Hypno Toad

It's a three-way intersection, the segment is on the through street - here's the segment, the stop sign is at Sparrow. It's not 'ideal', but it's not 'hazardous' either. Let's be honest, roadies have been running stop signs at speed for year.... long before Strava was a thing (I'm not approving this action, and it's not how I ride, just a reality check).

I see many segments that I simply ignore, like a segment with a stop light in the middle of it. That's dumb, I'd never create a segment with a stop light in it, but I don't flag them. I have some nice rankings on these segments on my commuting route... biking the same segments every day you're bound to get the green light a few times.

IMHO - all segments can be hazardous with some over zealous rider. However, Strava needs a little CYA, so I get it.

CliffordK

There is an exit offramp that is somewhat like that around here. A pretty steep climb. I think I figured 9 out of 10 of the leaderboard went under the bridge rather than over it (no fault of the riders). The segment, of course, could have been designed to go up over the overpass, and then take a sharp right turn for more climbing.

I just ignore it and keep riding.

CliffordK

One of my favorite segments has about 5 stoplights in a half mile, usually heavy traffic, and the bike path ends just before the segment.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to SAFELY get through it at speed.

jefnvk

Are they flashing at 2am?

CliffordK

No.
Although I did discover the streets blocked off just before the Christmas parade.

But, the lights are timed for between 20 and 25 MPH (which I'm sure is why the segment was created). Get the speed just right and one can run the gauntlet. I've had a lot of troubles with right hand turns, so the left lane can be somewhat faster.

I'm not sure if they've slowed the lights, or I'm getting faster. But, it used to be that I could barely keep up with the lights without getting stopped by the last one. Now, I think the trick is to catch the first one on a "stale yellow", then catch up with the lights as one does the run. That also helps with traffic.

Maybe Sunday AM traffic?

Hypno Toad

I have used Sunday mornings to ride segments on busy road (as long as it doesn't go right past a church) Just remember to look out for the elderly woman in the Buick going the cafe after the early church service.

KD5NRH

The ones that get me are where the KOM/QOM will have a full 10mph over everybody else on the segment...and the 2nd place is a locally well known rider, with 3rd through somewhere beyond 9th less than 2mph behind him.

ETA: they're not even trying to look real anymore; the KOM for the first hill on my homeward commute is now showing 64.9mph average.

CliffordK

Just look at the "ride". There will be some telltale signs that it was done in a car. Often they are riders that will drive to a riding spot, then hop in a car and come back. Does the "Fast" person climb a hill at some extraordinary speed? Jump on a freeway?

For some reason, driving tends to have very steady speeds (car's momentum), while bikes tend to have speeds that vary somewhat.

Anyway, if the ride (or run) was done in a car, then just go to "Tools - Flag" and flag the ride. And the rider will have a choice to delete it or crop the ride.

Don't flag legitimate rides that jump segments for some reason.

smarkinson

The top 45 times on this segment are done in cars:

https://www.strava.com/segments/7441803

You can study the analysis of these rides to get a good idea of what a drive home ride looks like.

There is criterium, velodrome and mountain bike tracks nearby so people go there, do a ride, don't turn off the app or GPS and then drive home.

Bluechip

Nice and easy heart rates on the KOM's. Almost like they were just sitting and resting.

Hypno Toad

I had a KOM on a county road (40 mph speed limit) and I'd get the "oh on, you lost your KOM" notification once a week. It was always somebody doing over 40 mph, I'd review the data, flag the ride, and wait for the next notification. Thankfully, a riding buddy took the KOM on his bike, he can have the fun of flagging all the drivers that forgot to turn off Strava.

Like smarkinson said, it's very easy to ID the rider that left their Strava running while driving home after a ride.

TexMac

Great girl and i'm cheering for her. I did notice she uses recumbert bikes too which should help with back issues etc.

TexMac

Was it down hill? tail wind etc?
I know a local CAT1 guy with a 40mphr KOM and hr at around 140 and he's 30 something yrs old.

Hypno Toad

It's a climbing segment.

I'm friends with many fast riders on Strava (& I ride with them too) - I know that I'm not the fastest. OTOH, I can look at a person's ride and know that they clearly were in a car: like their route includes a highway, or the consistent speeds over 40 mph, etc.

I'm certain that anybody with a KOM on a busy road has the same challenge, flagging the people that left Strava running during the drive home. It's not a big deal, just a little annoying.

NWGuy99

Obviously Strava Doping.
Or is it GPS Doping.

DrIsotope

I'm frankly skeptical of any big-margin KOM done using the Android/iPhone app, or without any sort of sensors. I'm to believe that the guy riding at Cat1 speeds has no HR, power, or even cadence on his bike? There's a whole crowd of the "I ride for the zen peace of it maaaaaannnnn," but I don't imagine they Strava. Would misalign their chakras.

I live near a whole mess of MTB trails, so I'm flagging 2-3 segments a week, where the MTB'rs forget the app is running, throw the bike in the back of the truck, and drive home at 90mph. I momentarily lost a KOM to a guy who averaged 77mph for the segment, which is in a 45mph zone. Shame on him for leaving the app running, and a hearty flip-o-the-bird to anyone who does 30 over near a residential area.

corrado33

If you really wanted to stop them you could hint to the police that this happens.

I personally wouldn't unless it started causing problems or if it was by a school or something, but to each their own.

CliffordK

And what is the police going to do about someone using cell phone tracking in a vehicle?

As far as the other issue, of riding a bicycle recklessly and posting it on Strava, it may take some work to match people to Strava accounts, and is it something anybody actually wants the to do?

One could set up a speed trap along a popular Strava route, but how many people would one really catch? Maybe one a day? That would seem to be a colossal waste of time.

We do have several MUP Strava segments defined. I just ignore most of them. There are a couple that I've sprinted on in places I've deemed as "safe" (straight, wide, good visibility, not a lot of people, etc).

I'm surprised that someone hasn't gone through and marked several of the segments as "unsafe". But, it isn't the segment that is unsafe, but rather the riders. Hit the MUP in the early afternoon on a sunny Sunday, and racing would be stupid. Hit it on a cold spring early morning, and it might not make any difference, especially if the rider doesn't have so much vested in the "race" to abort as dictated by conditions.

Hypno Toad

This ^^^^

I will never have too much invested in a segment to risk the safety of others or myself.