Strava.com - Put your money where your mouth is

porlyworly

I have a section where my PB is just over a minute and I think four of the last five commutes home it reckons I've got exactly the same time over that section (coincidence?!?)

On a different note I've just fitted SPD pedals. I've never used clip in pedals before so should be a laugh if nothing else, looking forward to breaking PB's and bones in equal measure as I scream down segments before falling over at every traffic light (and there are a LOT of traffic lights in Leicester).

jim453

Anyone know why the altitude is often different on my commute when obviously it is an unchangeable constant? Same route might give 150m difference in altitude for different days?

Is it something to do with the barometric altimeter in my GPS. If so, how do I get around this?

Time seems pretty accurate though.

Aidy

jim453 wrote:

Is it something to do with the barometric altimeter in my GPS. If so, how do I get around this?

Probably. It works out altitude by measuring atmospheric pressure. This does change over time for a given location. Try calibrating it.

Probably needs to be calibrated daily if you want consistent measurements.

cyclingprop

Went to RP. Confirmed I am very slow up hills and quick down hills. Came home. Tired.

sketchley

Not last up ditchlings beacon! Made it to the top in one go for te first time yesterday morning. Could have done with something smaller than 34x25 at the top....

rick_chasey

Annoyed.

Was flying round Richmond park today, and managed to get signal on my strava for a change.

Was properly flying (for me), then suddenly a fenton sized group of deer decides to cross the road. Cue sitting stationary on the road for a couple minutes.

Goodbye lap PB .

Recon I still would have been on a PB even though I got help up by some enormous car going at 10mph downhill as well.

Ah well. Will just have to try again.

Pufftmw

Took my Garmin mtb'ing at the weekend and found that the only segment in Thetford Forest was "The Beast". I would have been OK on that but got my front wheel stuck between 2 roots and went otb :oops: That cost quite a few seconds. Will have to go back and give it a proper go. Created a segment for the whole Black loop and a reasonable time but surprised that so few Strava people have done that run.

FoldingJoe

Sketchley wrote:

Not last up ditchlings beacon! Made it to the top in one go for te first time yesterday morning. Could have done with something smaller than 34x25 at the top....

Why has somebody reported the Ditchling Beacon segment on Strava as hazardous? :?

okgo

Sketchley wrote:

Not last up ditchlings beacon! Made it to the top in one go for te first time yesterday morning. Could have done with something smaller than 34x25 at the top....

Is Ditchling harder than the likes of Toys Hill, Winterfold, Ides Hill etc?

Ed F

No. It's more like Box Hill - quite long but nothing too hard.

okgo

Ed F wrote:

No. It's more like Box Hill - quite long but nothing too hard.

Just realised the one that hurt the most that day was in fact White Lane, which I've since learned is the bec hill climb road, didn't know it was so short. That is a sod, and if anything makes you want to get off and walk, its that IMO!

sketchley

FoldingJoe wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Not last up ditchlings beacon! Made it to the top in one go for te first time yesterday morning. Could have done with something smaller than 34x25 at the top....

Why has somebody reported the Ditchling Beacon segment on Strava as hazardous? :?

No idea*. Thankfully there is more than one segment though.

*Might be someone on the BHF L2B, thinking it's dangerous with all the people walking up!

fossyant

New to Strava - only used it the last week. Most of the segments in my area are climbs. Out yesterday training and on segment which is a dip then a climb, so it's flat out down the dip and power out. Killed myself, got second place with 27 mph average, the KOM had 31mph. Didn't half feel ill after that last bit, then posted a crap time on the next segment. Soon picked up though and created two more segments on 'climbs' - managed KOM's on them.

Addictive this.

sketchley

okgo wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Not last up ditchlings beacon! Made it to the top in one go for te first time yesterday morning. Could have done with something smaller than 34x25 at the top....

Is Ditchling harder than the likes of Toys Hill, Winterfold, Ides Hill etc?

No idea about those hills never ridden them. It's harder than box hill, not as long but much steeper. Winter fold looks comparable on Strava at least.

Ditchling Beacon

http://app.strava.com/segments/949626

Distance 0.9mi
Avg Grade 9.8%
Lowest Elevation 453ft
Highest Elevation 909ft
Elev Difference 456ft

Box Hill

http://app.strava.com/segments/627910

Distance 1.6mi
Avg Grade 4.9%
Lowest Elevation 141ft
Highest Elevation 546ft
Elev Difference 405ft

Toys Hill

http://app.strava.com/segments/614813

Distance 1.6mi
Avg Grade 6.7%
Lowest Elevation 224ft
Highest Elevation 792ft
Elev Difference 568ft

Winterfold

http://app.strava.com/segments/627908

Distance 0.9mi
Avg Grade 9.2%
Lowest Elevation 341ft
Highest Elevation 762ft
Elev Difference 420ft

dhope

Ditchling is tougher than Box Hill IME (only once up each). Having said that, I'm fitter now than I was when I did Ditchling, and I was on a much lighter bike for Box.

rick_chasey

I expect a few pros in the latter stages of the olympic road race will be going up box hill in the big ring.

jonginge

Rick Chasey wrote:

I expect a few pros in the latter stages of the olympic road race will be going up box hill in the big ring.

Not sure they'll ever be in the small ring TBH

Ed F

My memory must be playing tricks on me. I've only been up Ditchling once, and didn't think it was that steep, but maybe that was because I was expecting it to be worse given its reputation. Certainly don't think it's as hard as Winterfold or Toys which have variable gradients including bits in excess of 15%. If Ditchling has a constant gradient that makes it a little easier anyway because you can just get into a rhythm

rick_chasey

JonGinge wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I expect a few pros in the latter stages of the olympic road race will be going up box hill in the big ring.

Not sure they'll ever be in the small ring TBH

Probably. The inevitable 3 man breakaway consisting of a chap from Trinidad & Tobago, Indonesia and Greece might mean the peloton really pootles it over the first few circuits.

okgo

Rick Chasey wrote:

I expect a few pros in the latter stages of the olympic road race will be going up box hill in the big ring.

There's plenty of people that will do box in the big ring, apart from that first corner I do it in the big ring mostly, and you'll not see me troubling the quick people up there!

rick_chasey

Fair enough. I've only ever done it on my single speed so I have no idea what's a good gearing up there.

okgo

The odd thing about Box Hill is that is has such a reputation, and by that rationale its always in the hardest climbs books etc. But in reality, its one of the easiest hills in that area of Surrey. I don't think its any harder that the drag from Effingham up to Ranmore, andits a little bit tougher than Juniper.

But Coombe Bottom, Ranmore, Whitedown, Winterfold, Crocknorth, Staple lane IMO are all more difficult.

sketchley

Ed F wrote:

My memory must be playing tricks on me. I've only been up Ditchling once, and didn't think it was that steep, but maybe that was because I was expecting it to be worse given its reputation. Certainly don't think it's as hard as Winterfold or Toys which have variable gradients including bits in excess of 15%. If Ditchling has a constant gradient that makes it a little easier anyway because you can just get into a rhythm

With due respect that's bollox.... It hits nearly 20% in places..... see

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/74 ... ew_route=1

&

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=bsaoppxekbkndwix

I dispute there being a bit of downhill in the middle though....

veronese68

okgo wrote:

The odd thing about Box Hill is that is has such a reputation, and by that rationale its always in the hardest climbs books etc.

I overheard the Brazilian chap in Evans Kingston saying when he first came over he and a mate went for a ride looking for the mythical Surrey Hills. Said they rode around chatting and looking for the hills, particularly Box Hill. Eventually gave up and went home having decided they had poor directions. Turned out they'd ridden up it 4 times but hadn't thought it warranted such high esteem, so assumed they'd missed it.

sketchley

Also climb by bike index http://www.climbbybike.com/climb_difficulty.asp

Box Hill = 36.3 (http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=yvc ... =trackList)
Ditchling Beacon = 51.94 (http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=yvc ... =trackList)

il_principe

Veronese68 wrote:

okgo wrote:

The odd thing about Box Hill is that is has such a reputation, and by that rationale its always in the hardest climbs books etc.

I overheard the Brazilian chap in Evans Kingston saying when he first came over he and a mate went for a ride looking for the mythical Surrey Hills. Said they rode around chatting and looking for the hills, particularly Box Hill. Eventually gave up and went home having decided they had poor directions. Turned out they'd ridden up it 4 times but hadn't thought it warranted such high esteem, so assumed they'd missed it.

Box Hill doesn't have it's reputation for being hard! It has it's rep because it's a nice climb on a quiet road, with good views "alpine-esque" hairpins and a good cafe at the top. No one in their right mind thinks it's tough.

Ed F

Sketchley wrote:

With due respect that's bollox.... It hits nearly 20% in places

Fair enough. It must just be therefore that I am Power Awesome

mr_ribble

Ed F wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

With due respect that's bollox.... It hits nearly 20% in places

Fair enough. It must just be therefore that I am Power Awesome

Foight foight foight foight......

nickel

I thought box hill was famous for its significance with cycling in the south east? Not cause its hard or anything but because of its general importance in cycling.

sketchley

Only 9 SCR'ers have done Ditchling which is a bit of a surprise. I'm 8th! So at least not last.

7 J Zed 5.8 mph 263 w 9:07
8 Chris Sketchley 5.4 mph 289 w 9:49

Could I have gone 32 seconds quicker and beaten JZed? Maybe with better gearing as I had no rhythm (that's hard work for a dyslexic btw). Pleasing to see I delivered more power than JZed.....