Trailforks is a trail management system for riders, builders and associations. It aims to provide the very best tools to inventory, maintain, promote and showcase trail networks. Tools such as statistics empower each group to have accessible data to show local city councils, governments, tourism boards and parks, conveying the popularity and potential economic impact of cycling on their area in order to receive further support to grow trail networks.
Trailforks is not just any trail mapping website, it's a user contributed database that puts the control into the hands of the people who have worked so hard to preserve and maintain the trails we love. Did you know that many trail Associations don't own the GPS data for the networks they support. Many areas have paper maps & guidebooks owned by private interests and not all, if any, of the profits make it back to the associations. Trailforks' mission is to provide a direct funding model to put 100% of the money back into the association via Trail Karma. On Trailforks users can directly support the people that are swinging the hammers and digging the dirt to maintain and preserve the trails we all love to ride.
www.trailforks.com
Trailforks is not just any trail mapping website, it's a user contributed database that puts the control into the hands of the people who have worked so hard to preserve and maintain the trails we love. Did you know that many trail Associations don't own the GPS data for the networks they support. Many areas have paper maps & guidebooks owned by private interests and not all, if any, of the profits make it back to the associations. Trailforks' mission is to provide a direct funding model to put 100% of the money back into the association via Trail Karma. On Trailforks users can directly support the people that are swinging the hammers and digging the dirt to maintain and preserve the trails we all love to ride.
www.trailforks.com
Why Another Trail Website?
Trailforks is built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers with a singular focus on mountain biking, providing unique features, a modern design and a focus on maps. Trailforks is created and supported by Pinkbike, a large, well known name in mountain biking that has the resources to make this project a success. With the experience of running a site used by millions, Pinkbike gives Trailforks the technical power to make the site fast and highly available. Pinkbike will ensure Trailforks' longevity. So many other trail sites have come and gone, never taken off, completely a paid service or are locally focused. Trailforks is free, world-wide and automatically integrated with tens of thousands of photos and videos already on Pinkbike.
The goal is to offer unique features and tools to help promote local clubs, business and trail supporters. Trailforks promotes associations on both trail and region pages, and encourages users to join and/or donate. Trailforks also promotes local products like physical maps and guidebooks. Ultimately, it's about promoting your region and growing the sport of mountain biking. Associations can use Trailforks to help serve the locals that support them or promote their community as a mountain bike destination, boosting local economy.
We have been in open beta over the summer and Trailforks is already the largest directory of mountain bike trails in the world, with over 13,000 trails. There has been a bunch of enthusiastic users mapping their local riding areas, now is your chance to join them!
We are only getting started!
1. Explore Trails
Trail networks can be viewed in 3D
using integrated Google Earth!
Whether you're searching for something new to ride in your local area or planning a road trip, you can browse trails from all around the world using the interactive Trailforks Map. Trails are organized into 'riding areas'. You can mark which trails you've ridden, add to your wish list, or create trail lists and save them for upcoming rides.
Trails are added by users and once a trail is submitted it goes through an approval process. The most basic approval is a crowd-sourced process where other Pinkbike users can confirm or reject submissions. If this sounds familiar it's because it works the exact same as Pinkbike's directory:Places. The secondary approval process is where the trail associations come in. Each area can be assigned admins who can edit, delete, approve and reject trails. Admins can range from a single trail builder, to the entire board of directors of a local trail association. With this feature we prevent your favourite secret trail or loamer from appearing on the site for every Tom, Dick and Joey to see, something major social fitness websites don't do. Sensitive trails can be hidden to all those except region admins.
Trails are added by users and once a trail is submitted it goes through an approval process. The most basic approval is a crowd-sourced process where other Pinkbike users can confirm or reject submissions. If this sounds familiar it's because it works the exact same as Pinkbike's directory:Places. The secondary approval process is where the trail associations come in. Each area can be assigned admins who can edit, delete, approve and reject trails. Admins can range from a single trail builder, to the entire board of directors of a local trail association. With this feature we prevent your favourite secret trail or loamer from appearing on the site for every Tom, Dick and Joey to see, something major social fitness websites don't do. Sensitive trails can be hidden to all those except region admins.
2. Explore Bike Parks
Explore Bike Parks from all over the world, whether it's the Whistler Bike Park or the Bike-Circus in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.
Trailforks also maps local skill parks, so you can find where to practice your technical skills or where to rip it up on a BMX track.
Trailforks also maps local skill parks, so you can find where to practice your technical skills or where to rip it up on a BMX track.
3. Add Ride Logs
One of the key features of Trailforks is the Ride Log tool. The benefit for you, the user, is tracking all your rides in one place, the choice to share them is up to you. Trailforks easily syncs up with Strava. If you already use Strava you can add all your rides in one go with the Bulk Strava Import. See your ride overlaid onto a trail map, to easily identify which trails you rode! Use your ride log data to add missing trails to the database.
Trail Associations benefit from being able to collect important statistics on who is riding what trails and when. This trail usage data can be a valuable tool for seeking trail funding. Associations and users can easily view statistics on every trail and region on Trailforks. It doesn't matter how big or small a riding area is, gain detailed statistics, like the ones below, on all of them.
4. Report Trail Conditions
Come across a downed tree or damaged bridge? Submit a trail report. Check the status of your favourite trail before a ride and get the details on the conditions.
5. Mobile Friendly And Apps
Trailforks has a simplified mobile website m.trailforks.com and the desktop version of the Trailforks website has a 'responsive' design which also works well on mobile. We are currently developing mobile apps and a full Trailforks map app will be coming out this winter. In the meantime we've created this simple Trailforks Report App.
6. Photos And Videos
Ever notice that 'trail' field when uploading a photo to Pinkbike? Now it has a purpose! Attach Pinkbike photos and videos to Trailforks trails, regions, bike skill parks, reports or POIs. A trail info block will show on your Pinkbike photo's page.
When you add a new trail, existing Pinkbike photos and videos will automatically be matched to the trail based on the name and geo location. This means that when riders are looking for new regions to travel to, and new trails to ride, they will see these great photos and videos. A picture's worth a thousand words and on Trailforks we've harnessed the incredible power of Pinkbike's photo and video catalogue.
7. Trail Karma Donations
Donate some cash to your favourite riding areas to help local associations and builders maintain and develop the trails! If your association has their PayPal email setup, donations will go directly to them! No middle man, Trailforks or Pinkbike don't see a nickel. If a PayPal isn't entered, the donation is kept by Trailforks and will be distributed quarterly in a bulk payment.
www.trailforks.com/karma/
Donating will earn you "Trail Karma" which will add an icon beside your name giving you recognition. On region karma pages, one can see how much has been donated, the top donated to regions, associations and more.
8. Activity Feed
Keep updated on content being added to Trailforks with the 'Facebook style' activity feed. Narrow down the feed to your nearby area, your favourite riding areas or just your friends activity.
Trailforks also sends Pinkbike dashboard notices for various actions. You can 'subscribe' to trails or entire regions to get email notifications of new content added, or a report added to a trail you help maintain.
Trailforks also sends Pinkbike dashboard notices for various actions. You can 'subscribe' to trails or entire regions to get email notifications of new content added, or a report added to a trail you help maintain.
9. Trail Association Features
How does an association generate revenue for a region?
- Trail Karma (donations)
- Trail Supporter program
- Mobile App
How does an association take control and become an admin for a region?
Associations can apply to become an admin of any region on Trailforks. Our staff will then contact applicants and verify their affiliation with the appropriate trail association.
- Trail Karma (donations)
- Trail Supporter program
- Mobile App
How does an association take control and become an admin for a region?
Associations can apply to become an admin of any region on Trailforks. Our staff will then contact applicants and verify their affiliation with the appropriate trail association.
How does an association receive money from trail karma?
Simply provide us the PayPal email address for your association or you can enter it yourself by editing the Places listing.
Now when users contribute money to a region or trail managed by an association, the user is sending the money directly to the associations PayPal account. 100% of the contributions on Trailforks go to the associations; no other party is involved.
What about illegal trails?
There are always going to be unofficial trails and we believe it is better for an association to be aware of them and manage them accordingly.
We have talked to many associations and have built tools to allow various ways of handling illegal trails.
- a trail can be visible
- a trail can be visible with a warning that it is a not sanctioned, not maintained and to ride at own risk
- a trail can be visible, but clearly marked as closed and marked do not ride
- a trails location can be hidden, but its name is still visible in lists for users to add photos and reports.
- a trail can be hidden but available to only certain groups
If a trail is hidden, users can't keep adding the trail. Having the data in the system allows associations to inventory their network and have the data available when needed for the future.
How does Trailforks make money?
No money is made directly from Trailforks. Empowering and supporting the trail associations with a system and tools to maintain, create and legitimize the trails is a good thing for the industry and society. More trails, more riders, more riding, more bikes, more industry growth, more support for trails. Repeat often!
How can an association use the data?
At Trailforks we believe in access to data and use a Share-Alike policy. Access the Trailforks data using our many widgets, RSS and KML feeds and JSON API. As well as data dumps for entire regions in KML or OSM formats.
Trailforks has various statistics pages for each region and each trail as well as ride log/checkin trail usage stats.
Vancouver's North Shore trail stats: https://www.trailforks.com/region/north-shore/stats/
Squamish ride log stats: https://www.trailforks.com/region/squamish/ridelogs/
Conclusion
There are SO many features packed into Trailforks, these are just a few to get you started. Start exploring the site to find more, and follow our Facebook page where we highlight features. We also document features on our help page.
Like what you see so far? Just wait for the more inclusive mobile app, which will be available this Winter. The development of Trailforks is continuing and we have many more exciting features to come!
From everyone here at the Trailforks team, we hope you enjoy the site and discover how you can use it to find, share or track your ride. If you have any questions or concerns, visit the feedback forum or send our Community Manager an email at brent@pinkbike.com.
Riders, check out your local trails here: https://www.trailforks.com/local/
Associations, learn more about Trail Karma here: https://www.trailforks.com/karma/
Builders, add and share your latest creations here: https://www.trailforks.com/contribute/
