Creating routes in Strava

Some tips on how to create good cycling routes in Strava

I’ve learned the hard way in creating routes – having to carry my bike through an overgrown track covered in sting nettles, taking a long way around as I’d navigated via a footpath vs a road, getting stuck as I realise I can’t ride on a busy dual carriageway safely, or having to cycle back up a hill I just came down because the road is closed and there is no way through.

This blog contains some useful ways to create routes and check if they are going to work. Caveat: this is not foolproof.

Deciding how long or far you want to cycle

First, you must decide how far or long you want to cycle. If you want to do a 4-hour ride, for example, and your average speed is 22km/h, you’ll be looking to create a route of 88km.

What direction do you want to go in?

This might sound a bit crazy, but I often check the wind direction to decide which route I might take. For example, if there is a 30mph headwind coming from the east, I might not want to spend most of the ride going east – unless I really have to (or want to)

Do you want to do a loop or retrace your steps?

Loops are probably preferred, but I sometimes like a straight-up, straight-back ride. It’s incredible how much a road can differ from going in the opposite direction.

Do you need a wee stop / café break/water top-up on the way?

Depending on how long you are riding for, you are likely going to need a comfort break (unless you are happy finding a field – which, let’s face it, is sometimes the only option), a place to warm up, grab a coffee, top up water and get food – or just to take a break.

I use Google Maps to look for suitable places along the route, checking opening times (I have been caught out there a few times). Good places to stop tend to be café, pubs, supermarkets and petrol stations. I’ll adapt my ride so I have these at a point on the ride where I think they will be needed and build my route around them.

Where I live, I often ride in remote areas, and there are not many options to stop, so for long rides, I have created routes where my house is a stop!

Using Google Maps to look at the roads

I use Google Street View to get a good look at certain parts of the route if I haven’t cycled or driven them before.

Things I look out for are:

• The state of the road, i.e., is it a busy road, has a cycle lane, or is it a track road?
• The little lanes can be dicey in the winter, so I check how they might look if it’s been raining, etc.
• The crossing, particularly if you are crossing a busy main road, check that you can cross (this has caught me out before) and that it’s safe to cross.