Komoot: best tips and tricks for every bike enthusiast!

Komoot is one of the leaders in route planning for cyclists. Whether you’re a new rider who wants to explore the very best trails your region has to offer, or you’re an experienced local who wants to share your favorite segments and routes, Komoot is a must!

We’ve searched the web for the most frequently asked Komoot questions. From connecting Komoot to your Garmin to searching for new routes on the app, we’ve got you covered!

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How to Bookmark Places on Komoot

You can save Points of Interest and Highlights you spot in Komoot’s Route Planner as Bookmarks. They then are displayed as Saved Places in the app as well as the desktop version. 

By clicking on Bookmarked from the dropdown menu under your desktop profile, you can see a detailed page showing you tips related to each highlight, a local weather forecast, and any pictures taken by other Komoot users.

Komoot automatically suggests the top cycling routes to and from your bookmark

You can also click Take me there, which diverts you to the route planner with your bookmark added to waypoints so you can plan your own route around it.

Komoot’s Discover feature additionally points out the best highlights in your area spotted by other Komoot users, which you can also bookmark.

To activate Komoot Discover on the desktop version, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the three dots by your username – then click settings
  2. Scroll down, and press enable Discover.

This then adds a new Discover tab on the home page and a star on the app’s bottom.

In the Discover window, scroll through Komoot’s suggestions and bookmark any points of interest that appeal.

Again you can access your bookmarks in the Saved Places tab, where you can plan a route around them.

How to Search for Routes in Komoot

The best way to find a route is to type into your search engine Komoot followed by the area you wish to cycle in. There you can click onto pages of Komoot’s suggested tours in that region.

You can also search for tours in different regions within the app, filtering between cycling and hiking on the Komoot Discover page – although this can often be temperamental.

Additionally, the Premium version of Komoot contains special maps for cycling, hiking, and mountain biking. These maps show official biking and hiking trails and single trails, which can be displayed in the route planner and used for planning.

How to Quickly Change Starting Point in Komoot

You can quickly change the starting point of any route on Komoot’s Route Planner page. Click on the route planner tab on your desktop to create a new route or customize a bookmarked route. 

Drag the initial start point to your desired location with your mouse, or change the waypoint in the sidebar on the screen’s left. 

How to Plan Your Route With Komoot

In the Route Planner, begin constructing your route by entering a start and endpoint either in the search bar on the left or by clicking on the map. You can choose to either have a one-way route or a round trip. 

There are several red icons across Komoot’s maps that are recommended spots from other riders, helping you with your route planning.

These icons can be anything from beautiful views to brilliant roads to fantastic coffee stops. You can add these stops to your routes by clicking on the markers, and Komoot reroutes your path to include them.

Several different routes are initially generated by Komoot’s algorithms depending on multiple factors like ride type and desired road and trail surfaces. 

You can then see your route’s stats, including length, elevation, and estimated time to complete. There’s also a handy breakdown of surface and way types. 

The interactive elevation profile at the bottom of the page also displays which surface you can expect to see on either a climb or descent.

You can increase your control over routes by adding more waypoints to customize the direction of your trail. But Komoot’s algorithms usually create the very best ride without too much fiddling required.

You’re also able to toggle between different maps by pressing the layers button in the top-right corner. Choose between Komoot’s default map, Open Street Maps, and Open Cycle Maps, giving you additional information on cycling infrastructure and mountain bike trails. 

Finally, you can also easily upload a GPX, TGX, and FIT file and import it into the route planner to tweak and modify any saved routes using other software. 

How to use Komoot as you Ride

When out on the bike, Komoot can easily link up to your bike computer, or you can navigate directly using the Komoot app on your smartphone. 

When using your phone, press the start navigation button in the bottom right corner to start navigating and recording.

You’ll receive turn-by-turn instructions on your screen, or you can place your phone in your pocket and listen to audio navigation through your headphones.

Komoot has smart integration with most Bike Computers, allowing you to sync rides to your GPS unit.

Finally, you can change your route while you’re riding easily

With a mobile phone signal, click wherever you want to go on the map, and Komoot reroutes your trail as if you were doing it at home.

How to upload your ride on Komoot

Once you’ve finished, your ride automatically saves as a private, completed tour.

You can click into that activity, give it a title, upload photos, share them, and tag those who rode with you.

It’s easy to upload photos to a ride. If you geo-tagged them as you took them, they automatically upload to the right places on the map.

If not, you can drop a pin and upload any pictures from that spot. 

How to connect your Garmin to Komoot

First, sync up your Garmin to Komoot

  1. Search for Komoot in the Garmin IQ App. 
  2. Click on the Download button
  3. Select your device and accept the requested permissions.
  4. Go to the Garmin Connect app and log in with your Garmin account details. Synchronization starts automatically.
  5. Then, follow any further instructions on the Komoot app, which will now be installed on your Garmin device.

When that’s done, you’ll see an option at the bottom for Courses.

  • By tapping on Courses, it’ll sync your most recent 50 Komoot Tours into Garmin Connect and then onto your device.
  • From this point forward, it also syncs any new routes you create or copy into your account.
  • Initiate syncing by restarting your Garmin device.
  • Then, when you’re ready to ride, go onto Courses on your Garmin, and all your Komoot routes are available to use. 

How to Use Komoot Offline

If you know your next activity goes through an area with poor internet reception, you can make your tours available offline in the app. 

  1. In your Tour’s detailed view, you find the toggle Store for Offline Use
  2. After switching the toggle on, a download process starts.
  3. When it’s finished, a black pin behind the tour name appears. You’re now able to start navigating this tour while offline.

Summary

We think Komoot is brilliant for anyone who wants to explore the great outdoors. But when things don’t go to plan, they can often be incredibly frustrating.

These are the most popular issues we’ve found. If you don’t see a solution to your specific problem, please reach out in the comments below.

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