Your first few rides set the tone for everything. Pick a miserable route—dodging traffic, climbing hills you’re not ready for—and you’ll start dreading the bike instead of loving it. Here’s how to find routes that’ll actually keep you coming back.
Rail Trails Are Cheat Codes
Old railway lines converted to bike paths are basically beginner mode. They’re flat (trains can’t climb), paved, and completely separated from cars. The only downside? Sometimes they’re almost too easy, and you might get bored once you’ve got some miles in your legs.
Google “[your city] rail trail” and you’ll probably find something. These paths often connect coffee shops and breweries which, let’s be honest, is excellent route planning.
Quiet Roads Exist—You Just Have to Find Them
Not every road is a death trap. The trick is timing and location. Sunday mornings before 9am? Even busy roads calm down. Farm roads that go nowhere? Usually empty. Subdivisions with cul-de-sacs? Great for loops without through traffic.
Avoid: roads near schools during pickup/dropoff, anything connecting two highways, and that “shortcut” Google Maps suggests through an industrial park.
Steal Routes From Other Riders
Strava’s heatmap shows where cyclists actually ride in your area—bright orange lines mean popular routes, which usually means safe routes. Komoot lets you filter by “beginner” and shows surface types so you don’t end up on gravel with 23mm tires.
Start with 10-15 mile loops. That’s far enough to feel like you did something, short enough that bonking won’t strand you miles from home. Once those feel easy, add five miles. Repeat forever.
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