MTB GPS for trails the phone signal never reaches
On a trail a GPS has three jobs: show which way the next junction goes, survive the knocks, and stay out of the way. A phone in a pocket does none of them well once the climb takes you out of signal. Here is what to look for in a mountain bike GPS, and the two TwoNav units we suggest.
What MTB asks of a GPS
- A map that lives on the device
- Trail networks are rarely on road maps, and the signal drops in valleys and forest. A topographic map stored in the unit's own memory keeps drawing the route with no network at all. The Roc and Terra carry 32 GB.
- Small enough to forget
- On technical ground a big unit is one more thing to clip with a knee or lose in a crash. The Roc is 58 x 90 x 20 mm and weighs 120 g.
- Readable in a glance
- You look down for a second, not ten. A screen made for direct sunlight matters more than a long feature list. The Terra's 3.7-inch screen at 480 x 640 pixels is the larger of the two.
- A plan B on the bars
- Weather and trail conditions change the plan. The Roc offers alternative route variants, and the Terra lets you modify a route or create a variant on the device itself.
Our pick: TwoNav Roc
TwoNav designed the Roc for cyclists. It is the smallest and lightest unit in the range, runs 18 hours, and was named the best MTB GPS of 2024 by the German magazine World of MTB.
| Specification | RocOur pick | Terra |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Cycling | Cycling, hiking, water sports |
| Screen | 2.7" | 3.7" |
| Resolution | 240 x 320 | 480 x 640 |
| Weight | 120 g | 198 g |
| Size | 58 x 90 x 20 mm | 80 x 115 x 19 mm |
| Battery life | 18 h | 15 h |
| Battery | Built in | Built in |
| Storage | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Satellites | GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou | GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou |
| Wireless | Dual Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Dual Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Water and dust | — | — |
| Controls | 6 buttons | 7 buttons |
Or the Terra. Choose the Terra for a bigger map. World of MTB named it the best MTB GPS of 2023, and it weighs 198 g with 15 hours of battery. See the Terra
Figures are the manufacturer's. The full four-way comparison is on the cycling GPS page.
Questions riders ask
ASPL is the authorised distributor for TwoNav in India and services the devices in its own service centre. Ask us anything the answers here leave open.
Roc or Terra for mountain biking?
The Roc if weight and size come first: 120 g with a 2.7-inch screen and 18 hours of battery. The Terra if you want the larger 3.7-inch map and can carry 198 g; it lists 15 hours. World of MTB named the Roc the best MTB GPS of 2024 and the Terra the best of 2023.
Will an MTB GPS work in forest and deep valleys?
Both units track GPS, Galileo, Glonass and BeiDou, so they see more satellites at once than a single-system receiver, which helps under tree cover. The map is stored on the device, so no mobile network is needed.
Can I follow a trail someone else recorded?
Yes. Load the track onto the unit and follow it on the map. The Roc can also turn a track into a roadbook with directions and alerts.
Read before you ride
- TwoNav Roc vs Terra vs Cross Plus: which one for your ridingThree TwoNav units a cyclist will weigh against each other. The Roc is the light one, the Terra has the big map, and the Cross Plus is the one rated for weather and sensors.
- How to choose a cycling GPS in IndiaBattery life, maps that work without signal, a screen you can read at noon, the sensors you already own, and who repairs it. Six checks before you buy a bike GPS.
- Bike GPS or phone: what changes when you navigate a rideFor a short ride on roads you know, the phone is fine. Here is where it stops being fine, and what a dedicated bike GPS does differently.