I (hate) love Strava!

[summerdays]

It also gives you a benchmark for that segment, if you know someone can do it in 2min and your doing it in 3 you know it's possible to push that bit harder and 9 times out of 10 you have got that little bit extra left you didn't know you had!

It was interesting looking at the times I had logged in the car with those cyclists who had rode the segments. Mostly it was less than 50% difference! and on one downhill section the cyclists had gone faster and I was only awarded 8th place!

 

[cd365]

There is a downhill segment just before I get to work. It has a tight bend that I can get around faster on my bike than in my car.

 

[DWiggy]

...just got it back...mwahh!!

 

[Steady]

I got my QOM I lost earlier in the week too. :-) First time I equalled the speed, and then today I beat it by two mph only to discover I lost another to a possible she-male (Names Trev!) who cycled at 50mph and recorded it way back in May.

Unsure why it's suddenly popped up unless it was flagged previously and something dodgy happened, since all of their "end of the route segments" are all 40-50mph up from 10mph.

Shows up some bad driving though, as that segment is a one way bus lane/cycle lane but a lot of people use it as a bypass to the dual carriageway.

 

[Garry A]

Only just got on Strava and have to say I will never beat some of the times on local segments. It is good fun though.

 

[Ian193]

I was riding a segment near me the other week and had to pass another cyclist when I put it on strava it said I'd drifted of line at 66% and not registered a time I thought I'd beaten my fastest time as well

 

[gavintc]

I still have a few KOM from 4 yrs ago when I lived in Italy, but they are being progressively picked off.

 

[San Marco]

I like Strava, is a good way of tracking your own progress. I've used it for about 2 years now. I realise however that
1) times greatly vary depending on the weather/wind direction conditions when the ride takes place.
2) some people just go out on a short ride so they can have a good go at a specific segment.

Therefore
A) if you just lost a KOM to someone else, maybe it is because it was blowing a gale from behind, so actually it isn't comparable with your time when set with cross winds.

My best time on a segment I like was set during a rare change in wind direction. I posted the time using a Carrera TDF. I haven't since been able to improve it despite new Wilier carbon bike and fitter version of myself as is always into wind!

B) if you're out on a 60mile ride, you can't expect your times to be faster than someone who lives near a segment and just goes out on a 5 miler circuit to specifically blast that particular time.

You can filter Strava to show results by gender and age group. It should also consider length of ride.

Still, great to see when you get personal bests!

 

[summerdays]

I must admit I sometimes wonder if those on electric bikes have had a go at some segments. Not that I think it shouldn't be used by those on electric bikes but that maybe that ought to be something that can be filtered out. Just watched one guy pushing hard up a fair sized hill, with a guy sitting on his back wheel barely making an effort as he was on his electric bike.

 

[DWiggy]

I like Strava, is a good way of tracking your own progress. I've used it for about 2 years now. I realise however that
1) times greatly vary depending on the weather/wind direction conditions when the ride takes place.
2) some people just go out on a short ride so they can have a good go at a specific segment.

Therefore
A) if you just lost a KOM to someone else, maybe it is because it was blowing a gale from behind, so actually it isn't comparable with your time when set with cross winds.

My best time on a segment I like was set during a rare change in wind direction. I posted the time using a Carrera TDF. I haven't since been able to improve it despite new Wilier carbon bike and fitter version of myself as is always into wind!

B) if you're out on a 60mile ride, you can't expect your times to be faster than someone who lives near a segment and just goes out on a 5 miler circuit to specifically blast that particular time.

You can filter Strava to show results by gender and age group. It should also consider length of ride.

Still, great to see when you get personal bests!

It would be good if they had the wind direction and wind speed next to the time, would highlight possible advantages.

 

[Mugshot]

Strava is great fun and it's a good little tool for tracking your mileage and improvement. I think it's a useful little motivator when you feel like giving it a push and makes for some friendly banter with your mates. There do appear to be miserable sods around that think that the cyclists that use strava think of themselves as the next big thing on the racing circuit because they've managed to get a KOM or two, or because they have the audacity to try to beat their PB. I expect they're the same ones that don't say hello.
@summerdays glad you're enjoying it, it can be a little addictive can't it.

 

[David El y]

I use Strava for both running and cycling. Much of my running is off road and I vave a few Course Records, but there is no chance with the bike as every hill, whether long or short, has a long leader board with a KOM way out of my reach.

Still, I think it's a good motivator. I may not be able to get a KOM, but I can realistically hope for a PB or two.

 

[bpsmith]

I thought that KOM's were out of my reach earlier in the year too. Got a few, but they dont count as I created them and only a handful of people on them. I created them when I started, as a way to compare my rides to myself later on. I am thinking of deleting them now, as dont follow those routes much anymore...and my VeloViewer score is taking a kit. lol.

Went out last night and managed to average 18.8 mph over 32.1 miles, albeit with only 750ft of elevation. Got a 5th place on one of the two climbs and really pleased with that. Only 16 seconds off the top spot, so going to go all out to try and get it at some point. I would never have thought about the KOM had i not been so close.

I am relatively new to cycling, with only 750 done so far and no sport being done for 10 yeears, so anybody who thinks that a KOM is not possible can think again!

 

[NorvernRob]

I like Strava, is a good way of tracking your own progress. I've used it for about 2 years now. I realise however that
1) times greatly vary depending on the weather/wind direction conditions when the ride takes place.
2) some people just go out on a short ride so they can have a good go at a specific segment.

Therefore
A) if you just lost a KOM to someone else, maybe it is because it was blowing a gale from behind, so actually it isn't comparable with your time when set with cross winds.



Still, great to see when you get personal bests!

The segment I got the KOM on the other week is at the end of my training ride just before I get home, so I'm never 100% when I hit it. Someone beat it by 1s, when I looked at his ride he got a couple of KOM and a couple of top tens on that ride, but his average speed was only around 13mph over 10 miles. I then noticed his name on pretty much every top ten around here, he's certainly quick but also obviously goes out targeting certain segments each time.

I wasn't going to be the cyclist who does that, but I'm afraid fair is fair and when I next get the chance I'm going to go out, warm up for a couple of miles then do that segment when I'm 100% and get my KOM back!

 

[San Marco]

I wasn't going to be the cyclist who does that, but I'm afraid fair is fair and when I next get the chance I'm going to go out, warm up for a couple of miles then do that segment when I'm 100% and get my KOM back!

I guess that's fair enough!