GravelMN

I've been gravel biking on assorted gravel and minimum maintenance roads, but now I'm planning an extended ride that follows a rail to trail route and then heads off onto fire roads and single track. Does anyone know if apps like Strava or Ride With GPS will track you and be able to record distance and elevations once you get miles off of any marked road.

cafzali

First remember that it's not the sites that track you, it's your GPS. Your GPS in turn translates lat and long with actual map points using the map data you have on your device (either base or full maps). Likewise, your GPS records your elevation using a barometric altimeter, not the site.

GPS sites aren't very useful for riding off road, though. Not sure why you'd be interested in synching with one for off-road riding, but as a roadie, maybe I'm missing something.

fotooutdoors

I've done trail runs, and mountain biked a number of times and map my ride tracked me fine. Since my bikes don't have odometers, I do understand the desire to track a ride. Happy trails!

allroy71

Those programs will just follow whatever data your GPS picks up. I have an older Garmin watch that doesn't always catch a good signal when I am in a deep canyon or under some heavy trees. So I get missing data points. Also if you are riding on the edge of a hill, the elevation might not be accurate. It really depends on your GPS.

BluesDawg

Yes. GPS will track you wherever you go.

unterhausen

on ride with gps, you can look at different maps. They have bike specific maps, which in my area have been updated to show a batch of trails. Around here, just about everything has strava segments

Bosse

That should be no problem. I am very happy with LocaToWeb for the purpose of live tracking me while riding deserted tracks. If I fall and hit my head or whatever it is good to know that my wife can look up my exact trail on LocaToWeb - Real time GPS tracking. A great app with photo capturing, friends alert, race mode, waypoints, GPX exports, web site embeds, public/private tracks etc.... Highly recommended. Check out LocaToWeb - Real time GPS tracking
Bosse

GravelMN

Why would documenting distance, speed, elevations, calories burned, as well as having navigation capabilities and route recording be any less valuable to an off-road rider?

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to have to look into that LocaToWeb.

contango 

The GPS will track you. I've used my GPS to maintain a track log when I hiked trails that weren't shown on OpenStreetMap, so I could then upload them to OSM and mark them. I did the same when I cycled a trail that wasn't shown.