The strategy I use when building my rides has changed since moving to Paris. When I lived in LA, I often rode in the surrounding mountains, which had only a few roads to choose from, making them easy to memorize. That is certainly no longer the case in Paris. Now, even on familiar routes, I like to load them onto my GPS to confirm I’m taking the correct turns and to monitor distance and elevation remaining.
I build all of my routes in Strava, which is now a "premium" feature, but it’s something I use almost every week, so I find the subscription worth it, especially with the other included features. There are other apps out there, and I’m sure much of the same information and tips will apply.
If you’re new to an area, the best way to find routes is by joining local group rides. This is how I discovered many of the routes I still ride today. Besides learning the routes firsthand, you’ll often find that these groups post their routes on their websites or Strava pages.
Some great resources for routes in the Paris area are Le Peloton Café, Classics Challenge, and, of course, here! Le Peloton hosts group rides almost every weekend, ranging from 50-100km. In addition to discovering new routes, you’ll meet a lot of great people who are happy to share their own favorites.
Classics Challenge is another local community that organizes monthly rides, usually a bit longer—125km or more. While I don’t often join their events, they post all of their routes, which tend to be very well-planned.
If you find a route you like, you can save it to your Strava by hitting the star on the mobile app or the "Save Route" button on the desktop. I like to save any route that seems interesting to build up a repository of ideas. I often modify saved routes to shorten, lengthen, or even combine them, so having a large list to choose from is really helpful.
You can, of course, build your route from scratch as well, which I find myself doing more and more. Once you've ridden a variety of routes and roads in your area, the heat map function becomes incredibly powerful. Strava offers two types of heat maps: global and personal. If you're not familiar with the concept, a heat map highlights roads that are frequently traveled, either by the global community or by you personally.
While the global heat map is helpful, in and around a big city, a frequently traveled road doesn’t always mean it’s the best option—especially if you’re not commuting.
This is where the personal heat map can be an amazing tool. When I’m plotting a route in an area like Paris, it’s hard to remember every detail just by looking at a map. Knowing if—and how often—you’ve been on a particular road really helps to figure things out. This feature may not be very useful initially, but the more you ride in an area, the more valuable it becomes.
As a side note, I LOVE looking at my heat map to see all the different roads I’ve explored in my area! It also brings back great memories when I see the long routes leaving Paris, reminding me of the adventures that created those traces.
Another tip that I find very helpful, especially if you’re not familiar with an area or haven’t ridden there before, is using community photos and Google Street View. I actually find Komoot's community photos to be better than Strava’s. While I build my routes in Strava using my saved routes and heat maps, I keep Komoot open in another tab to explore maps and check details like whether a road is paved or how rough the gravel might be. Of course, you can use Google Maps Street View as well, but it’s worth noting that some forest areas may not be fully captured by Google.
My final tip is to just go ride. Sometimes, the best sections are discovered by taking random roads. I often revisit familiar areas but try different turns to see where I end up and what the road is like. While this approach doesn’t always yield great results, it has led me to some enjoyable sections and useful connectors through trial and error.
When exploring, it’s helpful to note your findings so you can remember them for next time. You can track your distance, take geo-tagged photos, or use a recent trick I’ve been using: hitting the lap button on my GPS. This way, you can easily find the spot later on the map.
Sometimes, deciding where to ride can be half the battle. I hope these tips help alleviate some of that stress and inspire you to get out there and discover new routes!
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