I did a road ride yesterday that went up a local popular hill. In a minute of boredom, I later checked who else had ridden up the hill yesterday. Probably 5 of the 15 who had ridden it yesterday had ridden just that 1 section of hill and nothing else, or 2 or 3 hill sections in the area, but logged between the hill sections ie maybe driven to each hill section!!

Then there were 2-3 that looked just odd with the climb being the correct route but then straight lines for about 5 miles around.

Do people really now spend their weekend sessioning Strava segments?

hill reps

No this is only riding up once and that’s it…

Did they just pause the garmin for the ‘boring’ bit between the hills?

Can’t think why you would, but that would give this result

Do people really now spend their weekend sessioning Strava segments?

Do people really now spend their weekends trawling though other peoples ride histories to see what they’ve done on Strava?
😀

I blame richmtbguru 😆

😀

I do hill reps on a strava segment close to home, I actually have 3 to choose from, 2 of which I set up myself.

Living in a particularly flat corner of Derbyshire, the ‘hills’ are old pit tips which are however great exercise once you’ve gone up and down a few times in quick succession and I use strava as a bit of encouragement.

What’s worse, is someone set up a segment going back down the hill (double track footpathish with nothing really exciting) and I got third fastest without even realising it existed and just rolling down having a bit of a breather ready for the next up!

Is it really any different to the DH boys going out and sessioning a DH trail?

Most road climbs in the uk are short so if you are training for a big ride or trip to Europe you need to session the climbs

People care far too much about strava.

mrmo – Member

hill reps

?????????? which predates strava by a few decades

Its not that doing hill reps is an issue, but some of it looks like they have driven to the one hill to ride it once to get top Strava time..

What is ‘strava’?

You sure they don’t just start strava on their phones for the hills and switch it off at other times to save batteries?

Its not that doing hill reps is an issue, but some of it looks like they have driven to the one hill to ride it once to get top Strava time..

A friend does this. Not the driving bit, but you’d get that impression as he stops at the end of a hill for a breather, then uploads his data to see how he’s done, before then riding somewhere else.

I wondered if a few guys I saw were doing this. They were unloading a car parked in a small lay by on the A41 near Aston Clinton, they looked at least like serious dudes.
Then I saw them again later just getting out of the car in another lay by near Aylesbury.
I don’t do Strava, so I don’t know if you can locate a segment by name/place alone. Where I saw them first is a drag strip.
Junction of new A41 and old A41 near Tring heading into Aston Clinton on the old A41.

S*** the bed. Had a look on Google. Found segments in the area and the times are mental fast. A lot of well over 30mph speeds through tiny villages with speed bumps and several ‘give way to oncoming traffic islands’. Recognised a few fast names from the race scene, but they’re way way down.
Especially like the L’Alpe d’Aston which goes the wrong way up a one way road…C’s

Who cares? We’re not four.

In answer to the OP i know a couple of the local roadies were having a competition between themselves about who could go up one hill fastest. In the end some of their rides were basically hill climb competitions. Out to hill ride hill collapse, crawl home!

Its also the hill climb season so if there are a few riders just doing that hill and not much more on the same day it might be for that reason.

Recognised a few fast names from the race scene, but they’re way way down.
Especially like the L’Alpe d’Aston which goes the wrong way up a one way road…C’s

If that’s the case, what’s the segment name and I’ll flag it as dangerous.

People care far too much about strava.

Soooo this.

It’s like comparing willies in the showers.

I have a (fairly tongue in cheek) ‘competition’ with a colleague at work which involves one particular segment, but I only ever ride it as part of my morning 10 mile loop. That said, I can’t really see why it matters what your approach is regarding Strava, it’s just a recording tool, and as such it’s pretty subjective; I’m on my MTB he’s on a roadbike etc..

Strava is great for baiting the local roadies that target every segment. I purposely set one up at work that finishes 20 metres inside our main gate, past the security box, it’s funny as **** when you see someone bursting their erse up the hill then having to hammer the anchors on!.

it’s just a recording tool

It isn’t; it’s a comparison tool.

It seems to bring out the worst in the over competitive.

If that’s the case, what’s the segment name and I’ll flag it as dangerous.

I’ll get my facts 100% and let you know. I’ve ridden it myself… a few times, it is a nice climb. I know it’s one way, and I was told off for riding up it by a Forestry guy. Damn now I’m not sure, bikes are going up and down it all day long. Next Saturday I’ll ride past.

Strava is great for baiting the local roadies that target every segment. I purposely set one up at work that finishes 20 metres inside our main gate, past the security box, it’s funny as **** when you see someone bursting their erse up the hill then having to hammer the anchors on!.

😯

So you’ll be taking responsibility then, when someone hurts themselves? I take it you’ll be happy to pay their medical bills or compensation if they come off?

Do yourself a favour and take the segment down before you hurt someone…

It seems to bring out the worst in the over competitive.

It also seems to bring out the worst in those who like to comment on the over competitive 🙂

brooess – Member

And you’ll be taking responsibility then when someone hurts themselves?

I’d expect them to take responsibility for their own actions tbh. If they’re not safe in this situation they’re not safe at all.

This guy has the KOM on a segment, I think he may be a prime example of a sessioner, look at this ride… goes into many peoples drives 😆

http://www.strava.com/activities/63166845#

I’ve only just started logging my rides with Strava ( because that’s what’s it’s for!) and on one of my regular flatter rides I got a 3rd place on a section I didn’t know existed. I’m only a few secs off second but the KOM is by a dude who only logged that one insignificant section and did it at an average of 41mph! Therefore I claim 2nd by default!

Seriously, Use it to log your rides and measure your performance. Take no notice of the performance of others unless you want it to end in grief. There lies the road to ruin…

cruzcampo – Member

This guy has the KOM on a segment, I think he may be a prime example of a sessioner, look at this ride… goes into many peoples drives

suspect milkman or a jack the lad, peeping tom possibly* i’m sure a strava alike must be available to monitor opportunistic activity and claim king of the mount rather than mountains

*(pc dairyperson, sister, voyeur)

I actually take great pride in finishing near the bottom of the ranking for just about any given section I ride. It shows j couldn’t give a toss about being competetive in any way, which is how I am. I only use strava to map where I’ve ridden. I cannot get my head around people who take this sort of thing seriously. Unbelievably sad in every way.

oldgit – Member

I wondered if a few guys I saw were doing this. They were unloading a car parked in a small lay by on the A41 near Aston Clinton, they looked at least like serious dudes.
Then I saw them again later just getting out of the car in another lay by near Aylesbury.
I don’t do Strava, so I don’t know if you can locate a segment by name/place alone. Where I saw them first is a drag strip.
Junction of new A41 and old A41 near Tring heading into Aston Clinton on the old A41.

These we’re probably practicing for the time trial that goes on on the A41 a couple of times a year, they tend to off load there bikes on the icknield way layby near the double roundabout and go from there.

I pretty much use it for mapping and review rides under the “acheivements” section in the mobile app. It generally just gives me my times against myself then.

3rd fastest time on segment…
PR on segment….

I’m more interested in miles logged etc than chasing KOM’s

I cannot get my head around people who take this sort of thing seriously. Unbelievably sad in every way.

Being so anti competative and having to state it is equally sad IMO.

I use Strava as a mapping tool, i also on occasion use it to explore by using the segments. Most do make some sense and exist for a reason.

Also use it to gauge how my fitness is changing.

I found Endomondo better for just logging rides, but Strava gives benchmarks for progression. Maybe unobtainable benchmarks, but still it’s something to aim at when it’s wet and cold and you’d rather be in bed.

The great thing about segments is that if you’re not from the area, you can spot sections that are possibly worth riding.

When I took my road bike up to scotland in the summer I had a look at strava to try and piece a route together taking in a big hill or two.

Also I like to have a look at the acheivements for each ride, I’ve got no hope of a KOM round by me (off road anyway) so I can see if different lines/techniques give more speed or not. Even if it’s not scientific or accurate you get more of an idea. Most of the time these days though I can go for a lap at cannock and come back with no acheivements at all.

wwaswas – Member
You sure they don’t just start strava on their phones for the hills and switch it off at other times to save batteries?

Why would you do that? The longest ride I’ve used strava on was 10 hours and my phone was still going fine at the end.

Anyway, I’m happy for people to session strava hill segments. It means when you beat them while in the middle of a proper ride it’s more satisfying 🙂