Not a criticism in any way, just something that holds no interest for me. I do have a Garmin 500 on the road bike, but all this segment stuff goes right over my head. Maybe I’m just too old 🙂

Me.
Bloke at work is strava this kudos that. Tend to switch off.
Think I’m anti tech on a bike though. Both road and mtbs have no computer or gps device. Just get on them and ride.

I’ve never used it, can’t really be arsed with it all. My bike computer on my commuter tells me the time and how fast I’m going and that’s all I’m really bothered about. It does have other functions, but I don’t really know what they are!!

I’m not very techy!!

I’ve never used it but understand the appeal to some folk with a competitive nature.

I like it you so I can see how far I’ve been and climbs etc – means I don’t have to have another device – not fussed about the segments etc

Don’t really get the idea of making anything of your own public.
If you wish to keep data something like Garmin Connect does it , doesn’t it?

I use it, but only as a free bike computer. I look at my avg speed, max speed and the elevation gain/loss for that given ride that day, once I’ve got home. Never bother with segments and comparisons etc.

Me. But i tend to use endomondo.

Matt, yes, that’s what I use the Garmin for – to see road routes and times. I keep profile locked, largely as many rides are from home

Used it once for an enduro race. Got kom for one 30 second section beating Ball, Barlow, Carrick-anderson*, retired from Strava.

*just got back on after a fall, didn’t want to be caught by a mate.

No, but then I don’t do online games either.

I’m so disintered in it I wouldn’t even bother posting on a thread about it.

What do I win?

You can track your progress against yourself, see where you’ve imroved over set ‘courses’ (segments)…. People seem to over look this feature. What’s not to like about that? People have been charting their progress long before Strava came along.

You’ve also got a history of your ride for perusal later, so you can look at a map and find a new route vs what you’ve just done. And I know you can do all this with an ‘old school’ paper map, but this is the digital age…. Again, what’s not to like?

You can also see how you perform vs all the people in your locale… It’s just a bit of fun really, isn’t it?

Giving kudos is only like saying ‘good effort mate’ to your friends who you share you data with…. And if you take a KOM off a stranger, it alerts them and they usually give you kudos (in my experience at least)… Same thing goes if a stranger takes a KOM from you, give him some kudos….

I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t like it, if I’m being totally honest.

Well seeing as you commented on it Rob…..absolutely nowt 🙂

I really couldn’t care less about whether or not you’re interested in Strava.

I joined so my brother in the UK and I could compare mileages for belittling purposes. However I have only bothered to upload two rides. I do keep track of my rides though in a spreadsheet, and my brother is kicking my arse. So I have no desire to continue using strava. Is there a minimum period you have to be on something to flounce, and have I just flounced from strava?

Aracer – I was simply wondering about people’s thoughts on it, sorry if I offended you.

Not Strava …but I used to use endomondo. But it drains battery too much …so now just use a Garmin ..

I really couldn’t care less about whether or not you’re interested in Strava.

Heh

Group hug for aracer?

I do use endomondo as a personal training diary without the games. And I say “training ” in the loosest of senses.

Had a computer once, realised I’d started riding to reach targets instead of riding for fun, ditched it, don’t ever want to go back there again, thanks.

As usual, the thread police are in effect. Answer the bleedin question, if not sod off.

In answer to the op’s very reasonable enquiry, no, me neither. Although, I have used it. Chap at work was talking about it, so I tried it out.
Was quite interesting, but as with Endomondo, I just can’t be arsed to carry my phone on every ride and start the ride by opening an app. I have got a KOM that no-one will ever steal though 8)

It’s an exceptional tool for discovering new trails. Helps you understand what the good riding looks like in new areas (plus your own locale), and makes you expand your riding to new trails. Fancy rolling out an argument why that isn’t interesting? Didn’t think so.

The performance / comparative dimension to it is also great, IMHO, but completely see how this would be of little to no interest to many.

strava is good for hooking up with people you meet on a ride. it links you up and then you go out again together, then fall in love, get married, all that.

I wasn’t that fussed about it until some kindly soul on this forum told me it was possible to compare my own efforts on segments. After that, I created a couple that I use to track my own efforts over time. Uploading isn’t an issue as I usually have a Garmin with me and it will automatically upload from Garmin Connect to Strava and/or Endomondo.

Garry – your first point sounds interesting, maybe I should try it. As per my OP, I haven’t used it so maybe don’t know what I am missing ! I do however seem to see a lot more threads about segments and records than trail finding.

iainc – it’s very useful for the latter.

I’ve just downloaded it onto my phone in order to record distances, gradient profiles and possibly be able to show the route on a map. Is it a suitable app for this or is there something better – it’s the only one I know of 🙂

Strava? what’s that then…

Had a computer once, realised I’d started riding to reach targets instead of riding for fun, ditched it, don’t ever want to go back there again, thanks.

This.

I use my garmin edge 200 to record my rides, have done for a year or so, and load them up into garmin connect.

Recently started stravaing mostly to see what it did, but am finding that it is opening my eyes to how hard some folk train, the routes they take, the elevation they ascend etc – so a useful measure. It also shows me how / if I am improving my speeds as I can create and compare my own pieces of local rides.

Great tool, use it how you want to – don’t let it become the reason to ride.

iainc – Member

Garry – your first point sounds interesting, maybe I should try it. As per my OP, I haven’t used it so maybe don’t know what I am missing ! I do however seem to see a lot more threads about segments and records than trail finding. You can look at the strava global heatmap without joining strava – it’s a cumulative map of all strava users’ routes:

http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#6/-120.90000/38.36000/blue/bike

Take a look at your local area – must be some food for thought there.

I use the rather less high-tech method of see who has the most massive grin on their face?
Absolutely 100% not interested how fast we got down something as long as it was fun.

Love that heatmap, it’s like being Tron.

Absolutely no interest in it or anything to do with it.

or anything to do with it.

like forum threads about it.

personally use it every ride. never stopped me having fun on a ride, never stopped me smiling. 5 out of the 7 I rode with today weren’t using it.

I’ve never been tempted. Today I passed Thank-God-Hawthorn (at the top of a long hill) in Middle x 4th, that’s a personal best and good enough for me. I’d have been in granny gear a few months ago.

Now if someone can tell me there’s a category for retired blokes with health issues, then I might be interested. But I’ll still find routes from OS maps.

There’s a lot more on strava than you’ll find on any OS map

For everything other the competitive elements: gps, maps, recording I use viewranger. But for finding out routes and seeing how people link trails together it’s great.

I’ve just lost half an hour on that heatmap but I’m thinking that some people must have had strava set to bike when they should reset it for hillwalking.