Ok Android users, this one is for you: the singletracks Android app was officially published yesterday afternoon! Download it for free to find nearby trails, read and post reviews, and read the singletracks blog, just like the iPhone version.

We also quietly added trail progress bars to everyone’s “My Account” page earlier this week as a fun way to track how many great trails you’ve ridden. The first bar shows the percentage of trails in your state you’ve ridden; the next shows the percentage of IMBA Epics; and the third shows the percentage of the singletracks top 100 mountain bike trails. We’ve also updated the top 100 trails page to show you which trails you’ve ridden at a glance (your trails are shaded green on the list).

Feel free to post your stats here in the comments or in this forum thread we just started. Who is the king of the IMBA Epics? The most well-traveled mountain biker in your state? Let the smack talk begin.

Thanks to singletracks member ckdake for the progress bar feature suggestion!

Just wanted to let everyone know about a few recent updates here on singletracks:

Trail Check-in Points

Singletracks members will now receive 2 points for each trail check-in via m.singletracks.com. As more and more members use this feature we’ll recognize the “trail marshall” (kinda like the mayor) of each trail based on the number of check-ins.

For those who haven’t used trail check-ins before, the feature is only available on the mobile website (not the iPhone app yet – we know, that thing needs an update – in the meantime we’re using the mobile site ourselves). Just login and click the “check in” link on the appropriate trail page; we’ll record your location when you check in and we’ll show you a list of others who have checked in to the trail within the last 24 hours.

On a related note, we re-organized member profile pages a bit with new tabs for trail lists, photos, custom bikes, and other stuff.

Stickers and Singletracks Merch

We just updated the singletracks merch pages with new offers including a singletracks sticker 4-pack for just a buck. Yeah, shipping is still $3 but it doesn’t matter how much you order so throw in a t-shirt and some printed maps to maximize your order!

Mountain Bike Tour Finder

We recently partnered with SWAE Sports to offer info on booking guided mountain bike tours and trips around the world. Browse trips, get more info, and even book through singletracks – it’s super simple to do. Singletracks receives a small commission from each trip booked through the site so it’s a great way to show your support. Now is the time to start planning amazing MTB trips for the summer and fall!

One thing we’ve learned over the years is that mountain biking is always more fun in a group – whether it’s two of us or ten of us. But sometimes coordinating schedules can be tough and making new friends at the trailhead can be awkward at first. So to help with the process we’ve added a “mobile check-in” feature to the singletracks mobile website.

Just fire up m.singletracks.com on your phone, navigate to the trailhead where you’re riding, and “check-in.” Anyone who views the mobile trail listing will be able to see a list, with check-in times, of singletracks members who have checked-in within the last 24 hours. Sweet!

Of course it doesn’t stop there. We’re trail data junkies at heart so we’re working on even more ways to display the check-in data for each trail to make the listings even more useful. For example, one day you’ll be able to see who has checked-in at a particular trail most often, which days of the week are most popular with singletracks members, and how many check-ins have occurred within the last week.

Along with the check-in feature we’ve also revamped parts of the singletracks mobile site to make it even easier to use. The biggest change is the ability to log into the mobile site which allows you to check-in, update the trail status, and more. The iPhone app will be seeing an update with many of the same features as well.

Even more “social” stuff coming soon, stay tuned here for the latest!

In the past 30 days alone, nearly 3,000 visits to singletracks.com were on an iPhone or iPod Touch (plus hundreds more on other handheld devices). If you were one of those visitors, you probably had a hard time reading the site without zooming and panning so we decided to do something about it. Meet singletracks mobile v1.0.

The new mobile site has all our trail and gear reviews in a no-frills package that’s easy to read and navigate on just about any portable device. Just hit singletracks.com on your phone and you’ll automatically be redirected to the mobile site (m.singletracks.com). Simple.

Perhaps the coolest feature (iPhone only) is the ability to find the nearest mountain bike trails no matter where you are. The site taps into the iPhone’s integrated GPS to find bike trails within 25 miles of your coordinates and returns an ordered list in seconds. We know there is at least one iPhone app out there that claims to do the same thing but it’s clunky and it costs $$. Singletracks mobile is free, fast, and isn’t a silly app. It’s a webpage. (if you use Firefox 3.5 or higher you can give this feature a try on your desktop)

Our heads are full of ideas for future mobile enhancements so stay tuned for more!

You may have seen mobile bike repair services advertised but apparently this is a new concept: a bike-powered bike repair service. Leave it to the Germans to find a way to use bikes to repair bikes – somehow I’m envisioning a snake eating its own tail here…

The cool thing is that stranded cyclists can call the ‘Radambulanz’ in Cologne or Berlin and a bike mechanic will show up on a bike towing a tool-trailer. The service boasts zero emissions (remember what I said about green biking?), quick service, and, according to the article I read, affordable prices. I’m guessing most of the calls involve flat tires on the commute home but even pro mechanics could use a hand with a snapped derailleur or bent wheel. Sorta like having your own support vehicle that only shows up when you need it.

Unfortunately I don’t think this service extends to off-road areas or mountain bike trails yet. During my ride on Tuesday I was thinking, in my semi-delirious state, that it would be cool if there was a “hydration man” that cruised the forest roads in popular MTB areas sorta like the ice cream man in the suburbs. Instead of frozen treats he could offer Gatorade, water, and Power Shots to thirsty and exhausted bikers in addition to providing light repair services. Think about how sweet it would be to hear the hydration man’s song just when you’re miles from the car and about to bonk!

Here at singletracks we’ve incorporated biking into many of our t-shirt deliveries (bet you didn’t know that!). We print postage right here in the office then deliver the packages to the post office or drop box via bike. I wonder why Nashbar doesn’t do the same