Fake strava rides.

noodleman
noodleman Posts: 852
edited April 2016 in Road general
Hi guys. Can someone tell me if it's possible for virtual/trainer rides to be made to look like genuine road rides. The reason I ask is because lately I notice foreign riders coming along and getting loads of local koms. The thing is, their next activity will be in another country the following morning and they're not getting these koms by a believable few seconds, they're knocking minutes off them.
argon 18 e116 2013 Vision Metron 80
Bianchi Oltre XR Sram Red E-tap, Fulcrum racing speed xlr
De Rosa SK pininfarina disc
S Works Tarmac e-tap 2017
Rose pro sl disc
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Comments

  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    A strava GPX log is just data, and data can always be altered. The easiest thing would be to get someone else's ride and write a wee script to alter the time stamps, then upload it as your own.

    But more importantly, what does it matter?
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Strava is best for comparing your own performances. A strong tail wind or riding in packs produce times no single rider can normally match.
  • SME
    SME Posts: 348
    Kajjal wrote:
    Strava is best for comparing your own performances. A strong tail wind or riding in packs produce times no single rider can normally match.

    Yep, I feel the same. I mostly use Strava for my own personal training record. It does have other features I use - I follow my son and one or two friends, and some members in an on-line club, but mostly it's about keeping track of my own rides.

    And I've got to chat with s few riders who have cropped up in 'fly-by's'! Nice to know who waved or gave a nod (and likewise back).

    Can't say I've ever used Strava to the full to have noticed cheating though - just not really worried about most others, I suppose!

    And yes, the bl00d7 head wind did slow me down on the way into work today!!!
  • scottishgeek
    scottishgeek Posts: 143
    Bkool, for example, allows you to download your turbo rides which you can then upload to Strava. In doing so it's a simle task to set the activity as a ride and not a virtual ride where the latter excludes the activity from segments etc.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Bloody foreigners. Coming over here. Stealing our KOM'S.....
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Fenix wrote:
    Bloody foreigners. Coming over here. Stealing our KOM'S.....
    Brexit now! British KOMs for British people!

    :)
  • noodleman
    noodleman Posts: 852
    Yeah. I know people have their opinions about strava being good to compare against yourself but I enjoy chasing and collecting koms and cr's and put on lot of effort into getting them. Might be sad in some people's eyes but it keeps me motivated. It's just a shame that as strava's popularity grows it becomes more attractive to cheaters to ruin it for genuine riders/runners.
    argon 18 e116 2013 Vision Metron 80
    Bianchi Oltre XR Sram Red E-tap, Fulcrum racing speed xlr
    De Rosa SK pininfarina disc
    S Works Tarmac e-tap 2017
    Rose pro sl disc
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    Ironically I'm quicker in real life than on CycleOps virtual training.
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • supermurph09
    supermurph09 Posts: 2,471
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Ironically I'm quicker in real life than on CycleOps virtual training.

    No tailwinds on the turbo mate :D

    (is there???)
    Trainer Road Blog: https://hitthesweetspot.home.blog/

    Cycling blog: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.com/

    Blog: https://supermurphtt2015.wordpress.com/

    TCTP: https://supermurph.wordpress.com/
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,331
    Just turn the fan up a notch.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    noodleman wrote:
    Hi guys. Can someone tell me if it's possible for virtual/trainer rides to be made to look like genuine road rides. The reason I ask is because lately I notice foreign riders coming along and getting loads of local koms. The thing is, their next activity will be in another country the following morning and they're not getting these koms by a believable few seconds, they're knocking minutes off them.

    Yes; there are a few platforms which do that, BKool being a notable one but also the likes of Kinomap and related apps like Skuga. As well as training videos from the likes of Tacx and Veloreality.

    All of these will upload a ride to Strava as a 'Virtual Ride'. Here's one of mine: https://www.strava.com/activities/519114467

    But; all I would need to do is choose Edit and change the ride type to Cycling then it'll appear as if it's a real life ride.
  • debeli
    debeli Posts: 583
    noodleman wrote:
    Hi guys. Can someone tell me if it's possible for virtual/trainer rides to be made to look like genuine road rides. The reason I ask is because lately I notice foreign riders coming along and getting loads of local koms. The thing is, their next activity will be in another country the following morning and they're not getting these koms by a believable few seconds, they're knocking minutes off them.


    I think this is the best post I've seen this year, but I cannot for the life of me work out what it is about it that tickles me.

    It is somehow perfect and yet somehow ethereally just a mish-mash of nothingness in a soup of entitlement and quiet, little-England fury.

    The list of bicycles owned by the poster is, as so often, the perfect little sprinkling of freshly ground pepper that such a post screams out for.

    But for all my admiration, I cannot answer the question. Sorry.
  • noodleman
    noodleman Posts: 852
    Cheers for the response Mark. Just the answer i was looking for. As for the utter pretentious tosh uttered by Debeli. Are you Russell Brand in real life by any chance?
    argon 18 e116 2013 Vision Metron 80
    Bianchi Oltre XR Sram Red E-tap, Fulcrum racing speed xlr
    De Rosa SK pininfarina disc
    S Works Tarmac e-tap 2017
    Rose pro sl disc
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    noodleman wrote:
    but I enjoy chasing and collecting koms and cr's and put on lot of effort into getting them. Might be sad in some people's eyes

    Indeed
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    noodleman wrote:
    but I enjoy chasing and collecting koms and cr's and put on lot of effort into getting them. Might be sad in some people's eyes

    Indeed

    If I had the capability to get KOMs then I'm sure I would try and get them, and why not :)
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    noodleman wrote:
    but I enjoy chasing and collecting koms and cr's and put on lot of effort into getting them. Might be sad in some people's eyes

    Indeed

    If I had the capability to get KOMs then I'm sure I would try and get them, and why not :)

    I refer you to noodleman's comments above.
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    plenty of fakes.
    I did a bit of Strava mapping in Italy and the segments come up with near ridiculous results... according to Strava there are hundreds of amateurs out there who can turn their pedals and climb with a VAM in excess of 1600 mt/h on an half an hour climb, which give or take it's there with Froome and Quintana.

    There are also fake segments, which you can spot by unrealistic VAM in the range of 3000 mt/h or more over 1 Km. Basically with a few exceptions, it's all bollox
    left the forum March 2023
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    noodleman wrote:
    but I enjoy chasing and collecting koms and cr's and put on lot of effort into getting them. Might be sad in some people's eyes

    Indeed

    If I had the capability to get KOMs then I'm sure I would try and get them, and why not :)

    I refer you to noodleman's comments above.

    What would be sad, would be actually giving a f*** about what other people thought about it.
  • daxplusplus
    daxplusplus Posts: 631
    Wouldn't be surprised if someone is hacking strava to do what your saying .. there's some strange accounts out there.

    Just the other week I noticed a German rider log a ride near to me*, next day he logged ride in Spain and then back to Germany. Of course he could have done just that but seems a bit far fetched .. bit different if I lived next some cycling mecca. He also had no followers and didn't follow anyone either. Again could be fine but just a little strange for what is predominantly a social network.

    I reckon people are experimenting with algorithms and seeing what they can achieve.

    Oh and that local ride he did near to me disappeared a week or so later.

    * I noticed 'cos he nabbed my KOM on a descent. Seemed like a suspicious ride due to seriously less power in strange places hence I looked a little deeper into the riders profile.
    Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail

    strava profile
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    I dont see the point of Starva forgery at all, you're only cheating yourself. Surely a result feels better if you deserve it, if you've done it for real.
    Then there's the point that 99% of people dont actually care how slow you are down the back lane. I very rarely look at other peoples times. Especially when over 1000 people have done the seg. I'm more into how I do.
    Interestingly a follow a few of the pros on Strava, mostly out of curiosity to see how much training they did and where they went for training camps. Only on Strava do you get Greipel or Laurens Ten Dam beaten along segs by some random bloke called MTB Miles who happened to commute to work on a fat bike.
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • daxplusplus
    daxplusplus Posts: 631
    It's not about cheating, I'd imagine they care even less about the actual rides then normal users of strava, its about the challenge of breaking a system. Breaking some systems can offer up financial rewards too. For social networks the money is from gaining direct and novel access to real people.
    Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail

    strava profile
  • andrewjoseph
    andrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    noodleman wrote:
    but I enjoy chasing and collecting koms and cr's and put on lot of effort into getting them. Might be sad in some people's eyes

    Indeed

    If I had the capability to get KOMs then I'm sure I would try and get them, and why not :)

    it's easy, just ride somewhere no-one on strava has, make it a segment, you'll be KOM.

    unfortunately, in my experience, you won't keep it for long.
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    Didn't someone on here create a Strava segment on their driveway just so that they could be a KOM for once...only to find that someone else 'grabbed' it soon afterwards by a GPS mis-tracking from them riding on a cycle path that was parallel right next to the driveway. Trouble was that the drive-by pace was so fast the OP never had a chance of ever grabbing the segment back :-)
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Didn't someone on here create a Strava segment on their driveway just so that they could be a KOM for once...only to find that someone else 'grabbed' it soon afterwards by a GPS mis-tracking from them riding on a cycle path that was parallel right next to the driveway. Trouble was that the drive-by pace was so fast the OP never had a chance of ever grabbing the segment back :-)

    :lol::lol::lol:
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Didn't someone on here create a Strava segment on their driveway just so that they could be a KOM for once...only to find that someone else 'grabbed' it soon afterwards by a GPS mis-tracking from them riding on a cycle path that was parallel right next to the driveway. Trouble was that the drive-by pace was so fast the OP never had a chance of ever grabbing the segment back :-)

    I heard a similar urban legend where the guy created another seg the next day that finished inside his locked garage. Try doing that seg :lol:
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    I recommend class action
    left the forum March 2023
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    I find most of the major segments are quite accurate with very little cheating.
    On some flat, main road sections, there are clearly some that have got behind lorries (I confess I may have done that once or twice before...!), but otherwise no.
    Here in Majorca, it's a great way to compare yourself against the pros.
    Our head guide is 24th up Col de Orient, only 1 minute behind Michael Kiwakowtiski (No idea how you spell that), which explains why he dropped me in the first kilometre!!!
    (And he was solo with very little wind).
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,982
    bernithebiker wrote:
    Our head guide is 24th up Col de Orient, only 1 minute behind Michael Kiwakowtiski (No idea how you spell that), which explains why he dropped me in the first kilometre!!!
    (And he was solo with very little wind).

    I'm ahead of Kwiatkowski on a little climb near me..... he rode it in the Tour of Britain.......

    ........ but in the neutral zone :oops: :D :roll:
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Dabber wrote:
    ........ but in the neutral zone :oops: :D :roll:

    Sounds like some place where you have to watch out for Nazi's or Romulans and the likes.
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Dabber wrote:
    ........ but in the neutral zone :oops: :D :roll:

    Sounds like some place where you have to watch out for Nazi's or Romulans and the likes.

    Romulans in the neutral zone! heh heh

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