Strava - narcissistic?

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  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    fat daddy wrote:
    they still have the "yearly" trophy now .... it was nice, on Jan the 1st the stats for the year were reset, and I got a few KOMs on my commutes to work .... and slowly go down the leader board every week :D

    that said, I am slowly going UP the leader boards on the all time standings, which is nice, it gives me a proper sense of getting fitter as I get faster and move up

    I like both of them

    I think it's just more crap cyclists getting on Strava...
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    Segment hunting is mainly an exercise in futility. I like to see where I am on the bigger climbs though.

    probably close to the bottom... :wink:
    left the forum March 2023
  • dinyull
    dinyull Posts: 2,979
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    Dinyull wrote:
    I commute 5 days a week so need to keep an eye on correct mileages for chains, cassettes, pads etc. I'd be lost/skint if I counted incorrect turbo miles.

    Don't you use your chain on the turbo?

    Incorrect turbo miles - as in wrong readings.

    My point wasn't about counting miles accrued on the turbo, but about the turbo being setup incorrectly and taking wrong readings. For eg. an hour ride at say 13mph actually being counted at 26mph.
  • Man Of Lard
    Man Of Lard Posts: 903
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    New enterprise... I began late January when I got a cheap Garmin 200... follow me, so I can make 5! :lol:
    Since you posted this, I've been trying to suss out whether you're begging for followers (in which case I wasn't going to follow, solely to deny you the triumph :mrgreen:), or trying to cool it out because you have nearly none (in which case I pondered following, creating a Strava botnet just to follow you and autokudos everything :mrgreen:)...
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    Segment hunting is mainly an exercise in futility. I like to see where I am on the bigger climbs though.

    probably close to the bottom... :wink:

    Only when the air is dense...... :wink:
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Man Of Lard wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    New enterprise... I began late January when I got a cheap Garmin 200... follow me, so I can make 5! :lol:
    Since you posted this, I've been trying to suss out whether you're begging for followers (in which case I wasn't going to follow, solely to deny you the triumph :mrgreen:), or trying to cool it out because you have nearly none (in which case I pondered following, creating a Strava botnet just to follow you and autokudos everything :mrgreen:)...

    I guess I was trying to be humourous... but you are right, that has gained me a handful of no doubt very loyal followers and increased the count to 16, all folks which I will inevitably manipulate... :wink:
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    Segment hunting is mainly an exercise in futility. I like to see where I am on the bigger climbs though.

    probably close to the bottom... :wink:

    Only when the air is dense...... :wink:

    So dense... it's been so dense lately... :?
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Anyway, he is my hero... I have meant to come out with a penis shaped commute, but this guy is in another league

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03 ... -goat-map/
    left the forum March 2023
  • joe2008
    joe2008 Posts: 1,531
    fat daddy wrote:
    they still have the "yearly" trophy now .... it was nice, on Jan the 1st the stats for the year were reset, and I got a few KOMs on my commutes to work .... and slowly go down the leader board every week :D

    that said, I am slowly going UP the leader boards on the all time standings, which is nice, it gives me a proper sense of getting fitter as I get faster and move up

    I like both of them

    No they don't have "yearly" trophies, they have a yearly leaderboard, and a monthly, weekly and daily one.

    What they did for 2015 only was to award different styled cups for 2015 KOM's and 2015 top 5 times (top ten to start with) - pretty much every segment had an award on it for a couple of weeks/months, mainly for being one of the first 10 people to ride it, it was overkill, and they killed it at the end of the year.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,124
    How do you tell how many followers you have?

    https://www.strava.com/athletes/1078863

    I'm worried my boss is following me and will find out where I am during the day! Maybe I should switch to "request to follow" like all the birds do.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    davidof wrote:
    How do you tell how many followers you have?

    https://www.strava.com/athletes/1078863

    I'm worried my boss is following me and will find out where I am during the day! Maybe I should switch to "request to follow" like all the birds do.

    6 hours so far this year, I think you'll be ok!!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • stoveman
    stoveman Posts: 125
    I only use strava as a record of where I have ridden and compare times etc against my previous rides.As I am still fairly new to cycling seriously it is a good way to communicate with other cyclists I have met through fb groups attached to my LBS.
    As I work shifts I virtually always ride alone,however sharing rides and routes via strava actually feels like I am participating in some form with others.
    As for kudos etc,I have recieved kudos after a particularly long ride and do find it a great encouragement from other long time cyclists.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    davidof wrote:
    How do you tell how many followers you have?

    https://www.strava.com/athletes/1078863

    I'm worried my boss is following me and will find out where I am during the day! Maybe I should switch to "request to follow" like all the birds do.

    That's social networks for you... first rule: don't use your real name! :lol:
    left the forum March 2023
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    Like Facebook, Strava is what you make of it. You can ignore the bits you don't like and take it or leave it on a daily or weekly basis. I never understand people who say "oh, I deleted my Facebook account as there's just so much rubbish on it". You don't have to read the rubbish, you don't even need to post anything, but it's a very useful way of staying in touch with old networks of friends who don't live locally and remaining contactable by them.

    Personally I mostly try to avoid followers and following on Strava unless it's someone who I'm genuinely interested in and kudos seems almost pointless and just annoys me (especially from zwifters whose race I was unintentionally caught up in while doing FTP intervals..), but I do find the leaderboards for local climb segments motivating and it's a perfectly valid way of being competitive, albeit not steeped in the history of the sport.. Around where I am most of the big climbs have thousands of attempts and (locally) well-known 1st cats or hill climbing champs at the top of them, which makes it satisfying to aim for the top 5%, top 10, first in my age group or whatever. People can be so negative, but at the end of the day it's a fairly remarkable technological addition to cycling that can be a lot of fun and can enhance participation in the sport.
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    I like Strava.

    It's a good motivational tool and nice way to 'keep in touch' with friends I may only see once or twice a year in the flesh. I also like to marvel at the efforts of the quick guys in my club/locally. The recent surge in 'virtual' training erks me slightly, but I don't lose sleep.

    I get an average of 30 'thumbs' per ride, seemingly regardless of duration/distance (Although BIG rides have gone as high as 50-something). And it's always the same people who get in first. Honestly, after uploading a ride and refreshing the main page, the same two people have usually already given me Kudos. I know them personally, so assume they are not bots!?

    Conversely, I am pretty stingy with Kudos. I only get clicking if that person has put in an extraordinary effort (for them).
  • courtmed
    courtmed Posts: 164
    I just use Strava for myself. To the point where I've got it on private & don't really accept any followers. Got a select few family/friends but the competitive aspect puts me off a bit really.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    I really like Strava.

    Its one place where I get to see all my own training, and can go back over the last 5 years as every single ride is on there. I have a network of people I follow for various reasons, get route ideas, see who is doing what, who won what etc etc.

    There's a lot of shit on there, but I do not follow most of the people that follow me as I have zero interest in their riding.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,579
    You can find out where your Kudos comes from and who you are in Kudos debt to using the Strava Labs project:
    http://labs.strava.com/kodos/ :D
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,170
    Dorset Boy wrote:
    You can find out where your Kudos comes from and who you are in Kudos debt to using the Strava Labs project:
    http://labs.strava.com/kodos/ :D

    I would expect to be in "kudos debt" to everyone, due to my awesomeness.
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    davidof wrote:
    How do you tell how many followers you have?

    https://www.strava.com/athletes/1078863

    I'm worried my boss is following me and will find out where I am during the day! Maybe I should switch to "request to follow" like all the birds do.

    www.fitfiletools.com :wink:
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,124
    Charlie Potatoes wrote:
    http://www.fitfiletools.com :wink:

    Yes that is a good link with a good set of tools.

    Boss came round this morning "how do you get so tanned sitting in front of a computer all day.... I must check out what you are doing on Strava when I've got a few minutes"
    Me: "oh I don't really use it anymore".
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,124
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    davidof wrote:
    How do you tell how many followers you have?

    https://www.strava.com/athletes/1078863

    I'm worried my boss is following me and will find out where I am during the day! Maybe I should switch to "request to follow" like all the birds do.

    That's social networks for you... first rule: don't use your real name! :lol:

    Yeah I know, but it all seemed to harmless to begin with.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • Man Of Lard
    Man Of Lard Posts: 903
    davidof wrote:
    Boss came round this morning "how do you get so tanned sitting in front of a computer all day....
    The correct answer is "eeeeek! My monitor must be putting out massive amounts of UV - you must buy me a new 36" one that meets modern emissions standards"
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    davidof wrote:

    Boss came round this morning "how do you get so tanned sitting in front of a computer all day.....

    Blame your liver...
    left the forum March 2023
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    I'm going to drop a person followed on Strava who got added after a Weds night brew cruise. Girl openly admitted to riding an entire 60 mi in a paceline and never taking a turn. That same ride, said person suddenly has 2 or 3 QOM's on some questionably short and easy segments on the ride.

    Anyone can hold 20 in a flat for 60 miles never taking a turn. If it is a "no drop" ride, take your damn turn. If it isn't a "no drop ride" take your damn turn and then get dropped when you can't keep up anymore.

    It's one of those also that has like 500 followers.....doesn't need one more.
  • teebs_123
    teebs_123 Posts: 357
    burnthesheep wrote:
    I'm going to drop a person followed on Strava who got added after a Weds night brew cruise. Girl openly admitted to riding an entire 60 mi in a paceline and never taking a turn. That same ride, said person suddenly has 2 or 3 QOM's on some questionably short and easy segments on the ride.

    Anyone can hold 20 in a flat for 60 miles never taking a turn. If it is a "no drop" ride, take your damn turn. If it isn't a "no drop ride" take your damn turn and then get dropped when you can't keep up anymore.

    It's one of those also that has like 500 followers.....doesn't need one more.


    This is the reason I started the thread, exactly as above. I bet she posts loads of photos too.

    Should be able to flag is someone sat on your wheel the entire route.
    Orbea Orca OMX DI2 MyO
    Kinesis 4s Di2
  • dinyull
    dinyull Posts: 2,979
    What's the difference in sitting on a wheel and a massive tailwind?

    If people are up for flagging riders sitting on, start filling your boots with the pro's uploading their Milan-San Remo rides from Sat. No wonder Kwia stole the Poggio KOM sat behind Dumoulin. FLAG IT!!!
  • benjamess
    benjamess Posts: 159
    Teebs_123 wrote:
    burnthesheep wrote:
    I'm going to drop a person followed on Strava who got added after a Weds night brew cruise. Girl openly admitted to riding an entire 60 mi in a paceline and never taking a turn. That same ride, said person suddenly has 2 or 3 QOM's on some questionably short and easy segments on the ride.

    Anyone can hold 20 in a flat for 60 miles never taking a turn. If it is a "no drop" ride, take your damn turn. If it isn't a "no drop ride" take your damn turn and then get dropped when you can't keep up anymore.

    It's one of those also that has like 500 followers.....doesn't need one more.


    This is the reason I started the thread, exactly as above. I bet she posts loads of photos too.

    Should be able to flag is someone sat on your wheel the entire route.
    uYCDgNMi.jpg
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    LOL! I don't think there should be a flagging system for stuff like that. I just won't follow them.

    Strava is kind of like an internet chat forum like this. With zero policing they will lose members and revenue because there has to be some level of decency. With too much policing they will lose members. It is a difficult line to draw.
  • dinyull
    dinyull Posts: 2,979
    The best and only way to use Strava is to compare yourself to yourself and chart your progress.

    Absolutely pointless comparing to a mate or random who might've had a hella tailwind whilst sitting on someone else's wheel in a TTT.

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