Today I was passed by a (pro) cyclist riding inches behind what was obviously his own lead car (driving in gutter slower than usual traffic flow with hazards on).
I’ve now seen that ride uploaded Strava taking a number of KOM’s and top ten places. The questionable ride was 220Km but I only have proof of the drafting up one climb (I had a video camera running).

Is this actually against ‘the rules’?

In a quick search I couldn’t see anything saying this was not allowed but since it’s not simply taking advantage of a passing vehicle for an odd minute it doesn’t feel right to me. What do you say ?

It’s strava. It’s not a race. There are no rules.

Hand on a sec.

Nope, I can’t bring myself to care.

What do you say ?

Should we report any ride with a tailwind?

Every time there’s a strong westerly round here you get flocks of roadies out taking advantage, you can’t report all of them, surely?

I think you should report it. It’s probably the tip of the iceberg. I’ve even heard that some people literally put their gps into the car and drive around in order to get KOMs and segments.

Next you’ll be telling me that they don’t drug test the riders at the top of Strava leaderboards !

I’m tempted to add a comment to his activity mentioning how much the car must have helped….or I could just go to sleep and forget about it

Name and shame that’ll learn him good and proper, Strava is serious business, even better, shit on his porch.

I think you should report it. It’s probably the tip of the iceberg. I’ve even heard that some people literally put their gps into the car and drive around in order to get KOMs and segments.

There was a steep uphill in Dunblane (1:6 or so) that has a 600-700m or so segment. When we first moved here our house was in the hill. The KOM was at 38mph….uphill.

If he was a pro, he probably doesn’t give a shit about Strava, and just uses it to record his ride time/miles/hours, like a lot of people.
FYI, pro’s do a fair amount of motor pacing, I used to do it to, long before Strava though.
Flag his ride, Im sure he wont care.

999

Goddamn pros, they’re only fast because they’re riding behind cars or in big bunches. Imagine uploading actual race performances to Strava, stealing KOMs off hard working people, coming over here, with their top level kit and favourable genes, and training and nutrition and not being fat.

Ban them. Ban them all.

There’s a climb near me that I went from top 10 to south of 100. Somebody stuck the tour of Britain up it. Should I have flagged it. Was still 4th on the descent. (was first descent day 1 so guess they weren’t fussed for a dashh down.)

Burn the (pro) heretic

Mleh btw

get a **** life. 8)

Sorry, I forgot all the ‘kids’ are too cool for Strava here. ‘night

Loads of KOM near me are fakes…..strava in their car / motor bike……then uploaded…so what …I doubt I’ll ever get near 99% of the KOM

I remember once I got KOM on a ride that only a few people did as it was 8 miles long….the person I knocked off was also the person who set the segment ……do he deleted my time …..lol…the Tosser ha ha ha

All I care about is if I beat my friends……there’s something smug about a 40odd year old beating a 24 year old ironman triathlete ….lol

I got a KOM riding behind the X84 Ilkley to Leeds bus. I hit nearly 40 before I dropped of the back

It was my finest strava moment

Sorry, I forgot all the ‘kids’ are too cool for Strava here. ‘night

I’m sorry, I don’t know what that means. But it involves Strava so I assume that it’s something that IT people do, and care about.

I’ve seen a bloke and a girl round our way doing similar – she often drafts him and occasionally I see him behind her when she’s on a moped

Doesn’t bother me, and now they can’t ride at all – and my bumper mostly buffed right out

never did find them on strava, though. Makes you think

I always enjoy the way people feel compelled to open threads about Strava solely in order to mention they don’t give a shit about it.

Which is of course completely equivalent to motor pacing. I’d suggest that motor pacing is certainly against the spirit of Strava. Though I thought people motor paced behind bikes – seems strange to do it behind a car (which apart from anything else is going to cause much more of an obstruction).

Loads of KOM near me are fakes…..strava in their car / motor bike……then uploaded…so what …I doubt I’ll ever get near 99% of the KOM

That’s probably because your shit slow, on 99.99% of any segment I’m on nothing is in a vehicle

Motor pacing predates strava

You cant really take strava times too seriously as there are so many variables, people go out to ‘hit’ just one section for the kom, drafting, group/bunch riding so average speed is high compared to solo, electronic epo or whatever its called, no difference between mtb and road bikes on roads, mayby electric bike times in the future….

If this is your biggest worry and moral dilemma, I hope you slept soundly last night.

djglover – Member
I got a KOM riding behind the X84 Ilkley to Leeds bus. I hit nearly 40 before I dropped of the back
It was my finest strava moment

Some of my finest KOM’s have been achieved this way. Always on the look out to jump on the back of something to draft.
Bin or skip lorries are just perfect for 5% climbs I find.
And only last week I managed to get on the back of a little moped … seeing him pulling back that throttle and looking back expecting to be dropping me was quite amusing.

As said. Strava is not a race. It’s just something to be used as part of YOUR riding.
Lots of KOM’s will be taken by those in a peloton or with wind in right direction … but so what?

Sorry, I forgot all the ‘kids’ are too cool for Strava here. ‘night

So you came on here for validation, didn’t get it and decided to flounce. We’ve not had a good flouncer for a while so I’m looking forward to your development as the KoM of STW Flouncers.

On topic, its likely because any time any properly fit and strong cyclist rides a segment I’ve got a KoM on I’ll lose it that I really don’t care about motorpacing/wind/cheating etc. As long as I’m getting better and beating my mates, I’m quite content.

Would you report a ride that was in a group? i.e. KOM taking rider could be sheltering behind team mates? or a rider riding a lighter bike than the previous holder of ooooh look a shiney thing, how did that get there? I wonder what it is… so shiney.

Strava? Completed it mate.

But in all serious no its not really on, someone might have worked their guts out for those KOMs on solo rides.

“On topic, its likely because any time any properly fit and strong cyclist rides a segment I’ve got a KoM on I’ll lose it that I really don’t care about motorpacing/wind/cheating etc. As long as I’m getting better and beating my mates, I’m quite content”.

And this my friends is why we have Strava. Life’s not always about being at the top of a list.

From an aerodynamic point of view I’d have thought riding in a pack would be better than drafting a car anyway?

but overall i wouldn’t give two hoots, as said he’s probably just training. But if you feel your integrity has been slandered I would challenge him to a duel at dawn. Naturally with sabres rather than pistols, only doping cheats use pistols.

I didn’t came looking for ‘validation’ of anything, ‘I asked a question – “Is this actually against ‘the rules'”.

I’ve found the answer. The term I was looking for was ‘motor paced’ (thanks to ‘aracer’ for using that term). The ‘guide lines’ are:-

Uploading data from a car, motorcycle, e-bike, motor-assisted bike, motor-paced ride or any bicycle that includes any non-human propulsion or pedal-assisted force, and categorizing the activity as a “Ride” displaces data uploaded from a human-powered bike, thus conflicting with the fairness and integrity of the Segment Leaderboards.

I always enjoy the way people feel compelled to open threads about Strava solely in order to mention they don’t give a shit about it.

Whilst agreeing with the sentiment I don’t enjoy it and think it is quite unpleasant. It’s not a very inviting place for people to ask genuine questions. Putting it in the Chat Forum and asking ‘what do you think’ didn’t help my cause though.

A local club used their van to reclaim some of their Strava KOMs following the pros of the Giro stealing a load of them around the club’s locale.

What do I think of it? I think it illustrates perfectly what a bunch of tossers they are, and fits perfectly with their modus operandi. It’s akin to me going out on a motocross bike or e-bike to get an off-road KOM. An incredibly sad and pointless act and more than worthy of a Stravasshole t-shirt.

I’ve found the answer. The term I was looking for was ‘motor paced’ (thanks to ‘aracer’ for using that term). The ‘guide lines’ are:-

did you flag the ride then?

Strava? Completed it mate.

😆

Can feel a tshirt coming on….