Finding new mountain bike trails with Trailforks

Hello all, this is a brief overview of the Trailforks website and phone app for all of you mountain bikers out there. If you haven't heard of this site or used it before, check it out as it is one of the best free resources for finding trails, planning routes and finding trail status.

On the trailforks website, you can view a map of your country and zoom in on an area which shows all legal trails. The map does not show illegal trails or trails on private property.

Here is a zoomed in image of Lake Tahoe and all of the available trails to ride. I have been riding there on and off for a few years and can tell you that there are a LOT of trails here, from lift served bike parks at ski areas like Northstar, Squaw Valley and Kirkwood to shuttle services that drop you off near the top of mountain peaks. (Bring your pads and 'A' game)

You can create a route by linking trails together and download the GPX file. Then upload it to your phone and start it on the Trailforks app. The GPS will track your location and you can follow your route exactly as planned. Pretty cool eh?
After creating your route, it will show you the amount of climbing and descending, the trail length, trail status and total miles.

There is a trail status page that will show you any updates that recent riders have uploaded, like downed trees, streems to large to cross, muddy or snow covered conditions, etc...

There is an events page that you can filter by country / location. Into racing? Find a local race. Looking for a cycling event? Maybe a UCI XC or DH race?

The app for the phone has similar functions of the website with trails that you can download by state or country so you have them on your phone when your in the backcountry with no signal. The shot below is of South Lake Tahoe which I was riding earlier this week.

You can pull up as much detail and options as you like when viewing the maps

You can select a specific trail and see the details like distance, climb, descent and an outline of the mountain. I think one of the best features is your location identifier which is a arrow that point in the direction the top of your phone is pointing. When you come to a fork in a trail, you can just take out your phone and easily determine which way to go. This is specially helpful when the trails are not marked and have not signs.

You can 'discover' trails based on the area your in as well. If your an intermediate level rider, you'll want to search for the blue trails and stay away from the black ones.

There is a lot more on the trailforks site, you can setup a new account and start producing routes or just look for trails that you want to ride in the future. Maybe on a bike vacation?
Let me know if you use this site/app and how you like it...