After finally logging back into Strava after encountering a pesky bug last week, I’ve spent my morning testing the newest feature for subscribers: a comprehensive route builder built for mobile. When it comes to creating routes, I’ve always favored the simplicity of the free site onthegomap.com. Now, with the ease of this mobile route-builder, Strava has reeled me back in with its one-stop-shop appeal.
What sets Strava’s route builder apart is its (sometimes controversial) integration of community-powered data. Using its iconic heatmap feature, Strava automatically suggests routing based on where others have actually traveled for your chosen sport. This means your running route should follow popular jogging paths, while your cycling route should stick to bike-friendly roads and trails that the community has vetted through real-world experience. Road bike routes prioritize paved surfaces, trail running routes follow existing hiking trails, and so on. This community intelligence eliminates much of the guesswork involved in planning routes in unfamiliar areas. Here’s how to build your perfect route with a Strava subscription.
How to use Strava’s route builder (and why you should)
With your Strava subscription ($11.99/month or $79.99/year), you’ll see two main methods for route creation in the app.
Point-and-connect method
The traditional approach allows users to tap specific locations on the map, with Strava automatically connecting these waypoints using community data. This method works particularly well when you want to visit specific landmarks or viewpoints along your route. You can place points far apart to see what interesting paths the community suggests, or keep them close together for more precise control over your route.
The flexibility extends to editing as well—points can be moved, deleted, or added even after the initial route is complete. Users can tap on any existing point to relocate it or remove it entirely, with Strava automatically recalculating the connecting segments.
Credit: Meredith Dietz
I messed around with a route I know intimately: The Central Park loop. In the screenshots above, I’m holding my finger over certain points along the route to get details like elevation and surface type. Plus, the distance it calculated was accurate to my experience running this route hundreds of times in the past.
Draw-to-route feature
What really excites me is Strava’s drawing functionality, which allows users to literally trace their desired path with a finger on the screen. This intuitive approach feels natural and immediate—simply tap the pencil icon and draw where you want to go.
The magic happens when you lift your finger. Strava’s algorithm automatically snaps your rough sketch to the nearest appropriate roads or trails, creating a clean, followable route from your loose drawing. For cyclists, this means your sketched line becomes a proper road route; for runners, it translates to sidewalks and running paths.
Here’s what it looks like in action, with a screenshot of my doodle on the left and the resulting route from Strava on the right.
Credit: Meredith Dietz
I’m excited at the prospect of using this feature whenever I’m somewhere new and have a general sense of direction, but want the freedom to explore organically. You can continue adding to your drawn route by tapping the pencil icon again and extending the path, building your adventure piece by piece.
Save your route for later
Once your route is complete, make sure to save your route with a custom name. I recommend downloading it for offline use, since I’m often running around areas with spotty cell coverage. Privacy controls let you decide whether to share your creation with the community or keep it personal. Even after saving, you can go back in and continue refining their routes, moving waypoints, or making adjustments based on new discoveries or changing preferences.
More features coming for Strava subscribers
The new route builder is available now. In addition, Strava is rolling out a few more features next month.
Power Skills for cyclists: This new tool (coming from Strava’s recent acquisition of The Breakaway) gives power meter users detailed insights into their performance. You’ll see your personal records across 12 different cycling intervals, identify your strengths and areas for improvement, and track your progress over time. Soon, you’ll also be able to compare your recent 8-week performance against your all-time bests to better understand how your training is paying off.
Training Zones for everyone: Both cyclists and runners will now get clear breakdowns of how much time they’re spending in different intensity zones (like the popular Zone 2) over weeks, months, or 3-month periods. This takes the guesswork out of balancing hard training with recovery time.
Cheater crackdowns: Strava has been working hard to keep their leaderboards legitimate. I’ve previously covered how Strava has been using AI to crack down on cheaters—to the tune of purging over 4 million fraudulent activities from its leaderboards. Now for the update we’ve all been waiting for: Spotting e-bikes. Now, instead of e-bike activities incorrectly appearing on regular bike and running leaderboards, they’ll only show up on the e-bike-specific leaderboards where they belong.
Again, all these updates are available only with a paid Strava subscription.
