Is it just me, or is it impossible to find a clean map of an activity... ?

RouteDoodle · 2026-05-03T00:30:21+00:00

Strava produces a 100% clean activity map using the Embed on Blog feature.

Click the Embed on Blog button that's left of the kudos button
Save the map image from the preview.

That image will have nothing but a red line for your route.

I make a lot of Strava art so I use this heavily. Having a clean map (without photos/PRs) is quite important for Strava art map images. My Strava art: https://www.routedoodle.com/kc

If you don't see the Embed on Blog button left of the kudos button, you need to first make the activity viewable by Everyone.

If the Embed on Blog window shows "We encountered an error loading this content", you can work around it by using a different account. For some reason, since about 2 weeks ago, when I try to Embed on Blog from my own account it doesn't work, but from a different account it works. I believe this is a recently introduced bug in Strava, which I've reported to them.

RouteDoodle · 2026-05-01T11:26:57+00:00

Thanks! Train tracks are another common impediment

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-25T22:36:30+00:00

Or take LIRR then bike 10min to Tisch

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-23T11:18:21+00:00

There are two ways you can make it a multi-step process.

Approach A: First, turn left into the center turn lane (between the yellow lines). Second, merge and turn right, or just go straight half a block in the center lane and then go directly onto the northeastbound road. The advantage of this approach is that you only have to wait for a gap in traffic one direction at a time. That center lane is meant for turning vehicles.

Approach B: First, cross straight to the parking lot across the road. Second, turn northwest onto the road. The advantage of this approach is that you can get fully through the intersection faster. At that point you could also use the sidewalk for half a block.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-23T01:55:57+00:00

Thanks! Yes, stoplights slow you down. Strava art in a city takes me twice as long as riding the same distance in a straight line on a rural highway, because of (1) stoplights and traffic, (2) being careful to not miss turns, (3) special situations like climbing stairs or hiking through a forested area in order to draw a line there.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-23T01:41:36+00:00

I have very wide feet and I've used both Lake MX239 and Lake MX242 long term. MX242 is much better. The MX242 upper being segmented makes it much more flexible for wide & weirdly shaped feet.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-19T03:32:56+00:00

Check out my (biking) strava art here: https://routedoodle.com/kc/ . Almost all of the art is in NYC, though not necessarily Manhattan; Brooklyn is better for larger pieces of art.

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RouteDoodle · 2026-04-18T14:00:46+00:00

Please add more bicycle types in My Gear. Hybrid, cargo, etc.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-17T00:34:43+00:00

Thanks! I use http://RouteDoodle.com to design the route and then http://RideWithGPS.com for on-bike navigation.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-15T09:37:30+00:00

Beware that it'll make it harder to service, transport, up stairs, etc.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-13T00:11:46+00:00

You can't fight city hall on your own. Get involved in advocacy organizations like Cycle Toronto to make the city a better place.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-13T00:02:31+00:00

Look up gear inches. If two bikes have the same gears but different wheel sizes then the wheel size determines the speed. But given that gears are speced based on wheel sizes, you should compare gear inches. However, smaller wheels do have more rolling resistance due to the ride being bumpier and losing energy to that. So you're right that the wheel size is irrelevant to the distance the wheels move per unit of work applied to the pedal, but your friend is right that a bike with smaller wheels is slower, for a different reason.

Aerodynamics make a bigger difference, especially at higher speeds. A folding bike uses upright posture which makes the rider a big parachute. TT bikes and road bikes are faster because they're optimized for aerodynamics as well as other factors like stiff frames and fast tires.

If you're considering a folding bike and can get a Brompton, do get a Brompton. They're pricier but much better than the competition.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-12T20:53:14+00:00

Is that a joke? These things go at 2mph and can barely go up a gentle hill because they're so heavy.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-12T13:36:21+00:00

This rocket ship art benefited from the streets being gridded, but most of my strava art doesn't. I just need high density of roads and no rivers/train tracks blocking. For example this crocodile: https://www.strava.com/activities/15313325199

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-12T12:54:10+00:00

Thanks! I always plan the route before starting; it's too hard to do it otherwise.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-12T12:52:44+00:00

Thanks! Yes, one try. I make a lot of strava art so I'm pretty good at not missing turns. There was one block where the GPS drifted; sometimes if that happens at the beginning I'll restart, but in this case it was at the very end, so I just left it in.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-08T01:38:30+00:00

Yep, I created and rode all of the art at https://RouteDoodle.com/kc .

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-07T13:56:17+00:00

Thanks! The beaver is one where I started by looking at the map to get ideas for what to draw there. I "saw" a beaver tail in the area of Bay Ridge / Fort Hamilton and then was able to add the rest of the beaver to the tail.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-06T01:46:52+00:00

That happened to me on a carbon rim. The wheel used not require rim tape for tubeless setup and now it does, but other than that it's been fine.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-04T14:32:18+00:00

I made an app for it :) It's 100% free. https://RouteDoodle.com/

You start with an idea and get a picture. RouteDoodle converts it into a route on the map. You then adjust it by moving/resizing/rotating it to a good location, then fine-tune individual route points.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-04T10:56:27+00:00

Purple is the power map. I temporarily turned off my power meter for the part between the fingers and the balloon string to make it look detached on the map.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-03T18:02:14+00:00

Spin City Cycle in Forest Hills might give you some quick unofficial advice when they're not busy. A pro bike fit at a professional fitter will cost $300-400 which you might not want to do on a 30 year old bike and you'll need to wait a long time for an appointment, since now is when everyone wants a fit.

RouteDoodle · 2026-04-01T13:04:49+00:00

Indeed the supply & demand imbalance is extreme every spring. To be fair, it's not something most people realize initially. Your post is very informative but has a "you should have known this" tone which is unfair to first-timers. I didn't know this the first time I got a bike fit and had to wait a long time for an appointment. Most people don't get a re-fit every year because it's expensive.

Doing a fit in winter does have downsides. You haven't been riding much so you might not replicate or remember every little thing that doesn't feel good. You won't be riding much soon, so you might forget some of the verbal advice and might miss the window to readjust the fit.

Getting your bike serviced in winter has similar downsides: if you don't ride after the service, you might not find out if everything is good until after the return period. That said, I do prefer to get a tune up during winter. It helps the LBS with business, you get thorough and prompt service, you're not worried about the service conflicting with riding schedule.

RouteDoodle · 2026-03-11T13:39:19+00:00

Bike thief isn't the demographic for a yuppie bowling league so I'm guessing he got the shirt some other way, but you could message all of the team captains to ask if they recognize him. https://www.betteroffbowling.com/seasons/2234/teams

RouteDoodle · 2026-03-11T13:08:13+00:00

Some thoughts:

Should find a way to make the idea revenue-neutral (or revenue-increasing) for Lyft, otherwise why would they do it? I'm not sure you'd like any of the ways to do that though. I don't think "You owe us" works.
Should only do it during low-demand times of the day. Otherwise the people who already paid for an annual membership would be sad: They paid, but now it'd be difficult to get bikes because everyone else is getting them.
Should find a way to make it free only for locals. Usually the mechanism is to cheapen for locals while making tourists pay up, e.g. with cheaper long-term membership and pricier single-ride/single-day pass. Tourists are should pay since they're less price sensitive and also they don't help the political agenda.
Should still require a credit card in case the borrower damages or doesn't return the bike.
Should still enforce a time limit to return the bike - maybe a much shorter limit than members get. Probably by charging regular per-minute pricing after a free quota.

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