Strava.com - Put your money where your mouth is

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Finally taken the jump and started syncing stuff on strava.
God damn I'm slow compared to some, but I'm happy that way!

I'm genuinely surprised at how competitive some of my times are compared to others, considering I'm usually on a skinnified fatbike that weighed ~12Kg until very recently and now ~11kg since fitting the carbon fork. Not to mention how unfit I was until my massively increased cycle regime since early January this year (even now I weigh ~78Kg, I was ~90Kg last summer and had been about that since my Xmas 2013 RTA).

For me, Strava is a way of monitoring my own progress, how I'm doing compared to others is by-the-by. Having used two devices on the same ride a number of times (Nexus 7 2013 and Sony Smartwatch 3), I've seen first hand that they can massively influence shorter segments in their disparity, while I'm convinced that different apps (Strava, Ghostracer, Polar Beat) also affect recorded segment times.

itboffin

yeah gps readings vary wildly even on the same type of device, if you compare our club ride segments some will have faster times and more elevation for the identical ride.

mobile apps IMO just make a guess

cruff

There isn't a single Strava segment under 200 metres long that should be taken seriously. GPS just isn't accurate enough. In fact, smartphone GPS is wildly inaccurate compared to a Garmin - almost all of the KOMs I've seen on Strava that were ridiculous are taken from an iPhone (maybe the GPS chips in them are crap?)

Not that anything should be taken seriously on Strava anyway - Garmin Connect makes a far better job of doing quick number crunching of rides, and GC/TrainingPeaks for 'proper' analysis

cruff

Ryan_W wrote:

Cruff wrote:

Ryan_W wrote:

okgo wrote:

Ryan_W wrote:

okgo wrote:

I should be able to do nearly 1000W for 40 secs but its getting it all out and getting a good run in!

FREAK! What's you max power out of interest?

I'm just shy of 1,800w but can only hold it for a second.

1,052w for 15 seconds and 703w for 30 seconds is my best to date and won't be beating them anytime soon with my recent accident.

I wonder what I could actually do up there now.......

I very rarely test it, but I don't seem to have that massive snap that some do, I've done a few 5 sec efforts at around 1550. Peak I don't think I've seen over 1700, but there are ways to get huge peak with it meaning very little in the grand scheme. Standing start being one of them.

As you correctly point out, many folks can hit the big numbers but they can't hold it for very long. I've done just under 1 min at 850w so I have a flattish curve in that respect as my 15 sec isn't much higher than yours.

Yea, I fade very quickly, I guess that's down to fitness and my muscle build up. My peak should be more, but it's more down to control that I've not put down over 2,000w IMO. I need to try a max test on the road and not on a turbo.

I'm an ex world powerlifting champion, so have lots of power but not great endurance at high watts.

My current 1 min effort is a shameful 495w. Definitely an area to work on since I'm never going to be a mountain goat at a lean 90kg...

Are you sure that figure is right? I'm a useless fat chopper, and my 1 minute max is 738, 15Kg lighter than you. If you can get up Dark Hill in just over a minute, at your stated weight, I'd think you can hold much more than 495

Got up Dark Hill in 1:02 yesterday. Averaged 675w for the duration. Legs were fooked after too much chocolate and had to sit down halfway... Next goal is sub 1 min (need a tail wind!).

Ha!

I knew something was wrong with that 495w figure. Reckon you can get that well over 700 if you try not to go out too hard at the outset. Did a few 1km Wattbike challenges earlier in the year and was holding 800 pretty comfortably until about 30-35 seconds in, then saw my power fall off a cliff - never managed under 1:04, but have done just under a minute in the past (when heavier). AT 90-odd kg, You sound like you're built for crits, tbh. Have you thought of trying a race some time? I did a few last year and got my arse handed to me, but am finding it a lot easier this year after a decent winter - just need to learn how to race instead of stupidly chasing on the front or getting into breaks that haven't a hope in hell of staying away...

okgo

The best way of a big 1 min number is almost certainly going as hard as you can and then hanging on.

itboffin

i'm never going to be able to put out any power for more than a short steep climb of say mins, but then again i'm old and came to cycling late in life oh plus i'm pretty lazy at heart.

I do like to see my personal progress on Strava, i find it odd that the Garmin connect site which is stacked with data didnt get there first.

cruff

okgo wrote:

The best way of a big 1 min number is almost certainly going as hard as you can and then hanging on.

Really? Every time I've done that I've tied up so badly towards the end that I end up with a worse number than if I'd just TTd it. Maybe it's because of my power curve - it drops off really quickly after 30 seconds and then flattens out (typical old TT bloke) so I don't think I have a lot of fast twitch muscles

whatleytom

Cruff wrote:

okgo wrote:

The best way of a big 1 min number is almost certainly going as hard as you can and then hanging on.

Really? Every time I've done that I've tied up so badly towards the end that I end up with a worse number than if I'd just TTd it. Maybe it's because of my power curve - it drops off really quickly after 30 seconds and then flattens out (typical old TT bloke) so I don't think I have a lot of fast twitch muscles

Down to your power curve. Mine's pretty flat at the top end, before it starts to drop down for durations upto and over a minute. 1000w for 30s, so as above for me it's just go flat out and try and hold on for as long as possible.

cruff

whatleytom wrote:

Cruff wrote:

okgo wrote:

The best way of a big 1 min number is almost certainly going as hard as you can and then hanging on.

Really? Every time I've done that I've tied up so badly towards the end that I end up with a worse number than if I'd just TTd it. Maybe it's because of my power curve - it drops off really quickly after 30 seconds and then flattens out (typical old TT bloke) so I don't think I have a lot of fast twitch muscles

Down to your power curve. Mine's pretty flat at the top end, before it starts to drop down for durations upto and over a minute. 1000w for 30s, so as above for me it's just go flat out and try and hold on for as long as possible.

Christ almighty - I can't sustain 1000w for more than 15 seconds. I'm guessing you don't lose many long straight finishing sprints...

ryan_w-2

Yep, I have to go balls to the wall and then just grind it out, after 90 seconds my curve is pretty flat

1 min: 689w
45 seconds: 731w
30 seconds: 825w
15 seconds: 1,150w
5 seconds: 1,592w
1 second: 1,686w

whatleytom

Cruff wrote:

whatleytom wrote:

Cruff wrote:

okgo wrote:

The best way of a big 1 min number is almost certainly going as hard as you can and then hanging on.

Really? Every time I've done that I've tied up so badly towards the end that I end up with a worse number than if I'd just TTd it. Maybe it's because of my power curve - it drops off really quickly after 30 seconds and then flattens out (typical old TT bloke) so I don't think I have a lot of fast twitch muscles

Down to your power curve. Mine's pretty flat at the top end, before it starts to drop down for durations upto and over a minute. 1000w for 30s, so as above for me it's just go flat out and try and hold on for as long as possible.

Christ almighty - I can't sustain 1000w for more than 15 seconds. I'm guessing you don't lose many long straight finishing sprints...

Well, I don't really find myself in the position to use it a lot of the time, which is most of the battle. Most RR finishes are tight affairs with corners first, followed by hill finishes. Positioning through all of that is hard to get right.

WillMedic

Have joined the Strava craze with a first test commute recorded. Was interesting to see how the altitude and speed was recorded and how plenty of segments were created automatically. Interestingly there was one segment entitled 'Pedal faster you annoying overweight swell head' at that point I was overtaken by a roadie on an uphill flyover segment. Now I don't know whether I'm just being paranoid, but I am overweight and have a large head...Can the segment names be editable and could it be that this cyclist that overtook me happened to overtake me, recorded his time on Strava, and recognised me as recording the segment at the same time and edited the segment name accordingly?

If so it's good motivation to keep on losing weight, hehe!

asprilla

WillMedic wrote:

Have joined the Strava craze with a first test commute recorded. Was interesting to see how the altitude and speed was recorded and how plenty of segments were created automatically. Interestingly there was one segment entitled 'Pedal faster you annoying overweight swell head' at that point I was overtaken by a roadie on an uphill flyover segment. Now I don't know whether I'm just being paranoid, but I am overweight and have a large head...Can the segment names be editable and could it be that this cyclist that overtook me happened to overtake me, recorded his time on Strava, and recognised me as recording the segment at the same time and edited the segment name accordingly?

If so it's good motivation to keep on losing weight, hehe!

Everyone shares segments on Strava. You can create your own and keep them private but if a public one is created then everyone who rides it will have their time recorded against every time as a matter of public record, and it will appear in your list of segments ridden each time your ride it.

Don't worry about the names.

itboffin

had a potential KOM stolen by a club mate who wheel sucked then cut right across me shutting down my sprint for the summit, not a happy bunny

ugo.santalucia

I need a tad more northerly to make this mine

https://www.strava.com/segments/13602805

While I was in Italy I created a segment too...

https://www.strava.com/segments/14571638

hopkinb

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I need a tad more northerly to make this mine

https://www.strava.com/segments/13602805

How weird - my girlfriend when I was a teenager used to live on the junction of Waste Lane and Hodgetts Lane. I used to ride to visit her from Earlsdon in Coventry and used to ride that segment all the time. Mind you this was in the 1990/1991, and it wasn't a segment then, it was just a road!

ugo.santalucia

hopkinb wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I need a tad more northerly to make this mine

https://www.strava.com/segments/13602805

How weird - my girlfriend when I was a teenager used to live on the junction of Waste Lane and Hodgetts Lane. I used to ride to visit her from Earlsdon in Coventry and used to ride that segment all the time. Mind you this was in the 1990/1991, and it wasn't a segment then, it was just a road!

As a segment, it is very pointless, like all segments of that length... but it seems to be one that plays to my "strengths"

hopkinb

ugo.santalucia wrote:

hopkinb wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I need a tad more northerly to make this mine

https://www.strava.com/segments/13602805

How weird - my girlfriend when I was a teenager used to live on the junction of Waste Lane and Hodgetts Lane. I used to ride to visit her from Earlsdon in Coventry and used to ride that segment all the time. Mind you this was in the 1990/1991, and it wasn't a segment then, it was just a road!

As a segment, it is very pointless, like all segments of that length... but it seems to be one that plays to my "strengths"

Well, here's hoping the northerly continues!

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I keep meaning to make use of the extended free 60 day trial of Strava Premium, offered by British Cycling membership, when I joined BC last month.

When I activate the trial, can anyone tell me if can look at the extra Premium analysis of previously recorded rides, or do I just get access to premium features for rides after the Premium trial is activated?

dhope

NitrousOxide wrote:

can anyone tell me if can look at the extra Premium analysis of previously recorded rides, or do I just get access to premium features for rides after the Premium trial is activated?

You get premium stuff for all past rides too. Just like when it expires you lose it on the rides you did while you had it.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

dhope wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

can anyone tell me if can look at the extra Premium analysis of previously recorded rides, or do I just get access to premium features for rides after the Premium trial is activated?

You get premium stuff for all past rides too. Just like when it expires you lose it on the rides you did while you had it.

Thanks, activated the British Cycling 60-day Premium trial last night, must admit the extra ride analysis stats about power (using Strava's estimates as no power meter here) and suffer score didn't enlighten me much! :oops:

At this very early stage, I'm not convinced about paying ~£45 for a year on Premium...
The free Polar Beat app can give me heart rate analysis on zones for the whole ride, give me audio updates about pace and average heart rate for the last km.
Ghostracer Pro (£3 one-off) gives audio/visual info for segments selected before the ride against a segment time of your choice.

The only negative with these alternative apps that can link to Strava is so far, I cannot get either to pick up my Lidl (re-badged Wahoo) cadence/speed sensor, while Strava can using my tablet (cannot recall now if I've only tried Ghostracer on my Sony Smartwatch 3).

itboffin

Just install the StravistiX browser plugin, way more useful data there than in the premium version and free

davis

itboffin wrote:

Just install the StravistiX browser plugin, way more useful data there than in the premium version and free

Wow. That is great, thanks.
That guy gets a donation from me!

whatleytom

Managed a 14.47 around RP in the decent conditions last night on the TT bike. Up to 15th on the segment and the fastest this year, although sure that won't last, although pretty sure I can find another 15-20s with the right legs/conditions.

asprilla

itboffin wrote:

Just install the StravistiX browser plugin, way more useful data there than in the premium version and free

hopkinb

whatleytom wrote:

Managed a 14.47 around RP in the decent conditions last night on the TT bike. Up to 15th on the segment and the fastest this year, although sure that won't last, although pretty sure I can find another 15-20s with the right legs/conditions.

I saw this - good speed! I was quite pleased with my spin up Sawyers at 35kph average (tailwind assisted though I believe) when I uploaded it last night. Went back to look at Strava this morning and immediately felt slow and sad.

Were you lucky with the traffic to get such a quick lap? I tried to keep the hammer down past Pembroke Lodge and towards Ham Cross and try for a PR myself, but just endless lines of cars both ways meant me overtaking at >45 kph was just dangerous (not that it bothered some people).

whatleytom

Cheers, waited till near sunset to try and give the best chance of a quiet lap. A second or two hold up behind a car at Richmond gate, and a car coming up Broomfield as I was descending were the only cars that stick in my mind as being annoying. Otherwise pretty quiet besides quite a few other cyclists.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Silly questions time...

Your Strava profile weight in lbs (which they base your estimated power on), you not wearing much at all, or you wearing your typical cycling kit including shoes?

Would you add 750ml bottle of water to the above, as well as emergency puncture kit? We'll ignore the bottle cage, doubt it weighs more than a chocolate bar.

Currently, I'm talking ~78Kg vs ~81Kg (plus ~9Kg for the Cube and ~11Kg for the Voodoo {in 29er form}).

itboffin

Why are strava routes such a ball ache, to upload one from someone else it needs to have a timestamp file ie an activity not a course, then you have to create a course from it and delete the fake activity, lame!

If they want clubs to use their site they need an import course option just like garmin needs an export course option, what is this 1999 FFS!!!

mtb-idle

itboffin wrote:

what is this 1999 FFS!!!

yesterday at Strava Towers