Garmin Edge 520/820/1000/1030 and Trailforks App Route Sync with Connect IQ (without a computer)

I'm not a regular Garmin GPS user currently. My last Garmin Edge GPS unit was an Edge 800, and it's sitting in my drawer gathering dust while I'm out riding with my wahoo element, mostly because it broke and wouldn't sync with my computer anymore. But that's old news and the new Garmin gear is a big step above that now that they have started integrating with your phone.

Enter ConnectIQ, the app store for your Garmin devices that allows other services to integrate with your Garmin GPS units.

I found the app page for the new Trailforks app for the Garmin Connect IQ app platform which has a quick demo/tutorial on how to sync rides to your Garmin Edge GPS. It looks like it works with the Edge 520/820/1000/1030 and a few other similar models with Connect IQ app support. The companion app is supported on both Android and iOS platforms.

It makes it quick and easy to copy a route from Trailforks directly to your device using just the app on your phone. Check out the video demo below to see how easy this can be.

See App Detail Page for more info.

Trail Forks Sync Ride Log to Wahoo Elemnt on iPhone (without a computer)

Last time I posted about how to sync MTB Project Featured Ride with my Wahoo Elemnt without a computer, See Post for more details. I also use Trailforks to find good rides as well, and I want to get those pushed to my Elemnt as too so that I can leave my phone in my pocket and just ride!

Trail Forks is a whole different beast. It's a bit more complicated than the MTB Project sync, but I figured it out and wanted to share.

Steps:

1. Open the TrailForks app, and make sure you're logged in.
2. Find the Ride you want to load. I have mine saved to "my routes" wishlist.
   
3. Tap the Ride to Show on Map.
   
   
4. Drag up on the title at the bottom of the screen to go to the RideLog Details.
   
5. You should have a "Map", "Directions" and "Save To" options shown under the title and elevation, tap the "Save to" button.
   
   
6. Tap the "Download" button on the next screen.
   
   
   Note: I tried using "Copy to Elemnt" icon here... but it didn't seem to do anything, but we can keep going and get this to work. It might work for you, give it a shot, if not, keep going...
   
7. Tap "Save to File" gray icon in the bottom bar of options.
   
   
8. Save the file to iCloud Drive (Preferred) or On My Phone (it works, but organizes them weird). Note: Don't save them to Dropbox, it doesn't work like the others.
   
   
9. Open the "Files" app on your iPhone and find the file you just downloaded. I just saved mine on the root of my iCloud drive. Now you can see the Trailforks route in Files.
   
   
   
10. Tap it to show the content. It looks like an XML file, it's confusing if you're not used to this, but just bear with me.
    
    
    
11. Click the share button in the top Right Corner (looks like a box with an arrow coming out the top). Then Tap "Copy to Elemnt".
    
    
    
12.  The Elemnt App will load and prompt you to rename.
    
    
13. Now you can see the route in the Elemnt App.
    
    
    
    
14. Now just open up your Elemnt Bike Computer, go to the map page, select Routes, and then Sync. This will pull in the new route you just loaded in your Elemnt App. 

That's it, now you can go ride with your Wahoo Elemnt with the route Loaded.


Note: If you want to delete the route in the future, you'll have to do it from the routes screen in the app. Just slide left to show the delete button, this only works with routes synced from the Wahoo.

MTB Project Sync Featured Ride to Wahoo Elemnt on iPhone (without a computer)

UPDATE: Wahoo has now enable support for syncing your MTB Project wishlist of rides and trails to the Wahoo Elemnt directly. All you have to do is setup the source in the Wahoo Elemnt App and add items to your todo list and sync your Elemnt!

If you don't see this option, make sure you have the latest version of the companion app and firmware for the device.

I was just on a road trip to North Carolina this past week and fumbling with my phone on the trail trying to find my way around a park I had never been to. I had to take my gloves off, dig in my bag, and grab my phone and try to figure out where I was on the trail and how to keep following the featured ride on MTB Project I was so excited to ride an hour ago.

I didn't have a computer and I couldn't figure out how to load the ride from MTB Project to my Wahoo Elment to follow the route. I would normally just go to the trail on the MTB Project website on my computer and upload it to Ride With GPS and then sync the routes on my Elemnt.

I tried to open the site in chrome and click on the gpx file link, but I couldn't get it to open on the Elemnt. I tried using the share button to add it to my Dropbox and open the file with the Elemnt App, that also didn't work. So I got frustrated and gave up.

Now that I'm home and have more time, I figured out a good way to load the route from MTB Project to your Wahoo Elemnt using just the iPhone. Here's what I did.

Steps:

1. On your iPhone, Go to the Mtb Project Website on Safari. You have to do this with Safari, it doesn't work with the MTB Project App or with Chrome browser. You have to use Safari.
   
   Note: You don't have to login, but I like to do it so I can access my To Do List.
2. Find the Ride on The MTB Project Site and go to the Ride Detail Page.
3. Scroll Down to the Overview Section (below Maps and weather) and find the GPX File link.
   
4. Tap the GPX File Link and it will show a screen prompting you what to do with the file.
5. Click More...
   
   
   Note: It doesn't always show "Open In ELEMNT" when you go here until you've done it once. It will just say "Open In App" and make you select it, or default to another app.
6. In the Middle Section with colorful icons (below Airdrop, above the gray default options). Scroll to the right until you find the "Copy to ELEMNT' icon.
   
7. It will prompt you to name the imported route. Edit the name to your liking and tap "OK"
   
8. You will now see the route listed in 'All Routes' on the ELEMNT app.
   
   
   
   
   Note: If you want to delete the route in the future, you'll have to do it from the routes screen in the app. Just slide left to show the delete button, this only works with routes sync'd from the Wahoo.
   
   
9. Now just open up your Elemnt Bike Computer, go to the map page, select Routes, and then Sync. This will pull in the new route you just loaded in your Elemnt App. 

That's it, now you can go ride with your Wahoo Elemnt with the route Loaded.