Note: I use an outdated Android Samsung Galaxy S7, so links to the apps are going to be to the Google Play store. For those using iPhones, you will have to search whatever your marketplace is in order to download them...if Apple lets you.
Google Maps
Ah yes. Good old Google Maps. The system that superseded MapQuest in my younger days so quickly can essentially turn your phone into an awesome little way finder. I won't harp on this one too much since nearly everyone I've ever talked to has this installed. While Maps does do a good job at telling you the quickest way to get from point A to point B by reading the location and speeds of other Google users phones, it's not all that great for those that want to take things off road. Not all trails that you may want to take show up on the screen, to put it simply. There have been quite a few times where the app shows me that a trail ends even though I'm sitting there, in person, looking at the continuation of the trail in question. As a novice, I even tried using this up in the Smoky Mountains and got lost many a times when the maps couldn't download due to bad cellular service. It was just my little arrow in a sea of green that was the forest I was in. All in all, while Maps is a good way to get around town and maybe hit some unpaved roads that Google has decided to include, I would not depend on this solely for your adventure riding needs as it could potentially become unsafe.
If you don't have Google Maps on your phone (which I would find hard to believe) you can download it from the Google Play store here.
GPX Viewer
When I discovered the magic of the .GPX file, there was a short period of time where I couldn't figure out how to open them on my phone since I did not have an actual GPS unit. A little searching led to this little gem right here. GPX Viewer, as it is aptly named, allows you to open .GPX files on your phone, complete with waypoints that others may have included. I was still able to use this to follow a track through the mountains even though cellular reception was dropping out and the map wasn't completely loading. Since the line was already there, I just followed that. There is another app that I will cover next that allows you to do the same thing, but I prefer this app when following tracks because it just looks better. Most of my .GPX files are saved to my Google cloud so I can access them whenever I need to across a multitude of devices. Whenever I want to open one, I my go to my .GPX file folder, select the three dots on the right for options, choose "Open with," and your apps that have that capability will pop up at the bottom of your screen.
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| All of my .GPX files are in the cloud for easy access across devices. |
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| "Open with" gives you the ability to choose which app want to open your file. |
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| Once your file opens in GPX viewer, this is how it will look. Zoom in and out to make things easier. |
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| The drop-down menu gives you options. "Follow GPS" and "Rotate Map" are particularly useful. |
There is an option to purchase GPX viewer Pro which gives you the ability to record tracks as well, but I had found a better option that was free that I'll review next.
If you want to download GPX viewer for yourself, you can find it in the Google Play store here.
Geo Tracker
GPX viewer is great for if you want to follow a track, but what if you're ready to make your own? Enter Geo Tracker. This app gives you the ability to create and share .GPX files that can be used elsewhere. Geo Tracker is a recent discovery for me and I was rather excited to find that it was free to download. It does say that it "offers in-app purchases" but I personally have not discovered what for yet. The concept is simple enough. If you want to make a track, just hit the record button down at the bottom and it'll start to record your route automatically. You have the option to pause or stop the ride if you wish. When the ride is done, just edit the information through the drop-down menu. You can also drop markers before you go on a ride in order to basically map where you want to visit. This gives you a nice little challenge if the route turns difficult. When I want to get the .GPX file in order to upload it to dualsportmaps.com, I "share" it to my Google drive, then it's readily available on my Chromebook. The UI is intuitive and easy to use, so you can pick up on things quickly should you choose to use it. I do not prefer to follow tracks using this app because the past few seem to upload strangely.
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| Dropping and labeling markers can help you map your route. |
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| Each recorded ride is saved for easy access and can be edited and shared. |
All of my rides as of late have been recorded using this app since it makes things so easy, and easy is enjoyable. I would highly recommend this app to anyone that is looking to make GPS tracks quickly and easily.
If you want to download Geo tracker yourself you can find it on the Google Play store here.
Where2Ride
This may not be a dedicated adventure app, but it could have the capability to be one if more people participated on it. I found this one since it was being promoted by Cycle Gear. The concept is relatively simple. People upload rides and events to the app and others can participate in them. The more you participate, the more points you get and you can win things through Cycle Gear. There are other "challenges" you can do by clicking around some, but I didn't really explore that much. Most of the rides appear to be more street oriented, but since you can upload .GPX files, it stands to reason that there could be an adventure portion to it as well. That being said, I have not been successful in uploading an adventure track yet. Maybe you'll have better luck.
If you want to download Where2Ride for yourself, you can find it on the Google Play store here.
Rever
Another app promoted by Cycle Gear some time ago, this could also serve as a reasonable launching point for some adventure rides. Most challenges require you do travel some distance or visit certain places, but I'm fairly certain that adventure asides could be found along the way. This is supposed to be an all-in-one gig, so you may be able to get everything you want to do done right in the app. Although I haven't used it in in a while, I figured it would make a good addition to this list since it is one of the few motorcycle-centric apps out there.
You can download Rever from the Google Play store here.
There you have it. The poor man's tool kit to turning your phone into an adventure motorcycling tool, if you will. Did I miss any obvious or better options that you use? Let me know!
Happy riding!
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