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.
[img] 
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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....
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cycling-has-been-ruined-by-carbon-and-strava-or-so-says-the-guardian ]Guardian Article Thread[/url]
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 [url= http://cargocollective.com/cafeadventure ]Adventure Cafe[/url] 😉
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?
#bloody[s]cyclists[/s]humans
I bet they were drinking Soya Mocha's
The Bastrds.
I can believe there actually was one!
🙄
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.
Or is it, "don't complain about Strava nerds being boring unless they are spoiling Cut Gate, in which case they're w**kers".
No, I think it was more that there was a group of people in a cafe going about their business. You eavesdropped and took issue with their conversation then came on here to complain about it. You could have equally been complaining that it was a bunch of mums droning on about babies, or a bunch of farmers banging on about the price of bull semen, etc. The reaction on here would have been much the same.
Oh and having a private conversation in a coffee shop is not antisocial. Tearing up trails is.
^^ nail/head
Or is it, "don't complain about Strava nerds being boring unless they are spoiling Cut Gate, in which case they're w**kers".
Don't think strava has anything to do this urban myth either. Mostly inexperienced riders that's all. Anyone never ever cut a corn or even accidentally? I've gone through a few
You could have equally been complaining that it was a bunch of mums droning on about babies, or a bunch of farmers banging on about the price of bull semen, etc. The reaction on here would have been much the same.
I disagree, not unsurprisingly.
I have no point of reference with bull semen so I wouldn't know they were being boring. With Strava I know what they were on about so it resonated.
And they weren't exactly whispering so 'eavesdropping' is a bit melodramatic.
'eavesdropping' is a bit melodramatic.
Says the guy that started a ranty thread about some friends having fun 😆
Save me from the anti-Strava bores.
Point is, they were there minding their own business having a discussion about something which was clearly interesting to them.
And then you come along, take exception to other people minding their own business talking about something that was clearly interesting to them, and moan about it on here!
It's nothing to do with you, nor do you have any right to police their conversation topics or decide what is an isn't of interest to them.
boring to you =/= boring to them
And to prove the point that it really is topic independent and nothing to do with Strava, you'll notice I didn't have to mention the S word at all in the above comments.
Just let people find their own joy in their activities, and share it with like-minded people, and they were clearly like-minded people to be having the discussion.
Poisonspider, I hear Golf is on the increase again. Some bloke from Sheffield won something to do with a green jacket that doesn't fit him properly?
Don't pay any attention to what Alex Ferguson said, we aren't interested, just buy some golfing rackets and a battery operated wheely bag thing. They will understand.
OP...where do you ride and what do you look like. Please post a pic so I can ensure if I ever come across you I can confirm with you that the conversation you are about to eavesdrop on is permissable.
also kind of ironic that the antisocial bunch of strava nerds were in a group having a chinwag, whilst you were on your own, alone...with nowt better to do than listen in to someone elses conversation...
K-Diff = Difference between my fastest time and the current KOM
KOM = KOM, except where I am KOM as I just leave the 1st losers time there to remind me how much better I am
T-Diff = Difference between my fastest time and the current fastest of the Thursday night group
Thursday = Fastest of the Thursday night group
Fastest = My fastest time
Trail = Name of the Trail
Ordered to show the trails I am closest to KOM first. Helps me target the closest KOMS and each ride
K-Diff____KOM____T-Diff____Thursday_Fastest__Trail
00:00____01:11____00:00____01:24____01:10____Castle Climb
00:00____03:06____00:00____04:17____03:01____Chilworth Beeline
00:00____00:54____00:00____01:04____00:49____Slog to the Gate
00:02____00:31____00:00____00:48____00:33____Climby
00:05____00:26____00:05____00:26____00:31____Old School
00:08____02:01____00:00____02:09____02:09____Roots Maneuver
00:10____01:27____00:00____02:02____01:37____Chilworth Old Village
00:10____00:30____00:00____00:40____00:40____Witches Tit
00:10____00:27____00:00____00:50____00:37____Ouch
00:11____01:12____00:00____02:00____01:23____Lordshill Way
00:11____02:55____00:00____03:06____03:06____Grind
00:12____00:57____00:00____01:26____01:09____Lee Drove A3057 to Leee Ln
00:12____00:29____00:00____00:46____00:41____Slog Hill
00:13____00:48____00:00____01:06____01:01____Beachy sort of climb
I can then cross reference this against tyre pressure and weather conditions.
Let me know if you want more details as I have plenty of spare time on my hands...
^^^ post of the day 🙂
Save me from the anti-Strava bores.
+ 1
other people can be dull, get over it.
tpbiker - Member
OP...where do you ride and what do you look like. Please post a pic so I can ensure if I ever come across you I can confirm with you that the conversation you are about to eavesdrop on is permissable.
A bit passive aggressive? Do you want to know where I live? 🙄
also kind of ironic that the antisocial bunch of strava nerds were in a group having a chinwag, whilst you were on your own, alone...with nowt better to do than listen in to someone elses conversation...
And you've wounded me there, your're right I just wanted to be in their gang, I'm sooo lonely. Will you be my friend? 😥
WorldClassAccident - Member
K-Diff = Difference between my fastest time and the current KOM
KOM = KOM, except where I am KOM as I just leave the 1st losers time there to remind me how much better I am
T-Diff = Difference between my fastest time and the current fastest of the Thursday night group
Thursday = Fastest of the Thursday night group
Fastest = My fastest time
Trail = Name of the TrailOrdered to show the trails I am closest to KOM first. Helps me target the closest KOMS and each ride
Take note those above, now that's how you post and opposing response.
Funny, clever and no moral pontificating. Thanks WCA
Anyone who's not me annoys me quite a bit, I have learned to live with it over the years.
OP should grow up.
WCA, just get Veloviewer, does all that!
OP bores me.
WCA I have lost the will to go on 🙁
@WCA,
add prevailing wind direction alignment to segement and you have the makings of a Strava plug in.
Cafe? Should of gone to The Woody Arms for a pint. No Strava gimps in there chief.
Make sure you have the last say poisonspider - you have a 30% ratio to keep up
😆
The slightly worrying thing Is I had actually knocked up that spreadsheet this afternoon after getting a couple of KOMs I don't deserve. I am riding electric assist after injury.
Cool, thing is that one of the blokes whose KOM I took this afternoon gave me kudos. I don't know who he is but changed the name of my ride to make it clear about the assist.
Strava, for me, is just to see how my fitness and bike skills are improving after being allowed back on the bike after 3 years
Did a big mtb ride in the Peak, including a push down Cavedale. Looking at strava for Cavedale the KOM is 26km/hr down it. That is faster than a fast thing! If I had that I would talk about it for weeks in the cafe.....
"minutiae" and "dullard"
got to be a wind up!!
brilliant!!
Dear Mr OP. Please carefully consider to yourself 'is this going to end well?', before posting on STW. This will save you all sorts of grief. I veto approximately 99.87 % of threads I might start on here, on this basis.
Also, your forum name is not very jolly, is it? 😐
Though of ear plugs, or better still a thermos so you can find a moment of isolation
I be they were breast feeding as well 😯
Anyone who's not me annoys me quite a bit, I have learned to live with it over the years.
OP should grow up.
Me too. I could post every 10 minutes about how somehow has annoyed me (I generally dislike people) but all that would prove is what I already know in that it is my problem to deal with and not theirs...
Strava analysis. Lol
Uphill Kom he must be half my weight, on a moped.
Downhill kom, he must have a big suspension and have balls of steel or just a complete nutter.
And remember when it's tough out their. I always think of those perfect times when it wasn't wet, muddy, cold, too hot, wind in your face, no dog walker interruptions etc etc..
Improve your own time that's the best you can do..
I've been trying for an under 10 minutes up a local climb, I'm averaging 10min 20-45 in the last few rides, my best 10.17, a damn Labrador decided to lie down across the Singletrack 100m from the end, I know that dog knew I was on strava, as it gave me that look
Please carefully consider to yourself 'is this going to end well?', before posting on STW. This will save you all sorts of grief. I veto approximately 99.87 % of threads I might start on here, on this basis.
What does 'end well' mean?
Do you mean receiving some form of approval from the STW opinion police, like I care?
It also sounds a little bit like censorship to me. Basically I should fear negative comments therefore not post?!
As did the comment about taking up golf. I say something you don't like so I'm no longer welcome as an MTBer.
Seriously, got over yourselves.
Seriously, got over yourself.
FIFY
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.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/local-trails-pretty-cut-up-strava-damage/page/2#post-7573117
😆
Everyone seems to be getting their knickers in a twist that Poisonspider has an opinion, and stated at, whilst simultaneously defending the right of some other people who had a different viewpoint stating theirs. That right? Freedom of speech but not for Poisonspider?
This, and the guardian point of view on the other thread, seem to align quite nicely with my viewpoint - I use Strava as a sort of log. Just a record of where I've been and a rough guide to 'performance'. The segment stuff is sort of interesting but I'd really not be bothered if it wasn't there.
The point seems to be that the 'Strava obsessed' of this world seem to need the numbers to have fun and don't seem to be able to enjoy the location, scenery, general challenge without it. Dullard seems to be a very apt term.
for anyone who really cares how other people use strava.Dullard seems to be a very apt term.
I sometime wonder if people who dislike Strava are people who felt they were fast, recorded a ride, realised they were slower than a tectonic plate and got a bee in their bonnet. Not that being fast on strava actually makes you fast in many instances, I'm a case in point, fair few local KOMs, fair few top tens at trail centres, still getting smashed at the back end of sports cat when it comes to the real world.
Personally, I dont buy 'chasing strava times leads to destroyed trails,' either. If you put cheeky trails on Strava of course they will get more wear, same as the shop that advertises gets more custom than the one that doesnt, doesnt mean its the desire to be KOM that kills the trails.
I'm always curious when it comes to the oft-repeated criticism that someone "doesn't enjoy the scenery". I've seen this offence levelled at more and more people lately.
What constitutes "enjoying the scenery" exactly? I like to ride as fast as I can and consider cycling just a less boring form of going to the gym.
The scenery is a great bonus but if I'm out in it and look at it every now and again is that enough? Maybe peer whimsically into the distance for no less than five full minutes? Or should I pack an easel and oils and conjure up a landscape oil painting of Mam Tor every time I splutter to the top?
What if I hated the scenery but just like pedalling a bike? It's mostly just green fields after all. Is that allowed?
Confused.
What constitutes "enjoying the scenery" exactly? I like to ride as fast as I can and consider cycling just a less boring form of going to the gym.
Something that came out of a local trail discussion about all new trails being world class and location was IMHO Great views and nice cake don't make up for shit trails.
Everyone seems to be getting their knickers in a twist that Poisonspider has an opinion, and stated at, whilst simultaneously defending the right of some other people who had a different viewpoint stating theirs. That right? Freedom of speech but not for Poisonspider?
More he got all offended by a conversation between random strangers that he wasn't part of enough to come online and decry that it should be a banned topic if he is listening...
I Strava because :
A) I want to record my own improvement in fitness, skill and hence speed
B) I have an electric assist bike and want to humiliate my mates by annihilating their times*
C) I want to record the miles I ride, even when not riding fast
I ride because :
1) I want to improve my fitness and get the thrill of buzzing the trail
2) I enjoy the friendships with the guys I ride with
3) I enjoy the scenery and relaxation
1 Leads to A
2 leads to B
3 leads to C
1&2 contradict each other but are both valid
2 enhances 1 & 3
Do I get any points for being both an Strava analysing bore + a Strava Analysis analysing bore?
*I know it is cheating but I don't care
WCA is bang on. Nowt wrong with Strava but its a bit sad if thats [i]the only thing[/i] you take from a ride.
Bit like this really:
Duggan - Member...[I] consider cycling just a less boring form of going to the gym.
If that's what you want then fine, no-ones going to stop you, not even Poisonspider. Other people are allowed to form an opinion on your attitudes though. I suspect you get a lot more out of it than you realise its just that you are focussing on (in my and many others opinion) a very narrow and dull aspect of the sport as a whole.