Stopped at the courtyard cafe in Hope on Sunday and sat outside in the sun for some soup and cake. It was most pleasant.

Sadly though I had to endure the most tedious witterings of some the worst Strava-bores I’ve ever had this misfortune of sitting within earshot of.

It was clear they had just finished their ride and were already discussing the minutiae of their Strava performances in the cafe queue.

I’m a regular Strava user and don’t mind admitting I’m pretty pleased with myself if I get a decent ranking or a PR or two. However the detail to which these dullards went to was beyond the pail.

Endless dissecting of every stat for every rider of every segment! Theorising over the conditions that other riders (who had obviously beaten them) had ridden to possibly ‘get that time’ etc. Quibbling over point something of nothing speed differences and how they ‘smashed the racing line’ to get a PR etc etc.

FOR GOD’S SAKE you boring a’holes!!!

By contrast, just as I was preparing to leave another group arrived and sat down to share my table. These were a different bunch entirely. Four gentleman of an age (in their late 60’s early 70’s it turns out) who were out for a ride just for the sheer hell of it. I got chatting and ended up sitting back down for about 45 mins chewing the fat about bikes, where they’d ridden over the years, why they enjoy keeping active etc. A class bunch of chaps!

No real moral to the story other than; there is a place for Strava but it is not and should never be the reason you ride or the only thing you take away from your day on the hill.

I’m guessing the first lot ride sportive and the second lot ride audaxes. 😉

Is that a slow hand clap or proper applause, I’m not sure?

Both groups were mountain bikers.

there is a place for Strava but it is not and should never be the reason you ride or the only thing you take away from your day on the hill.

Why not ?

Each to their own, who am I to dictate to anyone which bit of cycling they have to enjoy.

nealglover – Member
there is a place for Strava but it is not and should never be the reason you ride or the only thing you take away from your day on the hill.
Why not ?

Each to their own, who am I to dictate to anyone which bit of cycling they have to enjoy.

It was more of a plea than an instruction!

Given it’s The Joker and this thread….

Guardian Article Thread

it may answer your question.

Live and let Live – is the appropriate mantra 🙄

who cares? people are different in a cafe shocker.

It was more of a plea than an instruction

I get the bit about being bored listening to them talking about it. And sort of agree.

The bit I quoted though (your last paragraph) I don’t agree with at all.

I love drilling down through my strava data.

sirromj – Member
I love drilling down through my strava data

So do I but I’m not sure I could bore on about it for half an hour.

You should have gone to the Adventure Cafe 😉

TL;DR

I got chatting and ended up sitting back down for about 45 mins chewing the fat about bikes, where they’d ridden over the years, why they enjoy keeping active etc.

bike-bores

So you were listening in to a conversion you disapproved of, and are now, remotely, telling those people to have a different conversation.

Why didn’t you go up to them and just say all this to their faces?

A mate Stravas everywhere we ride. he enjoys it but tends to go on about it and personally I don’t GAS

The other week I borrowed his phone and Strava’d the ride. Gave it back with 46 PBs 1 KOM and a few dozen top 100s

Hasn’t mentioned it since.

[swoons]

Every time someone writes ‘people are different’ on STW a baby hippo dies.

What’s worse? Bike bore or eavesdropping? Couldn’t you just zone them out and listen in to another conversation that you preffered?

njee20 – Member
So you were listening in to a conversion you disapproved of, and are now, remotely, telling those people to have a different conversation.

Why didn’t you go up to them and just say all this to their faces?

Oh please 🙄

I’m not telling them to have a different conversation, I’m just saying it was tedious.

Are you seriously suggesting I should have interrupted a group of 5 or 6 people and say ‘Do you mind talking about something else, you’re boring me’?

Idiot.

And before you say, ‘well don’t moan about it then’, anonymously moaning about people and stuff is a staple STW thread topic!

So do I but I’m not sure I could bore on about it for half an hour.

I probably could. But I’ve never found anyone prepared to listen for that long 🙁

did’t you see the thread last week where we moaned about people moaning about people moaning about people moaning about cyclists using strava and how everything was awful these days?

I kind of agree with njee,

If it bothers you that much try taking earphones to block out the drone, then other cyclists can moan cyclists are ignorant bastards and not boring ones.

If they weren’t talking stats on STRAVA they would have been talking 0-60 times in cars, stock exchange, which computer processor, what oven temp for cooking, football stats, rugby stats, how many times they have been married, their kids school league table, work pensions, Stato’s like talking and love others to hear, the fact that you were listening makes you more boring than them in my book.

Incidently, my book was written by me and features me as the main character, the main character is never wrong even though others may think he is, it’s my book after all.

Next time you do that ride go back to that cafe and sit and listen, see what you can learn from others about yourself.

oldejeans – Member
did’t you see the thread last week where we moaned about people moaning about people moaning about people moaning about cyclists using strava and how everything was awful these days?

I can believe there actually was one!

What coffee were they drinking?
Skinny moccachino Americano Latte’s with vanilla sprinkles and marshmallows?

#bloodycyclistshumans

I bet they were drinking Soya Mocha’s
The Bastrds.

I can believe there actually was one!

🙄

http://norules.bigcartel.com/

Interesting article somewhere in the Guardian online about this, or at least something similar. About cycling morphing into the new golf, and also becoming all about performance, stats and technology, not about discovery and fun. I find the whole Strava thing seriously dull, personally.

wl – Strava says something similar about you

Are you seriously suggesting I should have interrupted a group of 5 or 6 people and say ‘Do you mind talking about something else, you’re boring me’?
Idiot.

Charming. That’s exactly what I infer from your OP. You disapproved of the conversation they were having, and you’re coming on here to moan about it. Clearly you’re not as much of a tosser IRL as you are on here 🙄

complaining about others going about their chosen sport certainly says something about you

Clearly you’re not as much of a tosser IRL as you are on here

🙄

The only thing more boring than people talking about strava is people talking about people talking about strava.

Though I lark about with strava it’s for one reason, pushing my self, it’s not a cock measuring exercise, my self & small group of mates use it for fun, not getting into the realms of who did what time in what section & blah blah boring drivel, a bit of fun banter what ever.

I have seen a marked increase in cheating locally, what a waste of time the only person your cheating is your self, some of the times are truly ridiculous, 60kmh through tight corners & yet the people responsible no doubt cling onto the times in the vain hope others think Wow he must be Soooo good, what a joke.

Lighten up for gods sake eh, the sport is fun & when it’s not then it’s time to maybe take up another hobby.

complaining about others going about their chosen sport

I’m not sure I did complain about that did I?

I was moaning about them being boring. It just so happened they were being boring about a cycling related issue.

There’s an interesting hypocrisy here on STW.

My complaint about people obsessing and boring on about Strava times seems to have generated support for people who are interested in their times and gaining KOMs etc. To the extent where a simple comment about them being boring has been turned into me wanting to stop them enjoying their sport?!

However, there is plenty of pretty vehement comments in the past about people cutting corners and ‘not riding the obvious line’ in pursuit of better Strava times. All of which was roundly condemned.

I’m not sure you can have it both ways.

Or is it, “don’t complain about Strava nerds being boring unless they are spoiling Cut Gate, in which case they’re w**kers”.

Never used it myself, I just ride, get dirty (and wet) and go home knackered with a big smile on my face.