Why Would I Want Strava?

markhewitt1978

It's excellent for seeing my performance over time. Like for example how much faster I can go when I'm chasing / being chased up a hill, compared to going at my own pace.

Bozman

drlodge wrote:

Bozman wrote:

It serves a purpose but just don't get to hung up on it and I'd guess that it could be quite demoralising to some people.
I just look on it as a bit of fun, if I do find that I'm reasonably close to a kom I'll probably push myself a little bit harder the next time I use that route.

I did exactly this - saw I was close to a KOM on quite a long stretch (5 miles) so pushed myself and got it! 3 days later it was taken away and now I'm just in the 10 :oops:

A top ten could be good if there's plenty of folk on that segment but if there's only eleven folk on it.......well mmmm.

Sometimes you need to take a step back and realise that some people cycle for a living and others race at a good amateur level, while most folk have to bust a gut to claim a kom others are just passing through on a club run and collect koms like flys on a windscreen.

shipley

I have the opposite problem - I use Strava, and a normal Cateye computer. I'd love a Garmin 810 but can't justify buying it now because apart from the Nav, which I would use twice a year, Strava gives me all I need.

drlodge

This is the one http://www.strava.com/segments/2806153

I'm 7/30 so just a bit better than my average "top third" placing. I know a couple of guys at the top end - they're very fast club racers. I could get one place better, but 5th is 40 seconds faster and I have no chance of beating that!

slowbike

Oh I dunno - if you wanted to you could go for it - on the right bike, right wind and a passing bus/lorry/fast tractor.

Try it with a set of aero bars and you'll take 6th without trying - probably nearer 5th ...

ManOfKent

If like me you're a grumpy old(ish) man you'll probably find Strava annoying. Round here in north Kent just about every metre of road is part of at least one segment, most of them (IMO) completely stupid: things like a 0.4 mile flat road, or a mile down a 2% hill. Result: you upload a ride and get two dozen notifications that you've just beaten your PR for "Jim's favourite flat bit" and a screen full of segment details that mean little to anyone other than the idiot who created them. On the majority of my regular routes I've now hidden more than 50% of the segments and there are very few I bother to look at in detail. Below a certain time/distance the data recording intervals on your device also introduce a margin of error great enough to render the results meaningless.

And of course it's frustrating when you bust a gut up a hill and find there are still 500 people faster than you.

That said, I like Strava. It has maps. I find it interesting to see where other people have been riding - it sometimes gives me ideas of new routes or reminds me of somewhere I haven't been for a while.

Initialised

This is a pretty good reason: http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer

bernithebiker

Slowbike wrote:

Oh I dunno - if you wanted to you could go for it - on the right bike, right wind and a passing bus/lorry/fast tractor.

Try it with a set of aero bars and you'll take 6th without trying - probably nearer 5th ...

On a -1% downhill slope, with a tailwind, you should really be able to get 40km/h without too much trouble…..

slowbike

bernithebiker wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Oh I dunno - if you wanted to you could go for it - on the right bike, right wind and a passing bus/lorry/fast tractor.

Try it with a set of aero bars and you'll take 6th without trying - probably nearer 5th ...

On a -1% downhill slope, with a tailwind, you should really be able to get 40km/h without too much trouble…..

Can tell you didn't look at it in too much detail ... it's got nearly a mile of climbing in the first bit ...

The rest depends on the road conditions - I don't know it so it could be nice wide roads or narrow lanes - there are some narrow lane segments I just don't bother with because to achieve the speed required I'd have to go faster than I believe is safe (allowing for the fact that the other idiot coming the other way could be doing the same as me)

But drlodge - there's room for improvement ... now get out there and have a good ride ..

Actually - today would've been a good day for it - NE winds and all that ...

btw - I just got another KOM ... didn't quite get the speed I was after though, so that's still a goal for another day.

bernithebiker

Slowbike wrote:

Can tell you didn't look at it in too much detail ... it's got nearly a mile of climbing in the first bit ...

Well yeah I saw that, but that just makes the rest of it more downhill than -1%.

But clearly, it does depend on road surface, bends etc.

thefd

AndyH01 wrote:

I'm similar to the OP, I have Edge 500 just a fancy speedo and watch I'll eventually would like to get the cadence sensor and having never used Facebook either, I haven't used and therfore don't really use Strava - how can you get access to this - is it a smart phone app? I don't have or intend getting a smart phone any other way to get Strava? Also whats KOM? :oops: :? Thanks Andy

I don't mean to be rude...but is English your first language. If not ignore this - but if so then please read your post before posting. I have read your post several times and the first sentence makes no sense!

Father Faff

Reading some of the postings to this thread and I can see why quite a few people AVOID Strava!

Schleck's Chain

Reasons I enjoy it:

- Like to track my PB's to have something to aim for. Personally, I ignore most segments and just have a few I pay attention to and target (essentially all categorised climbs and the odd sprint or longer time-trial section). It's rewarding to see progress.

- Competing with others. As someone else said, I'll never get a KoM but I set myself smaller goals (e.g. place in top 1/3 on a climb etc) or competing with friends. Again, I find this motivating.

- Tracking distance and climbs etc. It's useful to have a total so you know how much wear a bike has had etc. I also find it interesting to know how far I travelled on a ride, meters climbed and how climbs compared with others I've done.

- Route planning. It is handy to plan since it gives you a sense of distance and altitude.

- Social. I'm interested in where my friends are riding and how they are finding it.

Works for me, may not work for everyone. I probably have an unhealthy interest in the stats but the important thing is it motivates me and I enjoy it.

As everyone says, it's free so worth giving a go. If you don't enjoy, don't keep going with it.

finlayson99

Some very interesting thoughts here.

Thanks for the input.

Might just give it a go

theobrixton

drlodge wrote:

Use Strava so you can then use Veloviewer!

Good god, where has this been all my life! Thank you drlodge!!!

davep1

Strava was the third "progression" for me. The first was getting a Garmin (Forerunner) so I could track runs and rides, the second was getting a decent bike which I somehow feel I want to justify by pushing myself for longer or harder, and the third was getting onto Strava.
Like many have said, it isn't really KOMs; I have a few but they tend to be less-travelled, or some silly short sprints. Something happened in a town and I shot away from a set of lights once; was shocked when I got home to see someone had created a 33 second segment and my sprint got me a KOM, bizarre!
It's more the gradual progress I see in my own improvement; in my heart and head I know I am stronger and faster than last year, but sometimes it is nice to see it in numbers. Avg heart rate seems to be lower, avg speed seems to be higher etc etc.
Veloviewer is fascinating.
A friend of mine moved away a few years ago, he doesn't do Facebook and we sort of lost touch. We are in contact on Strava and have been on a couple of rides together recently, and it is good to see what he is up to on the bike.
Another friend is more local; he is training for London to Paris in a few weeks and his performances are really improving, I find myself trying to improve to keep up with him.
Some of the groups are really help with the motivation.
The 100 Climbs really got me hooked. I am trying to do all 14 in the south east; I live at the bottom of one, another is about 50 mins away, so I find these in my thoughts a lot when planning rides. There are three or four that are 60-100 miles away; another 4 are 100+ and the last lot are all a car trip and then ride away. There is so much data on them on Strava and Veloviewer, I want to push myself up the rankings.
The flip side is it can get too much. Sometimes you upload a ride and see you haven't done any pbs that day or a segment you thought you had nailed was a bit "meh"; you can lose track of why you are going out on the bike.

supermurph09

Then you can move onto Raceshape and see where you are losing time to your "rivals" :shock:

Buckie2k5

bernithebiker wrote:

Maybe you should ask the French - they don't use it either.....(much)

Nobody cares what the french do

Use strava labs, ever pass a group or single cyclist and wonder who they are and where there going? Well stick your ride url in and if they use strava you will see who you have passed on your journey. More often than not they will be using strava.

http://labs.strava.com/flyby/

richk

Yesterday, I finally had my "invite" to the 'modern' incarnation of Garmin connect. Oh dear. Up till now, I've logged all my rides onto GC and only a select few (typically TTs) onto Strava to 'share' with friends. I really think I'll be investigating Strava further as I really think the modern GC is awful. ymmv.

apreading

RichK wrote:

Yesterday, I finally had my "invite" to the 'modern' incarnation of Garmin connect. Oh dear. Up till now, I've logged all my rides onto GC and only a select few (typically TTs) onto Strava to 'share' with friends. I really think I'll be investigating Strava further as I really think the modern GC is awful. ymmv.

Me too - really worried because the old GC is/was a really important part of my goal tracking etc - it has helped motivate, structure and record my loss of over 4 stone in weight...

philbar72

Supermurph09 wrote:

Then you can move onto Raceshape and see where you are losing time to your "rivals" :shock:

for me thats anywhere where it goes above 4%

on-yer-bike

I use the paid Strava its the only way I can be top of the leaderboard, in my age group, on most segments. Its a good way of logging rides and I prefer it to Garmin Connect. iRide is another option.

dennisn

Isn't it a sort of video game for people to play? If you like video games then I guess have at it. :?

jgsi

on-yer-bike wrote:

I use the paid Strava its the only way I can be top of the leaderboard, in my age group, on most segments. Its a good way of logging rides and I prefer it to Garmin Connect. iRide is another option.

You being serious? Paying to be top of a 'leader board' ?
Why not spend it on a Training Peaks subscription and get fitter?

Mikey23

yup and so do I. Not the only reason i subscribe but it keeps us old gits amused...

jgsi

But you're the only ones who can see your triumphs.. the great unwashed have to deal with the entire galaxy for KOM glory

Mikey23

I share it with all my friends at the day centre ...

Cyclum

I used it for the first time this evening. I noted the time racking up as I cycled but didn't pay to much attention to it.
I got home, put my bike away, sat down to analyse my performance and zilch. All gone. Gutted!

on-yer-bike

JGSI wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

I use the paid Strava its the only way I can be top of the leaderboard, in my age group, on most segments. Its a good way of logging rides and I prefer it to Garmin Connect. iRide is another option.

You being serious? Paying to be top of a 'leader board' ?
Why not spend it on a Training Peaks subscription and get fitter?

Not the only reason I pay a measly £3.00 a month. There's not much point in competing against riders half to two thirds my age although Im in the top 10 on some segments. I guess I'm competitive but old.
What's Training Peaks? I enjoy food and drink too much to go on a serious training regime although I have considered it.

drlodge

on-yer-bike wrote:

I use the paid Strava its the only way I can be top of the leaderboard, in my age group, on most segments. Its a good way of logging rides and I prefer it to Garmin Connect. iRide is another option.

You don't get any higher up the leader board by paying, you are just able to eliminate younger, lighter (and hence fitter) people from the listings by going premium

I had premium for a year and never used the age/weight filter. The main benefit for me was being able to download other peoples rides via gpx file, and see the HR zone analysis and suffer score. At very nearly 47 and 12 stone I will never make KoM except for a long downhill section (and downhill segments don't count) and I've now plateaued at about 1/3 the way down the leaderboard (e.g. 100 of 300). I've since reverted to the free version and use it to generally track my rides.