Etapa
An AI cycling coach for beginners and every rider after that.
Etapa builds personalised cycling training plans in plain English — no jargon, no intimidation, no assumption that you already know what FTP means. The iOS app launches soon; in the meantime the coach is already available as an MCP server for any AI assistant.
- Website: getetapa.com
- Launch blog post: getetapa.com/blog/etapa-mcp-launch
- Instagram: @getetapa
- YouTube: @getetapa
MCP Server
The etapa-mcp package is an MCP server that plugs Etapa's cycling coach into any MCP-compatible AI assistant — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT connectors, and more.
What it does
Four tools are exposed:
generate_training_plan— generates a personalised 2-4 week cycling training plan tailored to the rider's fitness level, goal, and available days.cycling_beginner_guide— returns curated, jargon-free guidance across 9 topics: choosing a first bike, essential gear, first rides, nutrition, road safety, bike fit, building a habit, and common beginner mistakes.ask_cycling_coach— open-ended Q&A with Etapa's AI cycling coach. Plan adaptations ("I missed a ride, what now?"), training theory, recovery advice — answered in plain English, no jargon.review_cycling_plan— give it any cycling plan (from another app, a book, a YouTube video, a coach) and get Etapa's honest structured critique.
All tools are free, no account, no API key required.
Quick install (Claude Desktop)
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"etapa": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "etapa-mcp"]
}
}
}
Restart Claude Desktop, then ask:
"Use Etapa to build me a 3-week plan for my first 30 km ride."
Hosted HTTP endpoint
If you don't want to install anything locally, point any MCP client at:
https://etapa-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp
Free, no auth required. Streamable HTTP transport.
Transport options
| Transport | How to connect | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| stdio | npx -y etapa-mcp | Local AI assistants (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf) |
| streamable-http | https://etapa-mcp-production.up.railway.app/mcp | Web-based clients, ChatGPT custom connectors, programmatic integration |
Source and documentation
Full MCP server source, development setup, and publishing flow: /mcp-server/.
The Etapa iOS App
A React Native / Expo app launching soon. Features:
- 24-week training plans with proper periodisation (base → build → peak → taper)
- Live AI coach chat — 6 distinct coach personas you can switch between
- Strava sync for automatic ride tracking
- Plain-English session instructions
- Built specifically for beginners, women getting into cycling, and returning riders
Register interest here — we'll let you know the moment it's live.
Pricing
- Starter — £14.99 one-time, 3 months access (beginner pick)
- Monthly — £7.99/month
- Annual — £49.99/year
- Lifetime — £99.99 launch special
All subscriptions include a 7-day free trial.
Repository structure
etapa/
├── src/ # React Native / Expo app (iOS + Android)
├── server/ # Node.js API (Railway)
├── mcp-server/ # MCP server (npm: etapa-mcp)
│ ├── README.md # technical docs
│ └── PLAN.md # MCP release state + distribution templates
├── admin-dashboard/ # Next.js admin panel
├── website/ # Static marketing site (Vercel)
│ └── blog/ # Long-form content for beginner cyclists
├── supabase/ # Database migrations + config
└── ios/ android/ # Native project files
Strategy & marketing docs
Eight top-level docs covering everything you need to pick up where we left off:
| File | What it's for |
|---|---|
README.md | This file — repo landing page |
CLAUDE.md | Tech context for AI assistants |
BRAND.md | Brand bible — voice, tone, audience, visual style |
MARKET_RESEARCH.md | Competitive landscape + positioning research |
STRATEGY.md | Marketing playbook — pillars, 30-day social launch plan, Holo production playbook, SEO content strategy. Everything about how we go to market. |
FOUNDER_STORY.md | The founder narrative + the intro-video outline in one file. Read before recording the YouTube video. |
THIS_WEEK.md | Rolling tactical file — the current week's Instagram content plan. Overwritten every Sunday. |
mcp-server/README.md | MCP technical docs + deployment + npm publishing |
mcp-server/PLAN.md | MCP release checkpoints + distribution templates (directory submissions, Reddit post, Show HN, etc.) |
License
MIT. See LICENSE for details.
Questions / feedback
- Found a bug or have a feature idea? Open an issue.
- Email: helloetapa@gmail.com
- Find us on Instagram or YouTube.