How to Find the Best Local Cycling Routes Close to Where You Live

Find the best local cycling routes closest to where you live if you want to get a full advantage of being a cyclist.

Why stick to local routes? Because you’ll have less of a resource and travel need to enjoy your bike. If you’re driving far to be able to bike, you’re probably going to burn yourself out because you’re wasting time driving rather than biking.

You don’t need to travel that far to enjoy cycling, as your local area is likely full of many different opportunities.

Many great cycling routes close to home probably go unnoticed and underused. You can find these routes, trails, and systems and bring them back to life. You can also win all the ride segments and challenge other local cyclists to compete for them which in turn will make the route get more bike use.

In this guide, I’ll show you everything you need to know on how to find the best local cycling routes close to home.

Why Ride Local Cycling Routes?

There are a lot of benefits to choosing local cycling routes in your area.

One of the most important reasons behind local routes is that you have to travel less to be able to ride. Driving longer than your ride is a good way to get burned out because it takes fuel and wear and tear on a vehicle to travel so much. One of the reasons you have a bike should be to help save that wear and tear on your vehicle.

Riding local allows you to spontaneously ride anytime you want and to build a great cycling routine for training, weight loss, or whatever you’re in it for.

Cycling on local routes is also good for the local cycling infrastructure. Drivers and pedestrians can get used to cyclists who use the area more. Local cycling routes can also attract more local people into cycling as they see others using them.

Cycling locally is good for you and everyone else all the way around.

Use Technology to Discover Local Cycling Routes

The best way to find the best local cycling routes in your area is to use all the technology available today.

There are really good apps for phones and computers to find local cycling routes. Some of these apps include Komoot (popular outside of the US), Strava, Ride with GPS, and Trailforks. Many of these apps are free but offer even more useful features when you upgrade to the paid versions.

Make sure you use advanced search features on the various apps and websites you use to list cycling routes. You can get more specific with your location and the type of cycling you want to do, such as road, gravel, and mountain biking. The advanced search features are where the best routes can be discovered.

Online mapping services such as Google Maps can also be a great aid and tool for finding local cycling routes. You can search for your address or town in Google Maps to find your local area. Then, you can choose the bicycling feature to show any bike trails or cycling routes in the area.

Technology such as apps and maps will only evolve for cyclists in the years to come, making it even easier for you to find more local routes.

Tap Into the Local Cycling Community

Apps and maps can’t always provide the human connection you desire when looking for local cycling routes, and that’s where the local cycling community comes into play.

If you’re on social media, find social groups for your local cycling community on platforms like Facebook and Reddit. There might also be cycling forums available for your area. Look for these online communities and start meeting local cyclists to find out what great local cycling routes are near you.

If there are any group rides or club events near you, try to participate in some of them. Become a member of your local cycling club and actively make new friends in the process. The cycling club probably has a lot of knowledge about the best cycling routes in your area.

Visit your local bike shop and ask them about local cycling routes. Most of the time, employees of the local bike shops are also cyclists, or they know a lot about where to go ride in the area because that knowledge can effectively help them sell bikes. Local bike shops are some of the best places to network with other riders, as well.

Your local community is one of the best ways for you to meet other cyclists in your area and find out where the best places to ride are.

Check with City, County, and State Resources

Many times, your city, county, and state will have local cycling routes and other information available online or by visiting local offices.

Look for local websites from regional and state tourism organizations, park departments, and outdoor recreation departments. Many of these websites and departments offer local cycling maps that show routes in your area. Not all rural areas will have internet-based resources.

Look at your state’s website and search for cycling links. Many state websites will have PDF maps available that show state cycling routes. These maps should most often cover your area.

Look for local rail trails, greenways, and other non-profit organizations in your region. Many of them will at least provide route information for the trail or areas they support. You might have many trails in your area that you don’t even know about.

If you can’t find resources from the city, county, or state, you might recommend that they consider adding some cycling route resources to better serve their citizens.

Plan Your Ride Smart on Local Cycling Routes

Make sure you take into consideration all the elements of riding local cycling routes and plan accordingly.

Consider the route’s distance and how far you’re able to ride. Factor in the elevation gain, which is the steepness and hill climbing you’ll be doing. You also want to understand the type of surface (pavement, gravel, dirt, etc.) and the traffic potential.

Try to plan with some backup local cycling routes just in case your chosen route is closed or blocked. It’s a good idea to explore multiple routes in your area. This way, you’ll have plenty of backup options.

Know all the rest stops along your route. This will be a good idea for water and snack stops if you need them. You should also have information on emergency contacts in your cycling routes just in case an incident occurs and you need help.

Planning your cycling route will help ensure that you get the most out of your ride and that you remain safe while enjoying it.

Safety and Courtesy on Local Cycling Routes

Please ensure that you practice safety and courtesy for yourself and others while enjoying your local cycling routes,

Make sure you’re wearing a helmet when cycling, as most fatalities from cycling occur when riders are involved in accidents without helmets. You should also wear brightly colored clothing and use lights on your bike, no matter if it’s day or night, as this will increase your visibility for drivers. Make sure you communicate with other users, including drivers (hand signals), pedestrians, and cyclists.

If you share the road or a bike path, make sure you share the trail properly. Stay to the right on the roadway and ride in a single file. Before you make your pass, let other trail users know you will be passing them.

Be sure to watch your local weather forecast and know how to prepare for your ride. If conditions are wet and muddy, you might choose an alternative route instead of getting on a dirt trail and potentially damaging it. Be sure to wear the correct clothing for the weather conditions you’ll be cycling in.

Safety and etiquette should be a priority when you’re using your local cycling routes so that you and others can share routes safely.

Track and Share Your Favorite Local Cycling Routes

Be sure to keep track of your favorite local cycling routes and share them with others who might also be looking for local routes to bike on.

You should use apps like Strava to record and analyze your ride. This will help you keep track of your riding metrics. You can use your previous riding metrics to get better at cycling and compete against yourself and other riders if you choose to do so.

You can also share your routes with others so that they can find local cycling routes to enjoy. Be sure to put your safety and privacy first when sharing information about routes that start and end from sensitive places such as your home. Apps such as Strava have many features that allow you to hide start and stopping points on saved routes that you share with others.

You could also start a blog about your cycling activities. Your blog can help you keep a database of your rides for future inspiration or reference, and it can also help inspire others to ride routes that you enjoy.

It’s always a good idea to record your previous rides, as this information can later be used to improve your cycling.

Now, Over to You!

That sums up my guide to finding the best local cycling routes in your area. I hope the tips above help you find all the riding routes your area has to offer.

I’m curious what other methods you have used to find local biking routes in your area. Leave a comment below and tell me how.

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