DrIsotope

I lost a KOM to a guy who had a max segment speed of 27mph and an average segment speed of 34mph.

Three words: Strava Android App

gregf83 

Yes, the hill I mentioned starts at 200m. It's a little tougher if you start higher. Definitely world class if you go up the Stelvio at 1400VAM in the middle of a 6 1/2 hr stage with three monster climbs.

Doge

I started looking for the over 30 min 1,400+ VAM climbs. They are hard to find.

Alpe d'Huez No
https://www.strava.com/segments/12882189

Mont Ventoux No https://www.strava.com/segments/4837629

I know of one - and it is 50+ min.

gregf83 

You picked a couple of obscure segments that no one rides. The popular Ventoux (https://www.strava.com/segments/626164) and Alpe d'Huez (https://www.strava.com/segments/652851) segments have over 40,000 riders with many over 1400VAM. Bear in mind the climb I mentioned was 680m or so of elevation so just under 30min. Ventoux (1353m) and Alpe d'Huez (1031m) are both longer than 30 min.

Doge

Sorry. That could be another Strava pet peeve - or maybe you can find by attempts, but I never know the official one.

which one is this?
https://www.climbing-records.com/2013...-rides-on.html

gregf83 

I used Segment Search and searched for segments with Ventoux or Alpe d'Huez and category 1 or HC. I then picked the first ones in the list. I don't know how the list is sorted but the first entries both had very high numbers of riders so it's reasonable to assume they're sorted based on popularity.

My original point was simply that weak riders can't really 'game' the system to get on the KOM leaderboard for a decent length climb. i.e. tailwinds or riding with a group isn't going to help someone get on the first page of a leaderboard. The ones on the first page all have decent power/weight ratios.

nycphotography

1) Ride lots.

2) When you plateau and aren't getting any faster.... structured training, usually in the pain cave, with a power meter.

3) Opportunistic up PR/KOM attempts... one day you notice you have decent tailwind, so you ride fairly easy to get to the segment, then do a power curve effort (ie, power curve says your best ever 2:30 seconds was at xxxW, so you attempt to to xxx + 10% for 2:30. Maybe catch a draft from a car. Learn to save on the downhill / flat and spend it all on the uphill. Get a few guys to lead you out. etc etc etc.

nycphotography

You can also see them take routes that no bike would ever take. Dead givaway.

nycphotography

Three words: Flag, GPS Glitch.

Doge

Yes, I agree. I think the top rides of the top/most popular climbs are real. They are often not the fastest as seen on the Alpe d'Huez segment. Sometimes the pros will hide them to keep a competitive advantage.
For a while there was this "sporting" thing that pros and very elite cyclist din't go KOM hunting. You just got KOMs as you were going fast. That has changed a bit, and things like Sniping, and KOM specific rides come up. I guess that is OK, but I think there are a lot that could take those KOMs if it mattered to them - or had the time.

bruce19

There are environmental factors such as wind for sure. But, it's the motor and fitness. I have a .8, relatively flat (1% up, 1% down) strava segment near my house. A couple weeks ago I had an absolutely still day...no weather issues...just perfect. I did it at 24.2 mph....2:05...#19 out of 148. The fastest time is 1:35 @ 31.9 mph. I know that guy and he's strong as hell and 30 yrs. younger than me. I'm 71. I think the best way to look at Strava segments is use them to measure your progress. And, if you want to compare yourself, go to your age group.

gregf83 

Agreed. The KOMs the pros have are generally taken in the middle or end of a stage in the middle of a tour so not exactly fresh.

San Pedro

So, I should flag my own rides if I take a KOM drafting?

WhyFi

Yup. Honor dictates either self-flagging or seppuku.

San Pedro

I'll flag any KOMs from drafting, but I'm keeping wind assisted ones. That's my reward for riding in windy conditions so often.

Bob Ross

Meh, that's nothing. There's a local uphill segment that's 1 mile of ~7% grade, I've been able to do it in around 6-and-a-half minutes when I really want to go into the pain cave. Once a year the race clubs do it as an official time trial.
The winner last year did it in 3 minutes.

fml

WhyFi

15mph up a 1-mile, 7% grade? Jezuz.

nycphotography

After slogging through all 5 pages of this last night, I was left with one real takeway: A whole lot of people are convinced the rest of world should work according to rules of their personal choosing,

Someone once told me, and over the years I've really come to appreciate the depth and nuance and application of it, to condition yourself such that every time you hear someone use the word "should" your first thought is "I should do what? Who the f died and made you god of me?"

Strava segments are strava segments. Strava has rules. You can flag things that are against their rules Strave rules do not include a whole lot of the angsty crap that I'm seeing here about what should be the rules and how it's not sporting.

I disagree. Sporting is actually bothering to make the effort and sometimes sacrifice to prepare and to execute a plan to take a KOM (or any other competitive "thing") within the rules as implemented. Packs are acceptable. Drafting is acceptable. Wind is acceptable. Easy spin to the segment, then an organized effort may be required.

The fact that it doesn't matter enough to you for you to make that effort does not reflect on strava, nor on the people who do care. It only reflects on you and your values.

Who are you to decide that someone shouldn't be overly ego invested in strava kom's? How much ego investment is the exact right amount, and who are you to decide that it is the exact right amount for everyone? Especially when you probably can't even work out how much is the right amount for yourself!

So much angst and projection and denial, making your own feelings somehow not your own to work out, but somehow the fault of Strava, or those type A competitive jackasses, or the cheaters who actually actually bothered to put together an organized effort at something.

These are the same people who would complain that they bought a new CRF250, showed up at a motocross race, but it's not their fault they sucked because other people set up the suspension, chose tires suitable for conditions, built practice tracks and rode during the week, and none of that SHOULD make a difference. Oh yeah? Who the f died and made you god of how they race motocross?

ridingfool

Only if shirt is really baggy and flapping in the wind I ride with both mountain bike shorts and regular Lycra and not much different there but tight fitting jersey does help alot verse a baggy one that catches air

woodcraft

In my area, many segments have thousands to tens of thousands on the leaderboard, so a KOM is not a realistic goal.

On one climb where I track my times, I looked at the whole list, & while the fastest time is ~15mph, the slowest (of 7,000) is 1.7mph.

Started thinking: I may never get a KOM, but perhaps I could get a POM (Pawn of the Mountain).

ph0rk

Who are you to decide what anyone should or shouldn't be judgmental about?

I've known plenty of people get really bent out of shape about losing a KOM (especially when they lose it to someone 10-15 years younger than they are), and I think that's not very healthy. I don't have any delusions about the likelihood of other people adjusting to how I think they should be living their lives. However, I am free to think less of them for not doing so just the same. This is 'Murica.

Kevindale

Snug clothes will make a real difference. I don't shave my legs, and when I wear sun-screen stretch leggings I notice I'm a bit faster just from that. Baggy shorts in particular are like riding with two small sails on your thighs.

Also, when people point out that aero benefits really kick in above 18 mph, remember that that's on a windless day. I regularly ride into headwinds of 10-15 mph, so when I'm doing 18 mph, I'm experiencing the same wind resistance as if I were riding 28-33 mph. In those circumstances, clothing makes an easily noticeable difference. On high wind days, when I'm crawling along at 15-16 mph, I'm still experiencing effect headwinds of maybe 25+ mph.

Of course, riding position is far more important than clothing. Back flat, elbows in, head up.

bruce19

Fixed typo in my previous post FWIW. My segment is .8 not .08 mi. A friend of mine who was a cyclist on the '64 Olympic team said my time/speed was "respectable." We're both 71 so there's that built in.

Reynolds 

I'm not fast and never claimed to be. Still I did a sub 5hr century once - that tailwind was really strong!

TimmyT 

Just click to hide it from the leaderboards. You did the ride but feel dishonest about the time on the KOM, that's the thing to do.