The Cyclist's Resource Library: Routes, Training, Advocacy & Community
The outside resources our PTs actually point riders to — from route builders to evidence-based training
Updated October 20262 minute read
The vetted external resources worth a cyclist's time: the route and ride-tracking tools that organize Bay Area riding, evidence-based training channels, the indoor platforms, the advocacy coalitions that keep bike lanes coming, and the communities where riders live online — with a note on what each is genuinely good for and where physical therapy picks up what they can't.
A note before the links: these are external sites we don't control, and none of them pay to be here. Where something costs money, we say so.
Routes and ride tracking
- Strava — the sport's social layer: tracking, segments, clubs, and the group-ride coordination most Bay Area teams run on. Segment-chasing is also a stealth intensity spike — the load guide applies.
- Ride with GPS — the serious route builder: turn-by-turn for the classics (Paradise Loop, Mt. Tam, Old La Honda, Mt. Diablo) and your own inventions, with elevation profiles that let you plan climbing load on purpose.
Training: indoor platforms and honest channels
- Zwift — the indoor world that made winter training fun; its racing is genuinely hard intensity, which is both its gift and its injury trap.
- TrainerRoad — structured, no-frills interval training; paid, effective, intensity-dense (same caveat).
- GCN — the sport's biggest channel: technique, maintenance, and fitness content with production polish; good defaults, entertainment-grade depth.
- Dylan Johnson — the evidence-based training channel: reads the actual studies, including the strength-training research behind our lifting guide.
Bay Area advocacy and community
- SF Bicycle Coalition — the city's advocacy engine: classes (including free urban-riding skills), community rides, and the people to thank for every protected lane.
- Marin County Bicycle Coalition — advocacy plus the definitive local knowledge for Marin's roads and the birthplace-of-mountain-biking trails.
- Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition — the Peninsula/South Bay counterpart; commuter resources and rides.
- r/bicycling and r/Velo — the everyday-rider and racing communities respectively: honest gear threads, training questions, and the usual forum-grade medical advice (enjoy the former, skip the latter).
What the internet can't do
Every resource above works best on a body that tolerates the position. Knee pain that builds ride after ride, hands that stay numb off the bike, a back that caps your ride time — those are fit-and-capacity problems with real fixes, and the traffic-light rules tell you how urgent. What PT costs covers the money. If you're local, browse cycling-friendly PTs across the Bay Area; either way, here's how to pick a good one.
Frequently asked questions
Sources (5)
- Lauersen JB, et al. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2014. — BJSM
- Gabbett TJ. The training-injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? Br J Sports Med. 2016. — BJSM
- APTA. Direct Access by State: physical therapist direct access laws summary. — APTA
- Physical Therapy Board of California. Direct access to physical therapist services. — PTBC
- MedlinePlus. Sports injuries. — MedlinePlus
This article is for education only and isn't medical advice. Always talk to a licensed clinician about your specific situation.