How do I export a route to my GPS device?

First, use list_routes to find your route ID. Then use export_route_gpx or export_route_tcx with that route ID. The GPX file can be downloaded and loaded onto Garmin, Wahoo, or other GPS devices for turn-by-turn navigation during your workout.

Can I log activities that Strava doesn't automatically track?

Yes! Use create_activity to manually log any workout — gym sessions, yoga, swimming, hiking, cross-training. Provide the name, type (e.g., "Workout", "Yoga", "Swim"), start date, elapsed time, and optionally distance and description. This keeps all your training in one place.

How do I track my bike and shoe mileage?

Use get_gear with the gear ID to see total accumulated distance. Gear IDs are found in your athlete profile or assigned to activities. You can assign gear to activities using update_activity with the gear_id parameter. Track mileage to know when to replace chains, tires, or running shoes.

Strava Planning MCP Server for Claude Desktop 14 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Strava Planning
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user

Built by Vinkius GDPR 14 Tools IDE

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's native application for interacting with Claude AI models on macOS and Windows. It was the first consumer application to ship with built-in MCP support, making it the reference implementation for the Model Context Protocol standard.

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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

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The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Strava Planning and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "strava-planning": {
      // Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Strava Planning MCP Server

Connect Strava Planning to any AI agent and manage your training logistics — route creation, GPX/TCX export, manual activity logging, gear tracking, segment favoriting, and profile management.

Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect Strava Planning to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 14 tools in the chat interface. ask a question, Claude calls the right tool, and you see the answer. Zero code, zero context switching.

What you can do

Route Management — List, view, and analyze all your saved routes with distance, elevation, and descriptions
Route Streams — Get GPS coordinates, elevation profiles, and distance data for any route
Route Export — Export routes to GPX and TCX formats for GPS devices (Garmin, Wahoo, etc.)
Manual Activity Creation — Log activities not recorded by Strava (gym, yoga, cross-training) with full details
Activity Updates — Edit activity names, descriptions, assign gear, mark commutes or indoor sessions
File Uploads — Upload FIT, TCX, or GPX files for processing by Strava with status tracking
Segment Management — Star (favorite) or unstar segments for quick training access
Athlete Profile — View and update your profile information including weight for accurate power-to-weight ratios
Athlete Zones — Review your heart rate and power zone configurations
Gear Details — Track equipment mileage, models, and primary gear assignments

The Strava Planning MCP Server exposes 14 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Desktop in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Strava Planning to Claude Desktop via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Strava Planning MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json

Add the MCP Server

Paste the configuration above into the mcpServers section

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new server

Start using Strava Planning

Look for the 🔌 icon in the chat. your 14 tools are now available

Why Use Claude Desktop with the Strava Planning MCP Server

Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with Strava Planning through the Model Context Protocol.

Claude Desktop is the reference MCP client. it was designed alongside the protocol itself, ensuring the most complete and stable MCP implementation available

Zero-code configuration: add a server URL to a JSON file and Claude instantly discovers and exposes all available tools in the chat interface

Claude's extended thinking capability lets it reason through multi-step tool usage, chaining multiple API calls to answer complex questions

Enterprise-grade security with local config storage. your tokens never leave your machine, and connections go directly to Vinkius Edge network

Strava Planning + Claude Desktop Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the Strava Planning MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Interactive data exploration: ask Claude to query DNS records, look up WHOIS data, and cross-reference results in a single conversation

Ad-hoc security audits: type a domain name and let Claude enumerate subdomains, check DNS history, and flag configuration anomalies. all through natural language

Executive briefings: generate comprehensive domain intelligence reports by asking Claude to compile findings into a formatted summary

Learning and training: new team members can explore API capabilities conversationally without needing to read documentation

Strava Planning MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (14)

These 14 tools become available when you connect Strava Planning to Claude Desktop via MCP:

create_activity

Required: name (activity name), type (activity type like "Run", "Ride", "Swim", "Walk", "Hike"), startDate (ISO 8601 format), elapsedTime (seconds). Optional: description, distance (meters). Use this to log activities recorded outside of Strava (gym workouts, yoga, cross-training, etc.). Activity types must match Strava's valid types list. Create a manual activity in Strava

export_route_gpx

GPX files can be downloaded and loaded onto GPS devices (Garmin, Wahoo, etc.) for navigation. The routeId is from Strava route URLs. Use this to export routes to your GPS device for guided training. Get the GPX export URL for a Strava route

export_route_tcx

TCX files include route data with additional training metadata. Compatible with Garmin Training Center and other fitness platforms. Use this to export routes with training metadata. Get the TCX export URL for a Strava route

get_athlete

Use this to review personal profile details, check equipment assignments, or verify account settings. Get the authenticated athlete's profile information

get_athlete_zones

Required for zone-based training analysis. Use this to review training zones, ensure zones are correctly set, or use zone data for activity analysis. Get the athlete's custom heart rate and power zones

get_gear

The gearId is found in activity data or athlete profile. Use this to check equipment mileage for maintenance planning or to analyze performance with specific gear. Get details about a piece of equipment (bike, shoes) tracked in Strava

get_route

The routeId is found in Strava route URLs. Use this to review route characteristics before training or to plan similar routes. Get detailed information about a specific Strava route

get_route_streams

The "types" parameter is comma-separated: "latlng", "altitude", "distance". Use this to preview a route's elevation profile, understand the terrain, or export GPS data for navigation. Get elevation and GPS data streams for a Strava route

get_upload_status

Status values: "Your activity is ready" (success), "Your activity is still processing" (wait and retry), or error messages. The uploadId is returned by upload_activity. Poll this endpoint every 5-10 seconds after upload until ready. Check the status of a Strava activity upload

list_routes

Each route includes: name, distance, elevation gain, type (ride/run), description, and whether it's private. Use this to review saved routes, plan upcoming workouts, or export route data for GPS devices. List all routes created by the authenticated athlete

star_segment

Set starred=true to favorite, starred=false to unfavorite. The segmentId is from Strava segment URLs. Use this to manage your favorite segments for quick access and training focus. Star (favorite) or unstar a Strava segment

update_activity

The activityId is the numeric ID. Updatable fields: name, description, sport_type, gear_id (to assign equipment), commute (mark as commute: "true"/"false"), trainer (mark as indoor: "true"/"false"). Use this to correct activity details, assign gear, or add descriptions after the fact. Update an existing Strava activity

update_athlete

Currently only "weight" (in kg) is supported by the API. Accurate weight is important for power-to-weight ratio calculations and performance analysis. Use this when your weight changes to keep performance metrics accurate. Update the authenticated athlete's profile information

upload_activity

Supported data_type: "fit", "fit.gz", "tcx", "tcx.gz", "gpx", "gpx.gz". Returns an upload ID to check status with get_upload_status. Note: Actual file upload requires multipart/form-data with the file content. This endpoint initiates the process. Check upload status periodically — processing takes 10-60 seconds. Upload an activity file (FIT, TCX, GPX) to Strava for processing

Example Prompts for Strava Planning in Claude Desktop

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with Strava Planning immediately.

"List all my saved routes."

"Export route 12345 to GPX format."

"Create a manual activity for today's gym session."

Troubleshooting Strava Planning MCP Server with Claude Desktop

Common issues when connecting Strava Planning to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not appearing after restart

Ensure the JSON is valid (no trailing commas). Check the file path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).

Authentication error

Verify your Vinkius token is correct. Go to cloud.vinkius.com to regenerate it if needed.

Tools not showing in chat

Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the chat input. If it shows 0 tools, the server may still be connecting. wait a few seconds.

Strava Planning + Claude Desktop FAQ

Common questions about integrating Strava Planning MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?

When Claude Desktop starts, it reads the claude_desktop_config.json file and connects to each configured MCP server. It calls the tools/list endpoint to fetch the schema for every available tool, then surfaces them as clickable options in the chat interface via the 🔌 icon.

What happens if the MCP server is temporarily unavailable?

Claude Desktop handles disconnections gracefully. if the server is unreachable at startup, the tools simply won't appear. Once the server becomes available again, restarting Claude Desktop will re-establish the connection. There is no timeout penalty or error loop.

Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?

Yes. You can add as many servers as you need in the mcpServers section of the config file. Each server appears as a separate tool provider, and Claude can use tools from multiple servers in a single conversation turn.

Is there a limit on the number of tools per server?

Claude Desktop can handle hundreds of tools per server. However, for optimal LLM performance, Vinkius servers are designed to expose focused, well-documented tool sets rather than overwhelming the model with too many options.

Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?

Yes. Claude Desktop supports both SSE (Server-Sent Events) and the newer Streamable HTTP transport that Vinkius uses. Simply provide the server URL. Claude auto-negotiates the transport protocol.