One feature that would significantly improve the Route Builder in Strava is the ability to upload a GPX file as a temporary trace layer while creating a route.
Current challenge:
When recreating a long ride (100 km+), especially one ridden by someone else, it’s difficult to manually trace it accurately. The existing black “ghost line” during edits is inconsistent and often disappears, making it hard to stay precisely on track.
Suggested feature:
• Upload a GPX file as a non-editable overlay
• Display it as a faint “ghost route” layer
• Allow snapping to roads while following that trace
• Toggle opacity on/off
• Option to convert the trace into a fully editable route once complete
Use cases:
• Rebuilding a friend’s ride
• Recreating event or race routes
• Importing historic GPX files but improving them with better road snapping
• Long-distance travel routes (100–200 km) where precision matters
This would reduce manual correction, save time, and dramatically improve accuracy for endurance athletes and event preparation.
The Route Builder is powerful, but for longer routes it becomes unnecessarily tedious without a reliable tracing reference layer.
