Combined Shape Bike IQ

Importing Routes

Bring your routes from anywhere. Bike IQ imports cycling routes from GPX files, Strava, and RideWithGPS, so you can navigate familiar courses and discover new ones without rebuilding them from scratch.

Route importing requires Bike IQ Pro.

GPX File Import

GPX is the universal route exchange format, supported by virtually every cycling platform. Bike IQ accepts both .gpx and .xml route files. There are two ways to import a GPX file:

  • Share sheet: Open the GPX file on your iPhone — from an email attachment, a file manager, Safari download, or another app — and select Bike IQ from the iOS share sheet. The route imports directly into your library.
  • In-app import: Use the import option in the route manager to browse your device files and select a GPX file.

Bike IQ simplifies imported routes to optimize rendering and navigation performance. Complex routes with thousands of trackpoints are reduced to their essential geometry without losing meaningful detail. The result is smoother map drawing and faster route calculations on the device.

GPX files exported from Komoot, Garmin Connect, RideWithGPS, Strava, and other cycling platforms all work. If the file parses as valid GPX with latitude and longitude coordinates, Bike IQ can import it.

Strava Route Import

Connect your Strava account to access your saved Strava routes directly inside Bike IQ. The connection uses OAuth authentication, so Bike IQ never sees your Strava password.

  1. Go to Strava settings in the app and tap Connect Strava.
  2. Authenticate with your Strava credentials in the browser.
  3. Once connected, browse your saved Strava routes and import the ones you want into Bike IQ.
  4. Select any imported route to preview its course, elevation profile, and distance before navigating.

Strava routes do not sync automatically. Each route must be manually imported into Bike IQ. If you update a route on the Strava website or app, those changes are not reflected in Bike IQ — you will need to re-import the route to get the updated version.

RideWithGPS Import

Connect your RideWithGPS account to import your favorite routes. After authentication, your RideWithGPS favorites appear in Bike IQ's route library. Route details — elevation, distance, turn-by-turn data — load on demand when you select a route, keeping the initial sync fast.

If you prefer not to connect accounts, you can also export individual routes from RideWithGPS as GPX files and import them using the GPX method described above.

The Import Flow

Regardless of the source, all imported routes follow the same flow once they are in Bike IQ:

  1. Select a source — choose between file import, Strava, or RideWithGPS.
  2. Authenticate if connecting a service for the first time.
  3. Browse available routes from the connected platform or file system.
  4. Select a route to preview it in the route viewer.
  5. Preview the course on the map with elevation profile, total distance, and elevation gain.
  6. Save to library to add the route to your collection for future use.

What You Can Do with Imported Routes

Once a route is in your library, it behaves identically to a route you built in Bike IQ:

  • Turn-by-turn navigation: all imported routes work with full turn-by-turn navigation, including voice directions, visual instruction banners, and route display on the live map.
  • Elevation profile: every imported route shows its elevation profile with total climbing, descent, and gradient distribution.
  • Distance and elevation stats: distance and total elevation gain are calculated and displayed in the route viewer.
  • Edit in route builder: imported routes can be opened in the route builder to add, move, or remove waypoints. This is useful for modifying a route you found online to better suit your starting point or preferred roads.
  • Organize and favorite: mark imported routes as favorites for quick access, or delete routes you no longer need. See Managing Routes for details.

Troubleshooting Imports

  • GPX file won't open in Bike IQ: make sure the file has a .gpx or .xml extension. Some platforms export with non-standard extensions that iOS may not associate with Bike IQ.
  • Strava routes not appearing: check that you have saved routes in Strava (not just past activities). Only routes created in Strava's route builder sync to Bike IQ.
  • Route looks different after import: Bike IQ simplifies routes to optimize performance. The core path and navigation remain accurate, but very dense trackpoint data may be smoothed slightly.

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