Ordnance Survey Maps Are Now in Komoot
We recommend Komoot to a lot of our customers, and the main reason is the way it works with Bosch. Most of the Riese & Müller and Moustache bikes we sell run the Bosch smart system, and Bosch's eBike Flow app connects straight to Komoot, so you can plan a route and then navigate it turn by turn on the bike's own screen. Dan has ridden with it for years. It is also hard to beat for planning a route and finding good ones to follow.
The one bit of pushback we get, and it is a fair one, comes from people who like Ordnance Survey maps and did not want to swap them for an app's own mapping. Until now we did not have much of an answer to that. Komoot has just changed it. Ordnance Survey maps are now a layer you can switch on, so you can plan on OS mapping and still navigate on your Bosch display. It sits inside Komoot Premium, so you do need a subscription to see it. Here is what that means for the riding we do down here in the South West, and how it compares to paying for the OS Maps app on its own.
How Komoot works with your Bosch system
This is the part that makes Komoot worth it for our customers. Bosch's eBike Flow app links straight to Komoot. You plan a route in Komoot, tap to send it across, and navigate it turn by turn on the bike's own Kiox display, with the distance to the next turn and your time of arrival on screen.
It stays in sync while you ride. If you change the route in Komoot, it updates on the bike, and your finished rides sync back to Komoot afterwards. In practice the map you plan on and the bike you ride become one system, which is why we point people at Komoot rather than leave them juggling apps.
A couple of things to know. This works on the Bosch smart system with a Kiox display, the Kiox 300, 400C or 500, which covers most of the Bosch-powered bikes we sell. It does not cover bikes with a Pinion gearbox motor or the Fazua-powered UBN, which are not Bosch systems, and the entry CORE trims come with the simpler Purion display rather than a Kiox. If you are not sure what your bike runs, ask us and we will check.
What has changed in Komoot
Open the map layers in the app and you will find a new entry under Map type, sitting alongside Default and Satellite: Ordnance Survey, with a small UK flag and a "new" tag. Switch to it and your planned route sits on top of OS mapping rather than Komoot's usual map. There is a SwissTopo layer arriving at the same time, which tells you Komoot is bringing in official national survey maps as a proper option, not just tweaking its own.
It is a Komoot Premium feature. On the free plan the OS layer does not appear at all, so this is one for subscribers. If you already pay for Premium to send routes to your Bosch system, you have it already.
Why OS mapping matters for the riding round here
The best riding near us is off the main roads. The lanes and bridleways above the Dart, the approaches to the coast path, the open ground on Dartmoor. That is exactly where a standard app map runs thin and OS mapping earns its keep.
OS Explorer shows field boundaries, footpaths, bridleways, access land and contour lines in a way the default map does not. When you are piecing together a trekking or touring route, that detail is the difference between a line that flows and one that ends at a locked gate or a steep pitch you did not see coming. We spend a fair bit of time planning routes with customers from the workshop before a test ride, and OS is what we reach for. Having it under a Komoot route, and then on the bike's display when you ride, is a genuinely useful change.
How much does it cost? Komoot Premium vs the OS Maps app
This is the question worth sitting with, because the two are priced and built differently. Komoot bundles OS maps into a wider subscription, while Ordnance Survey sells access to its own maps directly through the OS Maps app.
| Komoot Premium | OS Maps app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | around £59.99 a year, or £4.99 a month | free tier, plus OS Maps Premium at around £34.99 a year |
| Ordnance Survey maps | OS layer included with Premium | the full OS catalogue, this is OS's own app |
| Navigates on your Bosch display | yes, via the eBike Flow app | no |
| What else you get | route planning and discovery, turn-by-turn navigation, multi-day planning, sport-specific maps, weather and heatmaps | route plotting and following, aerial and standard maps on the free tier, full 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps offline on Premium |
| Best thought of as | a complete route-planning and navigation app that now has OS as one of its map options, and talks to your bike | a dedicated Ordnance Survey app, focused on OS mapping and UK walking and riding |
The short version: with Komoot you are paying for the whole planning and navigation toolkit, it gets OS as a basemap option, and it sends the route to your bike. With the OS Maps app you are paying less, and for OS mapping specifically, but you are in a separate app from wherever you plan and navigate, and it does not talk to your Bosch display.
So which should you pay for?
If you ride a Bosch-powered bike and plan in Komoot, the answer is easy. The OS layer means you get that Ordnance Survey detail when you plan, and you still get turn-by-turn navigation on your Kiox display when you ride, on one subscription, with no exporting files between apps. For a lot of our customers that removes the main reason they kept the OS Maps app open in the first place.
If you mainly want OS maps for walking and general navigation, or you do not use Komoot to plan, the OS Maps app is the cheaper and more focused choice. It is Ordnance Survey's own app, and it does that one job very well.
To be clear, the OS layer in Komoot is not a full replacement for everything the OS Maps app offers. But for planning a route and riding it on a Bosch bike, it closes most of the gap, and it does so without leaving the app you are already in.
Planning a route with us
None of this replaces local knowledge, which is the part we enjoy most. When you come down for a test ride, we will sit down and plan a proper loop with you, on real roads and bridleways rather than a car park, and point you at the climbs and the views worth the detour. If you want to get a head start, our interactive buyer's guide is the place to begin, the range estimator will tell you how far a given battery will take you on a hilly day, and our guide to e-bikepacking covers planning longer trips.
The bikes we would point you at for this kind of riding are the touring and trekking models. The Charger5 range is the natural starting point, and if you want a hand narrowing it down, the Bike Finder will get you to a shortlist in a few minutes.
Common questions
Is Ordnance Survey free in Komoot?
No. The OS layer is part of Komoot Premium. It does not appear on the free plan.
Which OS maps does Komoot show?
The standard British leisure mapping, OS Explorer at 1:25,000 and Landranger at 1:50,000.
Can I navigate a Komoot route on my bike's screen?
Yes, if your bike runs the Bosch smart system with a Kiox display. Connect Komoot to the Bosch eBike Flow app, plan your route, and it navigates turn by turn on the Kiox. Bikes on a Pinion motor or the Fazua-powered UBN do not use the Bosch system, so this does not apply to them.
Do I still need the OS Maps app?
If you plan and navigate in Komoot, probably not. If you want OS maps for walking or general use, or you do not use Komoot, the OS Maps app is the cheaper, more focused option.
Can I get help planning a route?
Yes. Give us a call on 03330 151 979 or come down to Little Dartmouth. Or contact us>>
