Strava challenges ??? For the average joe (uk)

Mikey23

Aww... Didn't want to hear that!

downhill paul

On the subject of strava, has anyone noticed that some men list themselves as female to get higher up the leader boards? my girlfriend goes nuts about this all the time. you see a name on the leader board that is clearly a mans name, but they are on the female leader board. that can't be fair surely.

adr82

downhill paul wrote:

On the subject of strava, has anyone noticed that some men list themselves as female to get higher up the leader boards? my girlfriend goes nuts about this all the time. you see a name on the leader board that is clearly a mans name, but they are on the female leader board. that can't be fair surely.

Seriously? I've never noticed that, but then again I don't usually look at the female leaderboards. That's possibly the most pathetic Strava-related thing I've ever heard, and that's saying something...

Mikey23

Yeah, they need to man up and go for the full op...

downhill paul

I'ts happened to my girlfriend a few times.
I would also like to know why strava can't tell the difference between a climb and a descent.
my biggest climb according to strava is 1,314ft, this segment is actually the 7 mile full cat and fiddle descent.
what makes it even worse is that the last time I did that route with my girlfriend, I beat her down the descent by over a minute, but strava shows that she beat me by 3 seconds. I have done the cat and fiddle descent 3 times since I started using strava and as of yet I'm not on the leaderboard for that descent. my best time was 16.54 which should put me at 221 on the leaderboard, but I'm not there.
this has happened on a few other segments too which is very frustrating.
I can see the time and all the other information for these segments, but my time isn't posted on the leaderboard.
it just says my PR is N/A. I have had this happen on a segment I have done several times and also on segments I have only done once.

rgasuk

It would be better if strava reset the koms on a weekly, monthly basis, as there has to be a majority are totally climate based . Lots round here on windy days, which on a normal day would be impossible to match .

norvernrob

Mikey23 wrote:

@slowbike... Strava iPhone users are the spawn of the devil :-)

I often use both my iPhone and Garmin as I don't have a PC so use the phone to log rides and Garmin to look at whilst riding. The distances are always about the same, but the phone app ends up with several minutes longer moving time (not as good an auto stop I imagine). What is annoying though is that the app gives readings of 20% less climbing than the Garmin and I'm not sure which is correct. I don't have any problems with haywire readings as some seem to, it's just a consistent difference of 20% or so.

Mikey23

Try the elevation correction thingy and see what difference that makes. If you retain the ride you can always delete and reload if you don't like the outcome...

Mikey23

Name and shame some of these 'ladyboys'

downhill paul

Zak Watson is the only one I have been able to find right now.
I haven't got time to go through all the female leaderboards.
it's clearly a guys name and he is on the womens leaderboards. he isn't that high on the leaderboards either.
from what I have seen, he only seems to ride up the brickworks hill in pott shrigley. which is about 2.1 miles.
I'm sure I have seen more people with mens names on the womens leaderboards, but I can't find them right now.
there could be loads of men out there posing as women on strava. not just like in this case, a mans name on the female leaderboards.

cat_with_no_tail

The worst Strava users by far at the moment are these walters who are uploading VR trainer rides! Because they track to actual GPS data, when they go into Strava they show as a "real" ride. The people have the option to mark them as trainer rides but choose not to as then the distance and elevation doesn't appear on their stats (nor should it, it was done on a bIoody static trainer).

There are a number of routes over here which seem to be very popular with these people and they absolutely DESTROY the leaderboards, particularly on the descents.

Worst thing is, even if you flag the ride, strava just reinstate it. It's really starting to suck the fun out of strava tbh.

Anyway, enough whining. I still managed 430k and 6,700m last week which is a PB for me. Which reminds me, who is Eric Grill? You sir denied me a top spot on the BR strava group for elevation last week, and for that I'm afraid you must die.

sbbefc

Cat With No Tail wrote:

The worst Strava users by far at the moment are these walters who are uploading VR trainer rides! Because they track to actual GPS data, when they go into Strava they show as a "real" ride. The people have the option to mark them as trainer rides but choose not to as then the distance and elevation doesn't appear on their stats (nor should it, it was done on a bIoody static trainer).

There are a number of routes over here which seem to be very popular with these people and they absolutely DESTROY the leaderboards, particularly on the descents.

Worst thing is, even if you flag the ride, strava just reinstate it. It's really starting to suck the fun out of strava tbh.

Anyway, enough whining. I still managed 430k and 6,700m last week which is a PB for me. Which reminds me, who is Eric Grill? You sir denied me a top spot on the BR strava group for elevation last week, and for that I'm afraid you must die.

Out of interest, how does descending work on a static trainer?

cat_with_no_tail

exactly!

Presumably you just pedal like a madman with little/ no resistance. Handy that you don't need to worry about corners, cattle grids, the wind etc.

downhill paul

How is that even possible?
I have done a few rides on a spinning bike that I have logged on strava. but I have logged them as rides done on a static trainer. how can you upload such rides as a real ride when there is no GPS data from your bike computer? can you just drag an arrow around a map to indicate the route you rode, when in actual fact you never left your house?

sigorman85

It's stupid and wrong that you can do a map ride but not leave the house what's the point ?

downhill paul

How do you do it though?
I just tried a manual upload (which I deleted straight away) you simply input the time of your ride and how many miles you cycled. you can select ride or static trainer, but there is no where to upload a map for your ride. probably because there isn't one. do you actually have to have your garmin bike computer running for the duration of your indoor ride? even if you do then how can there be a map for you to upload? there is no gps data to show the route you cycled. so how can you ride on a static trainer and upload it to strava to make it look like you have cycled how ever many miles for real?

iPete

downhill paul wrote:

How do you do it though?
I just tried a manual upload (which I deleted straight away) you simply input the time of your ride and how many miles you cycled. you can select ride or static trainer, but there is no where to upload a map for your ride. probably because there isn't one. do you actually have to have your garmin bike computer running for the duration of your indoor ride? even if you do then how can there be a map for you to upload? there is no gps data to show the route you cycled. so how can you ride on a static trainer and upload it to strava to make it look like you have cycled how ever many miles for real?

I think you can get fan-dangled trainers/turbos that simulate routes, add resistance where applicable etc. different to a manual upload.

markhewitt1978

rgasuk wrote:

It would be better if strava reset the koms on a weekly, monthly basis, as there has to be a majority are totally climate based . Lots round here on windy days, which on a normal day would be impossible to match .

It's been mentioned before and shot down for good reason, as the fastest is the fastest. But; I do believe there should be a seperate award for the fastest over that segment in that year. One where you get the little crown on your achievements and it shows on your KOM list.

iPete

I do believe people are taking it too seriously... it is nothing more than who was fastest in a single moment in time when the sun, moon and wind align (and perhaps a large vehicle happens to be passing ). There are filters so you can see how YOU are getting on, that's the most important thing right?*

*second to beating your mates

markhewitt1978

iPete wrote:

I do believe people are taking it too seriously... it is nothing more than who was fastest in a single moment in time when the sun, moon and wind align (and perhaps a large vehicle happens to be passing ). There are filters so you can see how YOU are getting on, that's the most important thing right?*

*second to beating your mates

As my fastest is usually half the speed of the KOM it's all I've got

47p2

I use Strava challenges for my personal goals and nothing more. I've no chance of collecting KOMs where I am so don't bother with them. I've completed all this years Gran Fondos so far and I'm sure if it weren't for Strava giving us the challenge I would never have attempted them in the first place. The thought of cycling 81 miles in January in central Scotland is not exactly my idea of fun, but the challenge made me go out and complete it and I now have something I can look back on and say 'I did that"

As for the jerseys, no I'm not collecting them...

cat_with_no_tail

iPete wrote:

downhill paul wrote:

How do you do it though?
I just tried a manual upload (which I deleted straight away) you simply input the time of your ride and how many miles you cycled. you can select ride or static trainer, but there is no where to upload a map for your ride. probably because there isn't one. do you actually have to have your garmin bike computer running for the duration of your indoor ride? even if you do then how can there be a map for you to upload? there is no gps data to show the route you cycled. so how can you ride on a static trainer and upload it to strava to make it look like you have cycled how ever many miles for real?

I think you can get fan-dangled trainers/turbos that simulate routes, add resistance where applicable etc. different to a manual upload.

Exactly this ^^^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kl_IOfdk4Q

Tbf, it looks like quite a good way (other than sufferfest vids) to relieve some of the boredom of trainer rides. But trying to pass them off as "real" rides is just pretty sad. A computer is NEVER going to be able to replicate actual riding conditions.

slowbike

Cat With No Tail wrote:

A computer is NEVER going to be able to replicate actual riding conditions.

Of course it could ... if you had enough money to throw at it with fans, showers, grippy rollers & a system to change the angle of the floor ...

but it's unlikely ...

markhewitt1978

Some pro cyclists do have that sort of thing. Effectively a treadmill which can angle up to simulate hills but you ride your bike on it.

Mikey23

You could take it out on the back of a lorry I spose, but that would be kind of stoopid...

Mikey23

@dp... Strange that one, Zak has only done about 30 miles and doesn't look a world beater...rides with Jeremy dick it seems

Pross

Surely the whole point of a challenge is that it stretches you beyond what an 'average Joe' can do?

downhill paul

Mikey23 wrote:

@dp... Strange that one, Zak has only done about 30 miles and doesn't look a world beater...rides with Jeremy dick it seems

Unless it is a foreign woman with a mans name that isn't a mans name in their country.
I should imagine there are quite a few men posing as women on strava to get higher up the leader boards, simply because they can't get as high as they would like on the mens leader boards.

Moonbiker

Iv'e only got 2 KOMS but am faster than nearlt all QOMS on the segs iv'e done but thats east to see without being a pretend girl lol.

matt-h

Managed to complete the Gran Fondo and climbing challenge in one ride Sunday

First time I've completed a challenge on Strava

Matt