How do I use the Trailguide app?
Bjørn Jarle KvandeMaking an easy-to-use and beautiful user interface is an art. A programmer's
brain and a designer's brain is often very different, and I am a programmer.
However, I use the app a lot myself and I watch others using it. I have made
my best effort to make it easy to use.
The trailguide main screen
The main screen
When opening the Trailguide app you will see the main map with the search field at
the top and the main navigation bar at the bottom.
The numbers 6752/6947 in the search field indicate how many trails are within
the current map section (6752) and how many trails are available in total
(6947).
The icon to the right gives you access to sign in to the app, set the language, and to
adjust app settings.
The bottom bar gives you access to list the available trails, adjust the content to your
liking, change the base map, add map overlays such as a heatmap, and to show your
current location on the map.
The map
The main map shows trails clustered in blue "bubbles" of varying sizes indicating the
number of trails in the area. Clicking on a bubble will zoom in to that specific area
and reveale the trails.
Clicking on a track will show information about it at the bottom of the screen. Clicking
on the bottom information bar will open the full trail page. Clicking a selected track
will unselect it.
The blue 'bubble' with the number 77 indicates that there are 77 trails to be found in that area.
Clicking on the 'cluster bubble' will zoom into that area and reveal the tracks on the map.
Clicking a track on the map will show information about the trail. Move your finger along the height profile to see the track position.
Map layers
You can select your base map layer and map overlays by clicking the
Maps icon at bottom.
For the base layer you can select the standard Trailguide map, Norgeskart, MTBmap,
and Google satellite images.
You can turn on map overlays such as OSM tracks, and a biking heatmap. You can also turn
off the trails from the trailguide database if you prefer to navigate after OSM tracks or
the heatmap.
Clicking the map selector button enables you to select base maps and overlays.
Selecting OSM tracks as an overlay will display MTB tracks from OpenStreetMap and enable you to navigate a dense trail network.
The MTBmap.no layer shows OSM MTB trails in Norway with yellow highlights for the best trails.
You can also select the Google satellite images as a base layer.
Showing the biking heatmap you can see where others have been riding and enable you to find and navigate hotspots for trail biking.
Set the map to dark mode to make it easier to navigate in bright daylight.
Browse the content
Browse the trails within the current map selection by clicking the Trails icon in the
bottom navigation bar. Clicking on an entry in the list will open the trail page with
further information, images, videos and detailed maps.
Browse the mountain biking trails within the current map section. The trails are color coded by difficulty (easy to expert).
You can also check out longer tours of mixed terrain such as gravel and tarmac roads.
Just scroll, enjoy the images, and get inspired to go ride.
Sort trails by age, difficulty, length, descent and so on.
Check reviews of the local trails from other bikers.
Check the latest trail condition reports before going.
Detailed trail information
For trails and tours on Trailguide you will find descriptions, track maps,
elevation profiles, images, videos, reviews, and condition reports.
You find other trails nearby and detailed data such as track length and total descent.
You can also download the GPS-track if you want to transfer it to your favorite GPS device.
The content page for a trail on Trailguide gives you access to a wealth of information.
Check the elevation profile of the track and where the hills are by dragging your finger across it.
Check the latest reviews of the trail from other mountain bikers.
Write your own trail reviews so others can see what you think.
Write a condition report to let other users know what to expect.
Add this trail to your favorites or other lists you have created for vacation or tour planning.
Navigation
Use the GPS of your phone to navigate using Trailguide. If you are having trouble getting
your GPS to work check here for how to enable GPS on your phone.
Click the location icon and give grant access to your phone's GPS and compass.
Your location on the map and compass direction is shown as you move around. Click the location indicator to stop and remove it.
Make the map shows 'heads-up' instead of north-up by clicking the compass icon. This will rotate the map to always show the direction you are heading.
Searching and filtering
Use the search field to search for trails, places, and users.
Search for a place by typing in the name. The result here shows the town of Nesbyen in Norway and that there are 38 trails there.
Clicking on the search result will take you to the place on the map.
Filter trails by difficulty, reviews, length, descent and other criteria. The search field shows how many are found within the map section.
User page
See all the content added by a single user on Trailguide.
Click on the user image in the content page to access the user page.
See all the trails and tours added by the user. Here you will also find trails and tours not on the map.
See all the reviews and condition reports added by the user.