[Closed] Is strava for real?

Yep, you're missing something.

Why compare it with racing, it's utterly different.

In what way al? From what I gathered there is no rules, and nothing done safety wise.

It is massively rubbish. I like to keep it real sans strava.

It was fun for a bit , but went back to endomodo in the end

juan, do you know anything about it?

It tends to people that are anti-social and stupid, strava is just an ap.

and nothing done safety wise.

Is you on crack?

Yes strava is like endomondo, but you can cut your ride in bits and pretend you can race on it.

There's a lot of hate here. I love it, but if you mince then it'll make you feel rubbish because you'll realise how bad a rider you are.

The easy answer is. If you don't like it don't use it.

I think I might start using it to time myself... I was riding the same sections over on thursday- if I was 15 years younger I guess I'd say I was sessioning 😉 So it'd be interesting to compare runs. Couldn't care less how fast other people are riding though, there's always someone faster and someone slower.

But I do blame it for corner-cutting, it's not like that's a new thing but it seems far worse now than it did last year.

There's always Juan™

Like it, but then I only started using it this weekend...time will tell I guess...

I get the sharing ride etc etc (like endomondo) but why brake it in section?

juan - Member
I get the sharing ride etc etc (like endomondo) but why brake it in section?

How could people compare whole rides as easily?

Seriously, have you thought about this at all?

Yes I have, although I don't get the "comparing with other people" (there is always races for that), why the sectionning. It's like saying, wow I ended 5 to the last at the race, but on the 13th switchback I was the fastest.

It's like a race, but you don't have to all turn up on the same day.

My leisurely pootle this morning turned out to be a ****ing interval session.

I get the sharing ride etc etc (like endomondo) but why brake it in section?

Why have KoM or (Intermediate) Sprint points? It can be fun to know how fast you do a particular climb, or descent, or section.

I get the sharing ride etc etc (like endomondo) but why brake it in section?

you mean like an Enduro? why would you time the downhills and not the climbs? Can't get my head round that? surely the point is getting from A to B as fast as possible?

Haze - Member
My leisurely pootle this morning turned out to be a **** interval session.

That's kind of why I like it.... Makes me realise I used to pootle around - now I just measure myself against myself, and if I pick up a KOM along the way so be it.

It's made me faster since i started using it

I guess it allows you to compare yourself with other people without racing.

is that difficult to conceive/understand?

[quote=juan ]Yes I have, although I don't get the "comparing with other people" (there is always races for that), why the sectionning. It's like saying, wow I ended 5 to the last at the race, but on the 13th switchback I was the fastest.

It's quite possible that it just isn't for you. It can add a new dimension to rides that you've done a billion times before, you have times to aim for. Personally, I used it for a bit but it had me trying to go hell for leather everywhere and not so much of the jumping off stuff just having a lark so got rid.

What about when A and B are the same place? What's the point in riding bikes around in a circle, while getting muddy? Ever haard of fun?

you mean like an Enduro? why would you time the downhills and not the climbs? Can't get my head round that? surely the point is getting from A to B as fast as possible?

Strava is an awesome tool for training for Garvity Emduros, which is why I love it.

wow I ended 5 to the last at the race, but on the 13th switchback I was the fastest.

'cos I need to get my ego massaged somehow.

Why are you looking at times for the 13th switchback anyway? There's no obligation to break a ride down into tiny pieces.

Juan, are you really crap on a bike therefore don't want it to compare you to anyone else?

Big Strava fan and I have found it my best training partner yet!

BUT I have noticed loads of new shortcut's appearing on already great trails and that's just wrong.

Today I spotted a few at Golspie, so I stopped and lay rock's etc across them to try and prevent people destroying a great trail for Strava Cheat times.

SO...Keep it real and do your bit to keep our trails great.

Juan, are you really crap on a bike therefore don't want it to compare you to anyone else

I did a 2.5 mile sprint yesterday and got the KOM. **** me it was hard avg hr avg 175.
Without Strava I would of rode the same route but it made it fun trying to get the fastest.

I love Strava.

Juan - "Strava day" you taking the piss? Troll? Get a life.

getonyourbike - Member

Strava is an awesome tool for training for Garvity Emduros

Particularily the important cheating skills

Like most tools, it's great if you know how to use it to best effect. By breaking down rides into shorter segments you can judge what you're better at and what you're worse at. Yes you can use it to race against people you don't know or never see but that's not I like about it. I almost always ride with others and many of us use Strava and it's fun to see the times after a ride.

A few days ago I created a segment on a trail portion that I've alway felt relatively slow on and that's given me hundreds of comparative times of my own and others to think about where I'm losing speed. Absolute leaderboards and KOMs are relatively pointless what with dubious line choices, mistracking from adjacent fireroads and so on - though you can see these false/unfair lines on the individual GPS plots.

It's fun. End of.

Edit, okay not end of. It's really helped me enjoy riding more, and it's made me treat challenging sections of my ride as something to attack and get better on, rather than dawdle up on the way to the easier bits,.

I tend to compare myself with my previous rides, especially on climbs.

None of the other gps stuff allows me todo that for anything bar a whole ride

Strava has mainly taught me that really fast MTB riders don't seem to use Strava. At least, that's the only explanation I can come up with for how high I place on climbs* despite being on a rigid SS and doing them in the middle of big rides.

I treat other people exactly the same on a ride that I happen to be recording on Strava as I would if I wasn't recording it, but knowing the segments are there makes me ride harder than I would otherwise.

I like that I can compare my times on a segment in different rides so I can see if I'm getting faster or slower. Wish had had a few years worth of rides on there instead of just this summer.

*did you see the subtle willy-waving I did there?

Juan - "Strava day" you taking the piss? Troll? Get a life.

Every Day is a Strava Day.

^^^T-shirt with that on, please^^^

I'm sure Matt Page uses it.
/miketually- if you find one let me know 😉

you mean like an Enduro? why would you time the downhills and not the climbs? Can't get my head round that? surely the point is getting from A to B as fast as possible?

Seeing as A is my house and B is my house, I could get from A to B much more quickly if I didn't bother getting on my bike at all.

Or do you mean that you can't understand why someone who isn't you might enjoy something different to you? If so, you must find life very confusing!

And although these might sound like the words of a lunatic on here, I've actually had more conversations about riding rather than gear since Strava became popular...

I've actually had more conversations about riding rather than gear since Strava became popular...

Weirdo 😉

Strava has mainly taught me that really fast MTB riders don't seem to use Strava.

Not an MTB ride but I got 2nd overall on a load of road climbs in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago. KOM holder on all of them was Chris Opie, a pro-roadie for Team UK Youth who I know lives down there. He was about 3 mins quicker than me on one of the climbs. 😉

I just find it entertaining, I use it more as a record of my riding rather than specifically searching for segments. Having said that, I sometimes wait until a mate gets KOM on a segment then go out and beat him by a couple of seconds - it really winds him up!

^^^^

I just find it entertaining, I use it more as a record of my riding rather than specifically searching for segments

That! really.

the sections part works for me. for example, if I approach a section from one direction it is all up hill, if I ride it on my way home from work it is a downhill approach. I couldn't compare whole rides like for like unless I could just cut them down to the same sections. I don't compete against other as I'm rubbish and overbiked, but Strava is useful to motivate myself.

It's good for a laugh and/or a training guide if you want one.

I've stopped bothering now though. I *know* I'm freaking awesome, I don't need an app to tell me that,.

What I dont get is people using it to "race"...

It aint racing..

If you want to race, go to a race!

I use it to log my rides & thats it.

The couple of times Ive had a KOM & lost Its never really occurred to me to go & get it back. Nor have I tried to take someone else's..

What I dont get is people using it to "race"...

It aint racing..

Yes it is. Unless time trials aren't racing.