User created ridelogs automatically try and match trails you rode. This creates virtual check-ins for the matched trails which can help generate useful usage data for trail associations. It also helps Trailforks determine the most popular trails and routes in a region. Matched trails you rode are also useful for personal stats, seeing when you rode a trail, keeping track of trails you've ridden and how long it took you.
Now we will explain a bit of the technical details on how a ridelog GPS track matches to trails in the Trailforks database.
- For best results the ridelog must pass by either the start or end point of the trail, within 30 meters.
- TF loops through each GPS point of a ridelog, checking if the point is within 30 meters of the potential matched trail
- At least 80% of your ridelogs matched distance must match the distance of the trail. So 20% of your ridelogs points can NOT match the trail in question to still get a "full match"
- If the ridelog matches 50% of the trails distance it's considered a "partial match"
- Trails under 100m are generally excluded from matching
- You must ride the ENTIRE trail start to finish AS MAPPED on Trailforks to get a match. So you canot ride the first 30% then ride another trail, then go back onto the original trial and ride the rest, it won't match this way. It must be continuous.
For ridelog trail matching timing and trail leaderboards, the time calculated to ride a trail is automatically cropped from the trails start and end points. This is done to try and filter out standing around the trailhead in the timing of riding a trail.
When creating trails it's sometimes best to split trails into sections where a rider is likely to diverge from the line to a different trail. To calculate better matching results.
When creating badges with trail criteria, the rider must ride ALL of the trail AS MAPPED on Trailforks. So choose your trails carefully. If most riders only ride a portion of a trail then turn off onto a different trail, this trail might not be the best for the criteria of a badge.
My Ridelog didn't detect I rode a trail!?
GPS tracking, especially in mountains and forests is often not very accurate and your gps track can be quite a bit off, or drift. The trails mapped on Trailforks could also be created from a less accurate GPS track. However the trails on Trailforks can be edited by anyone to make them more accurate using ridelog heatmap data, to provide better trail matching results.
Matching trails is not easy and trails or segments not matching is not a problem unique to Trailforks.
Now we will explain a bit of the technical details on how a ridelog GPS track matches to trails in the Trailforks database.
- For best results the ridelog must pass by either the start or end point of the trail, within 30 meters.
- TF loops through each GPS point of a ridelog, checking if the point is within 30 meters of the potential matched trail
- At least 80% of your ridelogs matched distance must match the distance of the trail. So 20% of your ridelogs points can NOT match the trail in question to still get a "full match"
- If the ridelog matches 50% of the trails distance it's considered a "partial match"
- Trails under 100m are generally excluded from matching
- You must ride the ENTIRE trail start to finish AS MAPPED on Trailforks to get a match. So you canot ride the first 30% then ride another trail, then go back onto the original trial and ride the rest, it won't match this way. It must be continuous.
For ridelog trail matching timing and trail leaderboards, the time calculated to ride a trail is automatically cropped from the trails start and end points. This is done to try and filter out standing around the trailhead in the timing of riding a trail.
When creating trails it's sometimes best to split trails into sections where a rider is likely to diverge from the line to a different trail. To calculate better matching results.
When creating badges with trail criteria, the rider must ride ALL of the trail AS MAPPED on Trailforks. So choose your trails carefully. If most riders only ride a portion of a trail then turn off onto a different trail, this trail might not be the best for the criteria of a badge.
My Ridelog didn't detect I rode a trail!?
GPS tracking, especially in mountains and forests is often not very accurate and your gps track can be quite a bit off, or drift. The trails mapped on Trailforks could also be created from a less accurate GPS track. However the trails on Trailforks can be edited by anyone to make them more accurate using ridelog heatmap data, to provide better trail matching results.
Matching trails is not easy and trails or segments not matching is not a problem unique to Trailforks.