Strava vs Garmin segments… why use Strava?

Never used segments before, but am getting a new garmin, either a 520 or a 1000. Been reading all this stuff about segments but why are the Strava ones more popular?

Garmin ones are free to use and create, and they can be easily sent to the to the GPS, so why do most people seem to pay for the Strava membership to use segments? Whats so much better about Strava than the garmin ones.

I put segments on for a few, never bothered after that. Feels a bit like a gimmick really and it makes the device beep a lot, couple it with the auto pause and it’s really annoying to the people near you.

You can see, compete and create Strava segments for free. It’s just that they’re not separately listed on your GPS

Strava segments can be shared by all users, not just those on Garmin.

If you’re only creating and monitoring your own segments then use whichever you prefer.

Do you really need to know when you’re staring/finishing a segment or can it wait until you’ve uploaded after your ride?

i only really want to use them for judging my own efforts on climbs against my previous ones, a bit like the virtual partner feature, but i was thinking it would be easier to use as i could load up quite a few climbs onto the unit and it would automatically start them for those climbs.

With Virtual partner i’d have to keep selecting various courses to ride so segments seem easier and more flexible.

So, just use Garmin segments. It’s not like you’re comparing yourself with anyone else.

yeah thats what i was thinking. Just wanted to know what extra the strava ones offer, but looks like its just that you can compete and be ranked against a load more people.

Yep, Strava is the social one for sharing. It can be great motivation.

Garmin segments, does it run on a smartphone?

No

The underlying principal is the same but the Strava version is loads better. If you’re really only going to compare your own times and nothing else than there’s no difference but I’d definitely give the Strava version a try- you might find you get into it. I’m not fast enough to trouble the top tens of any segment (or top 20% for that matter) but i can filter the tables to compare my times to just other people in my club, or just my friends for example which is more useful. There’s a few pros on Strava too so I can even compare my times to local elite riders for curiosity.

You might be able to do all the above on garmin connect I don’t know, but there’s a reason almost everyone uses Strava I think. You can install a tool that automagically transfers your ride over to Strava anyway so it shouldn’t be much extra hassle.

I said “automagically” and I’m sticking with it

Technically Garmin segments is better than Strava I reckon – includes things like wind speed/direction which is interesting. But no one uses it and the UI is awful, so it’s complete shit.

You only need to pay for Strava to get live segments on your head unit. I like it – nice motivational tool for impromptu interval sessions. If you’re not bothered about that then no reason to pay.

Edge 1000 is great FWIW.

50% of the time, Garmin’s site doesn’t work and when it does it’s slow. I don’t have time to be waiting for the segment stuff to load up, and then there’s a lack of them so you’re going to have to create a lot of segments, whereas Strava has them already. Plus Garmin devices can be synced with Strava segments (if you’re a premium subscriber on Strava).

I use Garmin Connect to sync my Garmin and have a store of all my rides in original Garmin format so I can get them if I need to, but have set Connect to sync to Strava so I get the social stuff and decent segments.

Garmin segments, does it run on a smartphone?

no

Suspect this is the main reason Strava is much more popular.

Edge 1000 is great FWIW

Edge 100 looks quite big though

if you don’t use strava you’ll never know how you compare to the very fastest riders, unless you race sportives