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Just recently, Komoot launched a new feature on their platform, allowing you as a user to get an individualized route from where you are. It can help you to find the best spots for cycling, whether you are home and looking for something new or if you are visiting an unfamiliar city.
My initial thought was that this sounded brilliant and a great tool to help you find a course to ride without using hours checking other’s routes, studying maps, or asking on Facebook groups. Especially if you are on a family vacation or a business trip and just have a few hours to spare, you want to be efficient and don’t waste time on a route planner.
I have been using the Komoot app to find routes when I have been to new places. For example, I successfully found other’s Komoot routes in Paris during a work trip in March 2022. As I was living in the center where the routes started, it was easy to find the starting point. However, if I weren’t near the start, I would have to make another route just to get to the starting point, which would take time and leave me unsure about my road selection.
With the new feature on Komoot, the app will create a route from where you are. The road selection is based on data from other users, and you will be led onto the most popular cycling roads, and it will take you to highlights in the area. You can filter routes on distance, elevation, difficulties, surface, and more. A personal route just for you!
I had to test out this feature.
On a shorter recovery ride with Andreas Ohldieck, I let Komoot create our route. I wanted a route around 30k and on gravel. I ensured we did; I chose the Bike Touring selection and filtered on “off-road.” As I planned to meet Andreas in Skullerud, I changed my starting point from my home to Skullerudstua.
The app created a 27k route along Nøklevann, a loop around Mariholtet, up Haukåsen, and back along Nøklevann. We decided to ride this one.
I have done the roads here before, and I knew it would be a nice course. I downloaded the route file to my head unit and could follow the course as we rode. It would have been possible to use the Komoot app as a GPS unit too.
I thoroughly enjoyed the course as it was well-designed and provided a great experience. However, we encountered a few deviations from the Komoot course when we were led onto a trail adjacent to the gravel road. Additionally, we opted to take a different route and cycle around Nøklevann instead of following the same gravel path back to Rustadsaga. This decision added more diversity to our journey and created a more pleasant circuit.
And with our minor adjustments, we both agreed it was a great course, and we would easily let Komoot create our next route too.
Have you seen my routes? Komoot Routes I recommend
By the way, I attempted to utilize Komoot to plan my route during my recent trip to Arendal. However, it failed to generate any routes due to insufficient user data. To enhance the functionality of this feature, it requires more data from other users. This feature is more effective in urban areas and countries with a a higher number of Komoot users.
Summa Samarium, the Komoot Discover feature is a great way to get new routes when you don’t know the area or the time to plan a route yourself, and it’s a great way to find new highlights near you.
Check it out on Komoot.