the smartphone you already have and some free software tools. Please note, this is about creating logs of your rides, NOT navigating via pre-existing GPS data. I will cover that in another article.

This article assumes you have access to a smartphone with built-in GPS. The first step will be to select an app to log your GPS position to a file every few seconds while you ride.

Android

For Android phones, MyTracks is a free app that works with your phone’s internal GPS to generate a track of your trip which can then be exported as a GPX, KML, TCX or CSV file (more on these formats in a bit.) In addition to GPS data tracking and display, if your phone happens to be ANT+ compatible, MyTracks can also interface with a Polar heart rate monitor or SRM power meter. This basically turns your phone into a Garmin Edge 800!

I have played with this app a little on my wife’s Evo 4G and it is fairly straightforward to use and seems to be accurate. Tracks are exported to the SD card, or can be uploaded to Google Maps, Facebook or Twitter. There is not an export via email feature.

iPhone

iPhone users also have a number of free and paid apps for GPS. GPS Tuner was reviewed by trek7k here on the blog, and it comes in a free ‘lite’ version, or you can gain access to the full feature set for $6.99. The lite version supports saving and exporting GPX tracks as per this post. You can read trek7k’s review of the full version here.

Blackberry

For my Blackberry I use and highly recommend the shareware app GPSLogger II. This app can log your progress at a set time interval and can be set to log track points at or above a preset speed (so that it doesn’t log your bathroom or snack breaks.) In addition to the basic logging functions, it also has a track-back feature to retrace your steps, a multi-panel display to show various stats while you ride, a ‘bike computer’ display mode, an audible alert for pre-defined distance markers, and an emergency alert mode if you stop moving for a set amount of time (that last feature requires cell service.)

Working With The Track Data

Okay, you’ve downloaded a GPS app to your smartphone, you’ve been on a ride and captured a track. … Now what?

First, about those file types…

The ‘standard’ format for GPS data files is .gpx, which is a form of XML. You can open one of these files in Wordpad to get an idea of how they work. TCX is a proprietary format created by Garmin. For regular old GPS data it is not needed, but if you also track heart rate data during your ride you will need this format. KML is a format specific to Google Earth. CSV is the same XML format as GPX, but formatted to open in a spreadsheet. GPX is the common denominator that works in all scenarios, so we’ll stick with that for the purposes of this post.

Using whatever method is appropriate to your phone, get the .gpx file to your computer. If you need to edit out any extraneous data from wandering around the parking lot, or even from the drive home, you can do so quickly and easily with a program called GPX Editor. Open the program, browse to and open your .gpx file, and it will be displayed graphically. You can then select and delete sections or segments, and save the trimmed version for uploading.

The next step is to find a place to upload the file.

First, there are a number of trails here on Singletracks.com that are lacking solid map data. If you record and upload three new or updated tracks, you will earn a free lifetime Pro membership to Singletracks.com. How cool is that! To upload here, look up the trail page for which you have GPS data. Under the ‘Dashboard’ section in the upper right, click the Add GPS Data link. Browse to the .gpx file on your hard drive, write a brief description and then click ‘Finish’ The submitted data will be reviewed and added to the map page for that trail.

Several websites allow for uploading and long-term tracking of your ride data. I have tried a bunch and have settled on Strava.com. The site allows you to upload and store your GPS tracks and then easily view charts and stats over the course of a number of rides, a specific time frame, etc. You can even tag rides to a specific bike and view stats per bike. (Handy for us reviewers.)

My second favorite site is Trimble Outdoors. Two of my favorite features on their site are the ability to ‘draw’ missing or extra sections by hand, for example if your GPS device misses a section, and the ability to embed geo-tagged photos. The latter is handy for creating a trail guide with pics of major intersections like this.

And finally, there is GPS App (beta) from the creators of Singletracks.com. GPS App has basic track management features, and also allows online editing of your track without the need for a standalone program.

Speaking of using your GPS data for geotagging photos, if your digital camera includes EXIF data in the digital image files (most do) then you can ‘geotag’ your photo by adding the GPS coordinates of each photo to the EXIF data. There is a free program for this called GPS Correlate. It comes in both Windows and Linux versions and I have used it pretty extensively. It works by loading up a .gpx file and a folder of digital pictures. It reads the timestamps of the photos and matches them up with corresponding track points on your GPX track. Once a match is made, the GPS coordinates are written permanently to the digital picture file. Sites like Flickr and Trimble Outdoors can understand this EXIF data, including the Geotag, and use it to place your pics on a map.

This is a lot of technical info, so here is a summary of the steps we’ve covered:

1. It’s assumed that you have a smartphone with built-in GPS.
2. Grab an app for your particular phone and spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the basic operation.
3. Bring your phone, start the GPS logger app and go for a ride. Don’t forget to stop logging when you finish!
4. Export the resulting .gpx data file to your PC via USB or email.
5. If needed, edit your file with GPX Editor or GPS App.
6. Upload your file to Singletracks, Strava, Trimble Outdoors, or open it in Google Earth.
7. Enjoy looking at your ride all mapped out, and check out your stats such as climbing, average speed, etc.
8. Optionally, Geotag the photos you took along the way.

Android screen shots.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been rolling out updates and new versions of our mobile apps and we wanted to fill everyone in on the latest. All the apps have been rewritten from the ground up to be faster (10X faster in some cases) and easier to use.

Here are just some of the new features added this time around:

• Topo maps for select trails. Pro and Trail subscribers can view all available Singletracks topo maps within the app while everyone else gets access to the 200+ free maps.
• Bike shop finder. Get info on nearby bike shops, add reviews, and even snap a photo of your LBS and upload to Singletracks directly from the app.
• Trail photo uploads. Snap a pic on the trail and upload directly to Singletracks.
• Photo of the Day integration. View the photo of the day and post comments.
• Refined look and feel. Added header graphics and inline action buttons.
• New “add a trail” form.
• Link to Singletracks.com main website on app home screen.

iPad screen shots.

Along with the feature updates, we also introduced new paid versions ($1.99) of both the Android and iPhone apps. The free and paid versions are exactly the same except the paid version features:

• No banner ads.
• Improved trail directions interface. Get driving directions to the trail from wherever you are directly in the app.
• iPad compatibility (iOS app only).

The existing free apps have also been re-branded “Singletracks Lite.”

For those who already have the iPhone or Android app installed, be sure to update your app today to start taking advantage of the new features! For those who don’t have the app, here are the download links:

iPhone free | iPhone paid ($1.99) || Android free | Android paid ($1.99)

Just a quick note to everyone that we updated the singletracks iPhone app this week and the new version should be showing up in iTunes today. This is officially version 1.0 (the first one was 0.9) and we’re really stoked about it. The updated app features a more native look and feel and should be more responsive as well. Here are the highlights:

• Create or log in to your singletracks account within the app. Once you’re logged in you can update trail statuses, add trail and gear reviews, add trails to your wishlist, and check-in whenever you hit the trail.
• View up to 18 photos of each trail in the new photo gallery.
• New search and filter functions make it easy to zero-in on the trail and gear reviews you want to find.
• Improved blog integration with thumbnails and enhanced readability.

Of course you can still find the closest trails based on your current location and get turn-by-turn directions to the trailhead. There are some other nice little surprises included as well that you can only access when you’re logged into your singletracks account. The app should also work well on iPad for those of you who roll that way.

For those who aren’t on an iPhone, you can access the mobile site through any web browser right here. And for those with an Android phone, good news: the new app should be super easy to port which means we hope to have an Android version available in the next few weeks.

We’ve already got a big list of new features for version 1.x and even 2.0 so stay tuned!

It seems like there’s no shortage of GPS applications for the iPhone these days but honestly most of them suck. Confusing interfaces, limited functionality, and poor reliability are par for the course, leaving us wondering why no one has tried to mimic successful interface designs from real GPS companies like Garmin. Then we tried an iPhone app called GPS Tuner that does pretty much everything our Garmin does – and more.

Interface

The GPS Tuner interface is mostly black and white which makes it easy to read and navigate. The trip computer screen is completely customizable and you can choose a layout with 2, 4, or 6 data fields. I found even the 6-field layout was easy to read on the bike and changing the data within each field was a cinch.

Mapping

Clearly any GPS app for the iPhone should place an emphasis on mapping and this is where GPS Tuner shines. You can choose from Google or one of several flavors of OpenStreet Maps (including a cycling-specific version) for the basemaps which are downloaded as needed. There’s also an option to download OpenStreet Map tiles before you head out of cell data range, helpful for forays into the backcountry.

GPS Tuner allows you to measure distances on the map by drawing a line with your finger which works well for estimating distances. There’s also a routing tool called SmartRoute Off-Road that claims to find the best route between two points, even through roadless areas. Routing is completed server-side meaning you need a data connection to do it but once the route is complete you can save it to your phone for later use. One complaint I have about the map screen is that it doesn’t orient the map in the direction of travel and I found myself twisting my head to get a better idea of what was coming up.

The elevation chart in GPS Tuner shows you a 2-dimensional plot of your altitude vs. time and the zoom feature makes it easy to see more detail. I’ve personally been disappointed to find that many entry level fitness GPS units omit this feature despite its usefulness on the trail.

Track and Data Recording

Just like the other GPS apps out there, GPS Tuner allows you to record tracks, routes, and waypoints during your ride. I love how easy it is to start – just hit the record button and go! There’s also a pause and stop button which is a great analogy that I hope other manufacturers latch onto. Since the iPhone doesn’t have a file system per se, you’ll need to email saved tracks to yourself in either GPX or KML format. Oddly enough, the GPX track export function actually saves the data in route format which isn’t the same thing at all. Luckily there are utilities that will convert route data to track data but it’s annoying to have the do the extra step (there may be a setting to fix this in the app but I found the online help to be somewhat incomplete).

In terms of track recording accuracy, you’re really at the mercy of the iPhone hardware and on tight singletrack my track data came out looking like a plate of spaghetti. The trackpoint polling interval can’t be changed either which makes detailed, accurate trail mapping difficult.

GPS Tuner presents a set of summary data for saved tracks and I found some of the stats from a recent ride pretty interesting. We’ve all been on rides where we think, “that seemed like way more climbing than descending,” and GPS Tuner can tell you if it’s true with a display of the overall % climbing/descending/flat. On a 20 mile ride last night I clocked 45% descending, 47% climbing, and 7% flat which actually sounds pretty accurate. The app also said my max acceleration was 42 ft/s^2 which is a little suspect considering that free fall is only 32 ft/s^2.

this trail is actually a loop that doesn’t cross over itself but you’d never know it from this track data

Other Functions

The GPS Tuner app includes some bells and whistles the average mountain biker may or may not find useful. There’s a bubble level (which I used to check the angle of my seat, 2-degrees) and a camera for taking geo-tagged photos (the iPhone’s built-in camera can do this too).

GPS Tuner features an emergency function that, when activated, sends an email to a list of pre-defined contacts with your last recorded location. Just remember – you need data access and this feature won’t notify emergency responders directly (for that, call 911 on your phone!).

Limitations

Despite all the great features GPS Tuner has to offer, the biggest limitation to using the app on the trail is the iPhone hardware itself. I found my phone’s touchscreen is worthless when I’m wearing gloves and mounting the phone to my handlebars requires an extreme act of faith. In playing around with the app I also found there’s no easy way to “quit” which keeps the app running in the background even when you’re not recording a track, draining the battery in a little under 2 hours. The solution: when you’re done, double tap the home button on your main app screen, then hold down your finger over the row of icons at the bottom until you see the minus sign for quitting the app.

GPS Tuner is our choice for the best GPS iPhone app thanks to its clean interface, solid feature list, and ease of use. And while it won’t replace our Garmin units for serious mountain biking trips, it’s a good choice for those who aren’t ready to commit to a standalone GPS unit for mountain biking. Check out the free version in the iPhone app store or buy the full version for just $6.99.

Thanks to the folks at GPS Tuner for providing a review copy of the app.

According to internal surveys, 41% of singletracks members generally go mountain biking alone. Admittedly hitting the trail solo isn’t the safest idea but sometimes it just happens due to scheduling conflicts, weather, etc. For those times that you do find yourself in an army of one, check out the My911 crash reporting app for Android, Blackberry, and (coming soon) iPhone.

The idea is simple: fire up the app when you hit the trail and My911 uses smartphone sensors to detect impact and speed to determine if the user has crashed. Once the app thinks an emergency has occurred it sounds a siren to let the user know it’s about to call 911. Assuming it’s a real emergency and you haven’t turned the app off yet, an emergency call is placed giving your GPS coordinates to emergency responders. The app allows you to adjust sensitivity to react to anything from minor spills to major catastrophes and you can program in up to 5 emergency contacts to notify in case of an accident.

Although there aren’t a lot of technical details available about the app, we assume the app takes into consideration both sudden deceleration and velocity (i.e. coming to a complete stop and staying stopped) to to avoid false alarms after landing monster jumps or punishing rock gardens. Since we haven’t tested the app ourselves we’re also curious about how the app affects battery life. Most GPS-enabled apps we’ve used can drain a battery in a matter of hours, even when running in the background. A dead phone isn’t all that useful in an emergency (nor is one without a signal so consider that as well).

Of course another way to stay safe when biking alone is to let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll return. And it’s always a good idea to ride well within your limits when you’re solo – besides, no one will be there to see if you clean that rutted, rooty downhill section anyway.

Whether you decide to go high tech or low tech, just remember to take extra precautions when riding alone. Now what this app needs is a way to take pics of your injuries to show your buddies when you get back!

On my week-long hut-to-hut mountain biking trip this summer I brought along a raft of extra parts: chain, derailleur, spokes, cables, and brake pads but to be honest I really didn’t know how I was gonna use some of that stuff. Fortunately one of the guys I rode with, Matt, had worked in a bike shop so he was my go-to guy with trailside repair questions. Unfortunately I don’t get to ride with smart guys like Matt all the time so I was stoked when I heard about the Bike Doctor iPhone app.

The app itself is pretty simple: repairs are grouped by category (brakes, wheel, crank, etc.) and can be filtered by bike type (mountain, road, or hybrid). Each repair is broken into steps so you can go at your own pace and the presentation is neat, readable, and easy to navigate. The first step lists the tools and supplies you’ll need to complete the task and the tutorials offer (mostly) helpful photos to go along with the instructions.

The app is completely self-contained so you don’t need an internet connection to use it which makes it a good choice for backcountry excursions (just bring extra batteries if you’ll be gone a long time!). There’s even a safety check section included, though it’s mostly common sense and mountain bikers may not find it all that useful. Beyond repair stuff the Bike Doctor app also includes maintenance tutorials on how to clean and lube your bike.

I like the idea of putting repair info into a mobile format so I can use it in my basement workshop without lugging the computer down or printing pages from a PDF that I’ll end up throwing away afterward. While the Bike Doctor app doesn’t cover everything yet (bleeding hydraulic disk brakes comes to mind), hopefully we’ll see the number of tutorials grow as the app is updated.

Bike Doctor is also available for Android phones – check out the Bike Doctor app website to find out more and to purchase your copy.

After several months of work we’re stoked to finally tell everyone about the Singletracks Mountain Bike Trails, Reviews, and News iPhone app! Download it free from the iTunes store right now.

Here’s a little bit about what the app includes and how it works. Screenshots attached for those who aren’t on iPhone yet.

Trail Info

The trail tab gives you two options for searching: map and list. The map view allows you to enter a city or region (say Denver or North Carolina) and shows all trails within 150 miles of that location. You can also click the “Current” button on the map page to automatically center the map on your current location (great for road trips). As on the main website, blue pins show exact trailhead locations while white pins show approximate locations. Click a pin to see the trail’s name and difficulty rating; click the trail name to view a photo, average rating, description, and more.

The trail list organizes trails by state (or country outside the US and Canada). Admittedly the list can get a little hairy for states like Colorado and California and we’re workin’ on it; for now, we recommend sticking with the map view if you live in a state with a lot of trails.

Once you’re on a trail page you can click the “Rating” link to read member trail reviews. On many trail pages the “Directions” heading will also be a clickable link that automatically calculates driving directions to the trailhead from your current location. Shazam!

Gear Tab

The gear tab gives you access to the entire singletracks MTB review catalog on the go so you can check ratings and reviews as you drool over the latest bling at your local bike shop. Mountain bike reviews are categorized and alphabetized to make stuff easy to find. Individual review pages show a small pic of the item, average rating, MSRP (if available), and basic info about the item. Click the “Rating” block to read individual member reviews.

Blog Tab

Some of you may be reading this very post via the Singletracks iPhone app right now via the blog tab. The latest news is on top and articles and pics are formatted for easy reading.

Officially this is version 0.9 of the Singletracks iPhone app and we’re already thinking about how we can make the app better and easier to use. We’re also exploring other mobile app platforms as well so stay tuned! And don’t forget you can also check out the singletracks mobile website on any phone, m.singletracks.com.

image courtesy Patently Apple.

MacRumors reports on a recent patent application filed by Apple Computer related to a bike “super-computer” that could run on the iPhone and/or iPod. While many of the features mentioned aren’t groundbreaking (speed, cadence, heart rate, GPS routing, among others), there are a few interesting ideas worth mentioning.

Derailleur Settings

We don’t know of an existing sensor that records bike derailleur settings but it’s not too hard to imagine placing a transmitter in the shifters to keep track of gear ratios. Like the Nike+iPod system for running shoes, the sensor would need to be purchased separately or integrated into the shifters before purchase.

Communication Functions

This feature set has the potential to be a game changer, particularly in the world of competitive road cycling where team members are in constant communication with one another. One of the drawings submitted with the patent application shows a map with pins for each rider in a group, along with speed and cadence information for each rider. An obvious extension of this would be to show an estimate of how long it will take to catch a leading rider or to route lost riders back to their group.

Many of the communication functions discussed in the Apple patent seem geared toward the recreational rider including the ability to rate and recommend routes. Riders could also share their ride characteristics (i.e. how fast they are) to assist in forming group rides. In some ways it seems like this might be overkill but remember, this is just a patent application and not necessarily an actual product being developed.

Environmental Condition Tracking

The Apple patent also mentions the potential to track things like wind speed and weather which is interesting but seems useful for only the most serious riders. Besides, we’re imagining one of those spinning weather vanes with cup paddles on the handlebars – not very aero. Perhaps Apple has a more elegant solution involving pulling data from the National Weather Service based on time and location data along the ride. Of course there is such a thing as too much data and the real challenge will be building an interface that makes sense of all the information.

What About Mountain Bikes?

Most of the features listed here sound pretty roadie-centric which is probably a good idea since cyclists are more likely to have cell service on the pavement than on the dirt. And mounting a pricey iPhone on mountain bike handlebars is a risk many riders aren’t willing to take (stuffing the phone in a jersey pocket works but then you can’t see the screen to make use of all the cool features).

Assuming these hurdles could be overcome, we’d love to see a resurrection of our “virtual mountain bike race” concept from several years back. Basically the idea is to use the GPS features to conduct a time trial on a set course and to track the best times online. Then there’s also the whole mapping component – take track data from dozens of riders on a trail network and average the data to produce accurate trail maps. Hey Apple, if you wanna add this stuff to your patent app, let’s talk.

Ok, so we don’t do a lot of product “previews” like this but two MTB products caught our attention this week and we wanted to share. Hopefully within the next few months we’ll get an opportunity to go hands-on to give you the deets.

NiteRider DIY Software

Maximizing existing mountain bike light systems involves trading off light output (lumens) with battery life and until now riders were forced to accept pre-packaged settings from the manufacturers. In the latest Pro models from NiteRider, engineers have added a software layer to the lighting hardware so riders can customize output and run-time to fit the trails and conditions they’re riding. Riders can even come up with their own flash modes and can store up to 4 custom lighting programs for quick access on the trail! Read more at NiteRiderServices.com.

Magellan ToughCase for iPhone

We recently wrote about a handlebar mount for the iPhone and while it works pretty well we’re still a little sketched out about crunching our phone on the trail. Enter the ToughCase from Magellan. At first we thought this was just a really beefy case but it also incorporates a high accuracy GPS chipset to augment the phone’s GPS capabilities PLUS a built-in power supply to keep you juiced on epic rides.

The case is waterproof yet all the phone’s touch screen capabilities are still available while the phone is inside its case. Magellan offers multiple mounting solutions, including a handlebar mount, though there’s no word on whether it comes with an iPhone replacement guarantee.

Just a quick preview for those of you who have an iPhone. I picked up the RAM iPhone handlebar mount for my mountain bike a few weeks ago and to be honest I didn’t have high hopes. The iPhone is a pretty fragile (and expensive!) piece of electronics and like a nervous parent I was skeptical about securing my baby to a $15 piece of plastic.

I started out taking the iPhone on relatively tame road rides with short bits of singletrack mixed in and to my amazement, the iPhone stayed secure in the RAM mount and was unaffected by the vibration. Based on the success of these tests I’m ready to tackle some more aggressive trails with the iPhone on my bars, though I’ll probably stop short of riding in muddy or wet conditions.

The RAM iPhone handlebar mount uses zip ties to attach to the bars and includes an adapter for mounting to tapered handlebars. The large plastic iPhone holder twists off the attached handlebar mount for those times when you don’t need it and is pliable enough to snap the phone in and out fairly easily. RAM also includes a small strip of rubber to protect your handlebars from abrasion caused by the zip ties. I don’t know if this version is compatible with iPhone 4 but if not, I’m sure RAM has something in the works.

Once I get more miles in riding with the iPhone I’ll be reviewing on-trail apps like MotionX that mountain bikers may find useful. In the meantime, let me know in the comments which apps you use when you ride with the iPhone or if you’ve found other handlebar mounts that work well.

A press release earlier today announced that well-known downhill racer Steve Peat would be lending his name to the world’s first DH mountain bike racing game for the iPhone family of gadgets. The game is reported to feature real life racers and courses from around the world. According to the UK developer, Apposing, the game will launch in early June, conveniently around the time of the 2010 UCI DH World Cup in Scotland, which takes place June 5th and 6th.

Steve Peat commented on the game saying that “we are confident that this game will raise the bar within the extreme sports genre.” Based on my experience, there’s not much of a bar to be raised. The last decent mountain biking video game was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2003, so currently there’s not a lot of competition in the market. I get the feeling that this game will be a hit.

Most “nice” iPhone games cost about five bucks. At that rate, would any of you consider buying this?

For less details and possibly a video, check out apposing.co.uk.

There’s been a lot of discussion about GPS and mountain biking around here lately so we thought we’d put together our first ever Mountain Bikers’ Buyers Guide to help you make the right choice. Look for more buyers guides for other MTB products coming soon!

Basic Features Most GPS Devices Include

While there are a wide range of GPS choices available, most will at least include the basics:

• USB connection: Older GPS units used serial connections but today’s devices include a way to connect to your PC or Mac.
• Speed and distance tracking: Standard on 99.9% of GPS units.
• Ability to mark points of interest: These are called waypoints and most devices give you a way to mark your current location and add a short title to help you remember what you marked.
• Elevation tracking: GPS devices have varying degrees of accuracy around elevation/altitude readings but almost all are accurate enough for consumer use.
• Path tracking: Most GPS devices are constantly marking where you are on screen so you can follow your path back to the start in case you get lost. This series of data points showing where you’ve been is called a “track.”
• Basic navigation: At a minimum, most GPS devices will help you navigate (via straight line) from point A to point B.

Beyond the basics, you need to decide what you want to use your GPS for on the mountain bike trail.

Navigation or Fitness… or Both?

There are two main uses for GPS devices on the trail: navigation and fitness training. Of course many of us want a device that does both and that’s certainly possible – but it’s generally more expensive than a single-use device.

Navigation

If you want a GPS to use for trail navigation, you’ll want to choose one with a color screen, the ability to load detailed maps, and support for an external memory card. Keep in mind that detailed “basemaps” may or may not come pre-loaded with your GPS and can cost up to $100 each. Some manufacturers make a distinction between topographic and driving maps so if you want turn-by-turn directions like the ones you use in the car, make sure you get driving maps in addition to topo basemaps for the trails. Almost all basemaps show things like bodies of water, roadways, railroad tracks, cities/towns, and other landmarks which are useful for navigation.

Fitness

For workout and fitness level tracking, choose a GPS unit that can be paired with a heart rate monitor, power meter, etc. Also consider the included and compatible fitness training software for your GPS. There are plenty of fitness tracking websites that allow you to upload your GPS data directly via web browser for analysis.

Other considerations

Beyond general usage, consider other features you may find useful:

• Battery type: Some devices include an integrated rechargeable battery while others require AA or AAA batteries that must be replaced.
• Form factor and bike mounts: Larger units, like those designed for use in the car, can be mounted to bike handlebars but they’re often awkward. Scope out compatible bike mounts before you choose your GPS.
• Other usage: If you’re into outdoor activities other than biking (say hiking or running), look for a device that can do double (or triple) duty. Just remember, cycling-specific GPS units perform better on the trail than multi-purpose devices.

Recommendations for Mountain Bikers

With all those considerations in mind, here’s a list of our top picks for mountain bike GPS devices in three categories: cheap and good, mid-range, and money is no object. Also be sure to read all the reviews here on singletracks to find out what mountain bikers are saying about other devices we didn’t include.

Cheap and Good GPS Devices for Biking

• Garmin eTrex H: Does all the basics but doesn’t include navigation or fitness functions. No matter, it’s available for less than $100 and is the only GPS we used for years before upgrading.
• Garmin Forerunner 205: This wrist-mounted fitness device is great for both biking and running. Consider getting a bike mount for the Forerunner since it tends to impede wrist motion on the bike. For heart rate monitor compatibility, you’ll need to spend a bit more for the Forerunner 305.
• Garmin Edge 205: At $249 MSRP, this is the most expensive of the “cheap” devices but it’s also the best suited to mountain biking. Still, it doesn’t contain robust fitness or navigation features so you may find the need to upgrade sooner rather than later. Includes bike mount.

Mid-range GPS Devices for Biking

• Garmin Edge 305: One step up from the Edge 205, this device adds support for a wireless heart rate monitor and other fitness tools. Bike mount included.
• DeLorme PN-40: Available online for less than $300, the PN-40 includes a color screen and basemaps for navigation. It’s a little bulky on the handlebars but is a great choice for color navigation on a budget and does double duty as a great hiking GPS.
• iPhone: We weren’t sure where to place this one but if you already have an iPhone you can get decent mapping apps for less than $10 each. Of course the iPhone is a bit more fragile than devices specifically made for outdoor activities and you may not have access to basemaps if you’re out of cell tower range.

Money Is No Object

• Garmin Edge 705: If you have the coin to spend and are looking for a GPS to use primarily for biking, go for the Edge 705. This GPS does it all, from color screen navigation to wireless fitness tracking, all in a convenient and easy to use package for mountain or road biking.

Where to Shop for Mountain Bike GPS Devices

While more and more local bike shops are stocking GPS devices these days, you’ll generally find the best selection online at electronics retailers like Amazon.com. You’ll also get the best prices at Amazon, in some cases lower than what cycling retailers pay. Of course it’s always a good idea to support your LBS so check there first to see if they have what you need.

Summary

Choosing and buying a GPS for mountain biking takes a bit of research and planning but it’s well worth the effort. The right GPS can help you say on the trail, find the best singletrack, and elevate your training to the next level. Happy trails!