@amedias Do you really not get the difference between an e-bike and a tailwind? If an e-bike is OK, then why not a motor scooter? Maybe they should add a motor bike category too whilst they’re at it.
Of course I get the difference, that’s why I’m sating a category for them would be a good thing, but I’m also saying that in the mean time while there isn’t one I’m OK with people still using Strava while on eBikes, especially if it’s obvious from the profile name and givven all the other dirty-data problems with Strava I take it with a pinch of salt even when things are correctly categorised.
eBikes are going to become more and more popular and I think excluding them from Strava is not the way forward, and the current rule of forcing rides to be private isn’t a great solution.
But then I’m just some random bloke on the Internet so my opinion carries about as much weight as yours, we don’t have to agree, I’m just saying how I feel about eBikes on Strava.
— SIDE NOTE —
eBikes are ven harder to categorise as there’s so many variatiosn in the way they work, some cut the assist at a certain speed, some cut the assist at a torque/power output, some have been chipped to not cut the assist until you’re doing 30mph+, most have selectable boost options too so you have almost as much variation in assistance levels and options as you do variation in fitness between riders.
Even with a category for them on Strava you’ll get people griping about chipped bikes being used and things like that, its the same problems all over again, which brings you back tot eh same conclusion, that you can only use Strava as a basic comparison tool with your own previous performance, or if you want to compare against others you either need to do so against people of roughly-known ability, and take everything else with a pinch of salt.
If you want a proper comparison then racing is the option, Strava isn’t regulated on routes and shortcuts, weather condtions or anything else so you can only go so far with the data it provides.