[Closed] E-Bikes and Strava segments

[quote=zilog6128 ]Even the shop staff didn't know about the Strava eBike setting (and they run exclusively eMTB group rides) so maybe most people are just using the regular bike setting.

The e-bike setting is relatively new, and I can understand how people don't know about it - but the T&Cs have always excluded e-bikes from normal bike segments and leaderboards, though in any case I can't understand why it isn't obvious to people that it's cheating.

It does seem a shame that bike segments don't just transfer across to e-bike segments, but maybe it's not that simple with their database (ideally you'd be able to select a combined bike/e-bike list so e-bike riders can compare themselves if they want).

I can't comment of people riding an Ebike and leaving it on normal setting. There is clearly an Ebike option but like was mentioned above, there doesn't seem to be loads of segments (in some places none, as no one has made an Ebike section). Your gonna get people cheat no matter what they ride, I'm sure you've all seen 'strava lines' on your local trials , how would you ever police anyone using them? Strava isn't that accurate that it can tell someone straight lined a twisty section or missed a corner etc. For me, it's purely about beating my mates whom I know have ridden the same trails I have . Unless I KOM a section, then it's gospel !!! Haha.

[quote=bennyb ]Your gonna get people cheat no matter what they ride, I'm sure you've all seen 'strava lines' on your local trials

Yes, but the scale of the issue is much greater with e-bikes.

BTW I can't think of a single "Strava line" on my local trails.

Flagging is all very well, but some of them think it's funny to continue lying when flagged, whereupon Strava clear the flag and then it can't be reinstated.

I eventually complained to Strava in one case, they asked for evidence, I gave them some, they did nothing.

Yes Strava is only for fun, but then so are proper races. Doesn't mean it doesn't make your blood boil when you've got ****ers lying and cheating.

Doesn't mean it doesn't make your blood boil when you've got **** lying and cheating.

I think you need to chill out a bit 🙂

Strava doesn't record tailwinds or perfect trail conditions, just times. It is not perfect, accept it for what it is, a bit of fun. If competition with others is so important that you must prove yourself I believe there are bicycle races held all over the country every weekend.

The only segment times I take semi-seriously are road climbs. Anything else & there's just too many potential extra variables so take them with a large pinch of salt!

Its only strava. I quite like the idea of all the KOM/QOM being turned into total nonsense by ebikes. Yes I do use strava before Im shot down but only for my own record, improvement and finding decent trails.

Local to me there is a prime 5 mile flat road section that everyone is hitting at the moment.
I saw a guy out last week slipstreaming a foot behind his mate on a moped, I assume to get the KOM.

Can't be done with it myself.

[quote=tomaso ]Strava doesn't record tailwinds or perfect trail conditions, just times. It is not perfect, accept it for what it is, a bit of fun. If competition with others is so important that you must prove yourself I believe there are bicycle races held all over the country every weekend.

Of course - tailwinds and trail conditions are natural and part of the game (most of my KOMs are wind assisted, but I presume everybody else on the first page of the leaderboard also had good wind conditions).

Thanks for the other standard Strava thread comment - we've now had "it's not a race who gives a shit", "there are other ways of cheating on Strava", "go and do a proper race instead". House.

[quote=chrismac ]Its only strava. I quite like the idea of all the KOM/QOM being turned into total nonsense by ebikes. Yes I do use strava before Im shot down but only for my own record, improvement and finding decent trails.

So you just like the idea of spoiling other people's fun? 🙄

What's with all the Schadenfreude?

If you don't like Strava, fair enough, but why the constant need to say so?

Whether Strava is just for fun or not, lying and cheating is lying and cheating, which is wrong, and it spoils our fun to some extent, which is wrong, even if it's not your idea of fun.

If Strava don't address this problem, they're going to end up losing people.

they're going to end up losing people.

If Strava don't address this problem, they're going to end up losing people.

It's only a problem for people who think Strava is important, which means they are unlikely to quit.

chrismac - Member

Its only strava. I quite like the idea of all the KOM/QOM being turned into total nonsense by ebikes. 

love to find some thing you enjoy, then come round and spoil it.

Good point, zilog and hols!

Meanwhile the offending ebikers had better watch out. If I encounter you on the trails, I might just lose it completely and, er, give you an evil look. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Are they? To where? Unless you're gonna throw your toys out of the pram & smash up your Garmin as what's the alternative?

I dislike Connect as much as the next man, but if all I want to do is add up my mileage because the leaderboards are all screwed up, then it seems a reasonable option to me.

Yes Strava is only for fun

It's either deadly serious or shite fun. If it was proper fun threads like this wouldn't exist

I like Strava for what it is, post ride pub Willy waving with your riding buddies and a record of where and what you rode.

Later this month I am test riding a couple of Specialized Enduros at Grizedale and may now take a Turbo Levo for a lap, just for s scientific purposes...and load it to Strava as a standard bike

Clearly many people here don't like Strava and those that are berating it presumably don't use it. Maybe they use Ridewithgps which is very good for logging routes or similarly Garmin Connect.

The major feature that sets Strava apart is it's segment feature and the competitive nature of it and the very large number of people that try and beat these times shows it's hugely popular whether you like it or not.

However Strava is now possibly a method of identifying individuals that are using illegal (de-restricted) E-bikes on trails. Surely that's a good thing for everyone?

The only segment times I take semi-seriously are road climbs

Really techy descents for me, still nowhere near the pointy end of the leader board, but less troubled by ebikes I suspect.

I remember the old days before the iPhone. It was all Nokia and Sports Tracker. Innovative at the time. Interesting to track rides and see where you've been and some stats. Then came Strava and made it competitive.

As for alternatives... Trail Forks. It's secretly nicking data from Strava as people link their accounts, and the trail data can then be enhanced with a lot of information about condition, repairs, sensitivity etc, plus land owners or local trail groups can take some ownership of them. There's moderating of trail data also. All things we've been asking Strava for ages for and been totally ignored, because they're only interested in road segments and those riding road are only interested in competitive stats. It's odd as Strava became an unofficial database to find off road trails (endangering them by popularity), but the road segments are the main focus and you don't need Strava to find bits of road on a map.

"Don't waste time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself."

-Mary Schmich

[quote=tomaso ]Later this month I am test riding a couple of Specialized Enduros at Grizedale and may now take a Turbo Levo for a lap, just for s scientific purposes...and load it to Strava as a standard bike

Ah, so you're not bothering to comply with Wheaton's Law. Thanks for letting us know.