Can you use Trailforks and keep rides from appearing on the Heat Map by marking as private...

If you mark/edit a TrailForks ride log as "Private" and "hide track/gps", does it still show up on the TrailForks Heat Map? and does setting a privacy zone keep rides from showing up on the Heat Map too?

It does work to hide a trail mid ride, by wrapping your phone in tin foil.

You just get a straight line across the area to where you unwrap your phone

GuruMaps.  No Heat. No Strava.  Better than tinfoil. 

Probably not as good at adding up your milage though but it'll tell you where and how long you've been. To you only.  Guaranteed. Also works with no cell signal, if you download the map in advance.

Good question. I never use Trailforks to log my ride. I’ve deleted Strava too. I use my Garmin 130 only. Better data and more accurate than my phone GPS. At my age comparing times to other riders most of whom are half my age is depressing. Those heat maps though show where so called secret trails are. If we riders can find them it’s one thing but if the authorities and mountain bike haters find them it’s another.

Trailforks filters illegal/unsanctioned areas from their heatmap

Posted by: KenN

Trailforks filters illegal/unsanctioned areas from their heatmap

only if someone has set up an exclusion zone

I still see lots of illegal/unsanctioned trails on the Heat Map.

In some cases I want to leave a track and to see others' tracks on the Heat Map for a bikepack route I've made.  In other cases, I don't want to leave a track on the Heat Map, such as in residential areas.

I thought by editing and cropping my Ridge Log that it would prevent portions of my track from appearing on the Heat Map, but apparently  I'm wrong.

So far I still have not got a clear answer as to whether or not marking/editing a TrailForks ride log as "Private" and/or "hide track/gps" keeps it from showing up on the TrailForks Heat Map.

Do you need to mark as "Private" or "hide track/gps", or both?

or just stop using TrailForks, unless you purposefully want to show everyone your track, such as for a bikepack or race route.

In my experience, the best way to not be an offender is to make sure that your accounts are not linked together and to be certain that, if you do upload a ridelog, that your privacy settings are correct for the account you are using.

Most of the problems tend to come from mismanaged settings within the linked accounts which you might not even remember were linked.

I stalk ridelogs all the time for zones that I maintain off the grid trails in - and I email offenders. Most of them are unaware of what theyve done. Some lie and downplay but things are cleared up pretty fast when I can tell them turn for turn what their ride was and why they need to be more careful with how ride data is considered. It would be great if everyones ridelogs were invisible in areas where they should be - but we have a ways to go. The fight goes on until we get there!

Trail runners are worst for this because they dont see the downside of broadcasting the trail location (theyre just running around) and they love Strava more than running. Im sure most of them would become full time swimmers if Strava went swimming only.

I don't do Strava, so that linking accounts thing does not apply to me.

But I notice that just the TrailForks Heat Hap alone, is showing lots of things that I and other people don't want shown, who also don't use anything but TrailForks

and what are the correct privacy settings? 

It seems that even with setting up your own 250 to 1000 km privacy zone, and editing all your Trail Forks Ride Logs to be private, that they are still showing up on the TrailForks Heat Map

Posted by: KenN

Trailforks filters illegal/unsanctioned areas from their heatmap

Some are filtered out but not all. I can see Social Distancing 1, 2 and 3 but only if I zoom in. Those trails are not WORCA sanctioned trails. Where I rode this morning shows up on the Strava heat map but not Trailforks. Strava heat map led me to the trails in that zone. I had heard about them, looked at existing roads and kind of figured out where a trail(s) could be and the heat map sorted that out. One thing I had not realized was that I had different settings on Strava on my phone and iPad. Someone told me that they could see where I had been. I fixed that. 

Sometimes I just look at maps and guess where a good place for a trail would be then go look. I located Marakesh Express that way. I heard a chainsaw and started to explore. I found Java Time by bushwhacking. And I found Green Therapy the same way. These are all well built trails that would meet any trail standard but are not sanctioned yet. 

What is the purpose of a heat map anyway? I kind of think they shouldn’t exist. Sometimes they show non biking trails that were input incorrectly. For example the Spearhead traverse is or was on the Strava heat map as a bike route. Clearly someone on a ski tour had their tracking unit set for a bike.

What is the purpose of a heat map anyway? I kind of think they shouldn’t exist. Sometimes they show non biking trails that were input incorrectly. For example the Spearhead traverse is or was on the Strava heat map as a bike route. Clearly someone on a ski tour had their tracking unit set for a bike.

Heat maps of VERY useful if you're new to an area and don't really know where to ride. Not everywhere is blessed with a trail organization such as NSMBA, SORCA or WORCA who signpost and grade trails. They are also very useful for roadies looking for somewhere new to ride.

Roadies, commuters and most importantly app admins.

Posted by: taprider

It does work to hide a trail mid ride, by wrapping your phone in tin foil.

You just get a straight line across the area to where you unwrap your phone

Not sure if real or pulling our leg...🤔

but I love the idea of wrapping and unwrapping your phone's precious GPS location.

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Will confirm Ddean's vigilance. Thank you for keeping it secret, keeping it safe.