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Home / Mountain Bikes and Gear / Iphone

The 10 Best Apps for Mountain Biking

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Our updated list of the best mountain biking apps includes essential tools for navigation, fitness tracking, skill development, and ride logging.

By Greg Heil
March 28, 2016 Last Updated: March 13, 2026

14 comments

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Dirt School Mountain Bike Coaching

OS: iOS

Cost: $7

Need to brush up on some of your MTB skills but don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on attending a skills course? This $7 app out of the UK takes skills coaching virtual, allowing you to teach yourself, out on the trail, the proper way to tackle certain obstacles. With videos and tutorials, this is a convenient way to improve your bike handling.

-Greg Heil

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Greg Heil

Greg has been mountain biking since 2005. His passion for exploring new trails has taken him around the world several times — he's ridden over 8,000 different trails and visited 21 countries (and counting). Greg's career in mountain bike media began in 2010, and being the first employee Singletracks ever hired might be his most notable accomplishment. He currently serves in the Managing Editor role.

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14 Comments

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SlimL Washington // 2013
Jul 15, 2014

A couple that I use are PDF Maps from Avenza and MTB Projects from the IMBA. The PDF Maps use the GeoPDF maps and are great for keeping track of where you are. The MTB projects uses GPX files that you can download right to your GPS. I have to admit that I use a iPod Touch and GPS not a smart phone with a data package but that is just a little toooooo expensive a habit for me to start.

1 reply

Hap Proctor Florida // 2014
Mar 29, 2016

As one that rides solo 95% of the time, I heavily rely on mapping apps. Avenza PDF maps is my go to app while riding new territory. You have to do some research but many maps are out there; on their store or other online sources. At last count I had 70+ trails from 14 states on my phone. "Maprika" is another good one. Some of the maps are not quite as detailed as the ones on Avenza, but there are more local user posted maps available. Additionally, the "current location" button on the Singletracks app has help guide me in the right direction frequently.

1 reply

williedillon Georgia // 2012
Mar 13, 2014

Cool stuff. I'm glad you guys included Windows Phone in the lists of OSes, though you forgot to list Windows Phone on Instagram. I just wish more of these niche apps were available on WP (though it's getting better with time). There are at least a lot of good activity trackers on Windows Phone.

0 reply

drcbrath
Mar 25, 2018

Garmin Connect has an app for Windows Phone 10

0 reply

jhilyard Colorado // 2011
Mar 31, 2016

I really like the Trailforks app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pinkbike.trailforks&hl=en). It's great for finding trails.

0 reply

SCmtbDad South Carolina // 2014
May 8, 2014

I've found Google MyTracks to be a good, easy app. Uses very little battery, is pretty accurate, provides graphs on speed and altitude, and charts all your basic stats, in addition to providing the maps and route. It also syncs with Google Earth so you can replay a ride.

EveryTrail is a good app for sharing with others. It also has the basic stats and some graphs, but is also web based so you can view a route before you ride it - seeing the speed and altitude at each point, and if you like to take pics while you ride, the photo will show at the appropriate place on the map. I've found the GPS to be not as reliable as MyTracks, but it's still good.

Last, I use a very simple weather radar called Rainy Days to see how the weather is looking. It's very accurate and with the exception of those pop-up storms that you can't predict easily, it's extremely reliable. I always check Rainy Days before I go ride and have completed many great rides when our weather forecasters said it would rain all day.

0 reply

amnesia999 2014
Jul 19, 2014

OsmAnd+ - powerful mapping app, stores everything for offline mapping, offers multiple layers, very customizable. http://osmand.net/

0 reply

[email protected] Ontario // 2014
Mar 13, 2014

Runtastic has two bike specific apps in both free and pro versions (at least for iPhone). Runtastic Mountain Bike and Runtastic Road Bike. And according to their website apps are available for all major platforms. Records your ride, weather conditions, photos, etc. can be hooked up to sensors for cadence and other data too.

0 reply

Jerry Zeekaf 2015
Apr 1, 2016

I've been using Runtastic for almost 5yrs. It has its quirks but then what product doesn't. I was really impressed when it tracked me FLYING from Seattle to San Diego, now that was neat! The only beef I have is that I have both the free and Pro versions but I can't move history from free to pro.

0 reply

AUTHOR

Greg Heil Colorado // 2008
Mar 28, 2016

This article was just updated on March 28, 2016.

0 reply

seekingStillness 2018
Mar 15, 2018

Trail Jar app is great for creating trail bucket lists and trail life lists

0 reply

chukt 2009
Jun 5, 2016

TrailForks and MTBproject both work well when navigating trails and you are out of cell service.
I find TrailForks uses a lot less battery. In the backcountry, that can be a big factor.

0 reply

Cutbert 2014
May 8, 2014

Where is Endomondo? Great App of choice for me, iOS and Android plus Internet interactive. Works with Wahoo & Polar HR Monitors, google maps, satellite view and more...

0 reply

williedillon Georgia // 2012
Mar 31, 2016

Windows Phone has some third-party options for Strava. I use Cyclers. It's free and works great. There's also Straver and Straza Mate. There are also multiple GPX viewers available. Still no Singletracks app on Windows, though, and GoPro has announced they are dropping support for Windows Phone (probably because of how badly they're doing now), but you can still download and use the app.

0 reply

Tagged: android, apps, iphone, mobile, smart phone, smartphone, smartphone apps, technology, gear

First published March 28, 2016 @ 5:28:32