Strava & social media.

VeloBod

August 2012 I took the plunge & signed up to Strava & Twitter.

In January 2013 I ditched them both.

The thing is - while I thought I was really enjoying the interaction on twitter (I'd 800+ followers mainly cycling linked) & the challenge of Strava (about 40 followers / following) I realised that they were so demanding that I was actually missing out on the enjoyment of just going for a ride or even just living without tweeting the whole damn thing, commenting on someone else's life that I'd never met and could be on the other side of the world or trying to better my or someone else's times that in reality meant sweet F.A. to any of us.

In the past month I've enjoyed just riding my bike so much more it's amazing. All I'm doing now is using a basic cat-eye computer just so I know the distance I've ridden.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that sometimes technology, the availability of instant interaction with anyone anywhere, knowing how they've done compared to you etc can sometimes make us forget that the reason why we ride our bikes it that we just enjoy doing it & sometimes we need to get back to basics.

I'd be interested in your thoughts................

alihisgreat

How do you go about getting 800+ followers on twitter :shock:

VeloBod

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

How do you go about getting 800+ followers on twitter :shock:

s'pose its just being so eloquent - knowwhatImean - init? :roll:

SpainSte

I think Strava, or any function that enables users to compare themselves against others is a great tool for keeping motivated, especially for those (like me) that ride alone.

Twitter however, I see as pointless. Its a good tool for large organisations to disseminate information quickly, about product recalls, or changes in service etc, however do people really need to know (or care) about some non-celeb who gets a new tattoo or tweets a picture of their pet dog/cat/budgie etc.

Omar Little

So you come on an internet forum to tell us this and ask our opinions

I dont have anything like 800 followers on twitter, and many of those that i do follow i dont communicate with other than read their tweets. In addition to that those that i follow on strava are the guys i ride with so it doesn't feel like a distraction that akes away from my bike riding enjoyment - just a different way of communicating (and at times being competitive) with some friends - it doesn't need to be constant interaction with people who are strangers.

iPete

They are both tools, it is up to the you how you use them. You can still use them without being sucked in.

Twitter is great for finding out info etc. and if you want to tell the world what you had for lunch go for it. Same with Strava, I just chuck all my activities in, much easier than logging into a spreadsheet but if you want to comment on every ones rides etc. go for it.

Now as for this forum... :evil:

VeloBod

Omar Little wrote:

So you come on an internet forum to tell us this and ask our opinions

LOL
I did think that when I was writing it, but I think a forum is a bit different in that you aren't limited by number of characters & you've a pretty good chance of actually having a half reasonable conversation with like-mided people.

VeloBod

iPete wrote:

Now as for this forum... :evil:

Oh - seems my previous post may be incorrect.

Gpfanuk

I think that rule #74 would have prevented at least part of this tale of woe - glad you have seen the light. :idea:

ShutUpLegs

VeloBod wrote:

August 2012 I took the plunge & signed up to Strava & Twitter.

In January 2013 I ditched them both.

Wow, a whole 4 months.

supermurph09

Really don't understand the comment above about non-celeb and tattoos. If you don't follow them you won't hear about it!

Twitter is brilliant IMO, great for banter with mates, or getting information, or for having specific interest news coming straight to you. Also a great medium for asking companies or people questions. Very powerful tool, I have a few people on there that don't use Facebook so putting up links to my rides on Strava or garmin connect is a great way to share.

As for Strava, great tool, great for training and motivation. I don't really use the social aspect of that, but if you live in an area where segments are completed by 100's of people rather than 10's I think the banter would be great. Part of the fun of cycling is getting back and reviewing the stats side, but I'm an analyst by trade so maybe that's just me.

Mikey23

Can't comment on twitter as I don't do it, but strava for me is a great motivational tool and makes sense of my riding. I'm not competitive and am not going to get any KOM ( I did hold one for a day only) but its great to measure my improvements over time and compare on an age related basis and find out I'm actually doing rather well for an old git...

Pituophis

Never been on Twitter but tried Facebook briefly to catch up with relatives I don't see much. Found it increadibly tedious and gave it up pretty quickly :roll:

Strava on the other hand I find really useful purely as a motivational tool myself.
As someone pretty new to the sport, and a cycling "Billy no mates" (well, more or less :oops: ) if find it pushes me to keep upping the milage slightly, and if I can beat one PR a ride, I feel pretty good about pushing a little harder next ride.
If my genuine cycling friends (I do have the odd one ) get out while I'm in work, as they usually do, I find it makes me want to get out even more to try and match their fitness, and this has really kept the motivation up in the colder evenings.
I only follow one guy I don't know, as he lives in my town, and as he is a much more advanced rider than myself, I can keep an eye on his routes for the coming months.
I don't really see the point in following someone who lives miles away and I will never meet, but each to his own :?

Sprool

iPete wrote:

They are both tools, it is up to the you how you use them. You can still use them without being sucked in.

Twitter is great for finding out info etc. and if you want to tell the world what you had for lunch go for it. Same with Strava, I just chuck all my activities in, much easier than logging into a spreadsheet but if you want to comment on every ones rides etc. go for it.

Now as for this forum... :evil:

^+1 this. (except I still don't get Twitter.) If you become a slave to the social media apps, don't blame the apps, blame yourself. You're a very naughty boy. Strava's great for a little competitiveness in your own goals as well as a few local mates challenges, it gives me the incentive to go out for more training runs to try and beat my own local segment times. But its also nice to leave it behind somedays and just go for a long leisurely cruise in the countryside.

diy

Twitter is Strava for media darlings. A way for them to measure each other. It is a pointless tool for anyone with a normal life. Strava is quite useful to help you improve, help you realise that you are quite good or not that good. Help you look at the performance of others to set personal goals.

ShutUpLegs

Every cycling club local to me uses Twitter to promote rides and raise awareness of local issues. Can't see an issue with it.

AchillesLeftKnee

IMHO, Strava's a bit of motivational fun. It's got plenty of flaws, but taken with a pinch of salt it's hard to knock it.

Twitter falls into the "I don't have a use for it, so I don't use it" category. Consequently, my opinion of it is much the same as my opinion of knitting machines.

ShutUpLegs

You have no knitted clothes?

AchillesLeftKnee

ShutUpLegs wrote:

You have no knitted clothes?

I have clothes that were knit. However, I have no personal use for a knitting machine because I'm not involved in the bulk production of knitted clothes. There are other people out there who do have a personal use for a knitting machine. They produce knitted clothes. Those with direct involvement with knitting machines can, no doubt, wax lyrical with regards to the foibles of various models and share handy usage tips, whereas those of us who don't have such experience can offer little beyond "Oh, so that's what they look like".

Twitter therefore falls into the same category. It's not something I use, so attempting to pass comment on it would be futile.

petemadoc

VeloBod wrote:

I'd be interested in your thoughts................

Er.... why not just go for a ride without Strava on when you want to and turn Strava on when you feel like it. Or better still just set rides to private and you still get to keep the record and see how many miles you're racking up.

Reane_Machine

I use both a lot, but none religiously.

I like Twitter because it's great for finding stuff out and gauging opinion, a lot of companies and even news channels diffuse breaking news through Twitter first and foremost these days so it's useful to be on the edge of what's occuring.

And as for Strava I think it's a great tool for monitoring progress and training as well as finding new routes.

That said, sometimes I will just go out on the bike and not turn Strava on, although I do not exactly feel a lot of pressure when it is on it can be nice to go 'off radar' for a ride or two.

marylogic

AchillesLeftKnee wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

You have no knitted clothes?

I have clothes that were knit. However, I have no personal use for a knitting machine because I'm not involved in the bulk production of knitted clothes. There are other people out there who do have a personal use for a knitting machine. They produce knitted clothes. Those with direct involvement with knitting machines can, no doubt, wax lyrical with regards to the foibles of various models and share handy usage tips, whereas those of us who don't have such experience can offer little beyond "Oh, so that's what they look like".

Twitter therefore falls into the same category. It's not something I use, so attempting to pass comment on it would be futile.

Knitting machines are the Halfords of the yarncraft world. Much better with a handknitted garment... oops sorry got my knitting and cycling fora mixed up. Sorry.

VeloBod

ShutUpLegs wrote:

You have no knitted clothes?

:oops: