Last Friday Mrs. Grouch and I had dinner with our son and his family. He told me about the Strava App for his phone and tried to sell me on it. It compares your performance on a certain stretch of road and ranks you with other riders. On one particular hill section he was 79 out of 337 riders so that's in the top quarter which is pretty good. I can see why he's excited about that.

The thing he's overlooking is I already know how my performance compares with other riders and I'm not particularly interested in putting that information out for the world to see.

But it also allows you to follow friends and comment on their rides even if they are in different states. I personally take great delight it watching Dudelsack's progress as well as many others throughout the country from the 50+ group. My performance against others just got moved several pages when the pro tour came through last week. But then I wasn't all that high up on many segments anyway. But the thing I use the most is looking at my rides compared to me a few ,days, weeks or months ago. It isn't for everyone but it cuts down on the reports by MTB utility riders on how they past the local Cat 3 training ride on a 5500 foot climb. Much like the "show a picture or it didn't happen." We can now say, show me your Strava or it didn't happen.

Stava does make for competitive riding and locally I have a friend that post all his Strava rides on Face book. He is good and I wish I could get his average ride speed downhill on some of his routes. BUT this KOM that it records on some section of the route and he gains quite a few for a day or so. This is due to another rider that is fitter and faster than him going out to beat every KOM that he does not hold.

Strava has it good points but when it gets this competitive- it is pointless.

Well said stapfam well said,,,,

Nothing in Strava forces you to compete with anyone. You can keep rides private or use a pseudonym if you want.

Then just run the app while driving a moderate pace in your car....

Don in Austin

I agree it can get extreme but only if you take it personally. I had some KOMs early and as soon as some of the big dogs found my segments I was toast. But I have also gained a new attitude about it and dialed it back a notch realizing there are a lot of good riders out there and you can follow some of the pros just to see how they are doing. But then it really isn't that different from Garmin Connect in that regard. But like I said it is so easy to use and anyone with a Garmin, Android, Iphone and some other GPS computers. It can cut back on forum bench racing.

Hmmm, now there's an idea. I might just do that.

Oh I won't drive fast enough to actually get a KOM and have people challenging me about it, I'll go just fast enough to beat my son. Old age, experience and treachery always wins over youth, strength and skill.

Early on, when users were few, your mediocre perform could stand out, but now that Strava is popular, my stats just get lost on the shuffle. My worst all time performance were on MTB trails in Colorado, and I'm glad I can keep locals from being on the very bottom. Still, DFL is DFL....

Have to agree that you do not have to be competitive but a fair number are. As an example we have KOM that is on a fast downhill-------With a roundabout at the bottom. The person that holds this was lucky in that no traffic was on the roundabout. Two others were not. Then the KOM's on the local MUPs. Far too dangerous for the other MUP users.

Those KOM's are there to be beat at any cost by those that are competitive.

I think you can somehow flag the segments that are too dangerous to keep the insane/stupid racers down, can't you?

I choose not to use Strava or any similar technology as analysis of my rides and performance does nothing for my enjoyment of cycling. I even took my Cateye off my bike after a few rides for the same reason - I kept wondering if I should be going faster. Sometimes I feel as if Mark Cavendish would struggle to keep up with me; Strava would destroy these daydreams/delusions.

But that's just my preference. I have absolutely no criticism for those who use the technology to enhance their enjoyment/performance and I can see why they do.

78 Fifty+ members can't be wrong!

Go here : https://app.strava.com/clubs/bf-50-plusers for the members of THIS forum who are sharing rides and encouraging one another on Strava...

The problem I have with some Strava users is their self-absorption. Around here, they have nearly hit people who clearly had the right-of-way on the multi-use singletracks. And then yelled at them that they should have gotten out of the way. There have also been collisions with other riders. I've quit going to some trails because it's just too dangerous.

Very Interesting! What is the pass-code for joining? I see some names of people who are "following" me on Strava . . . and I had no idea who they were!

Rick / OCRR

Nothing wrong with Strava when it is used to record your data- improve on your stats or see how you are faring up against other riders that ride in the same area as you. However it is that competitive attitude that some take that causes problems but they would probably be causing the same problems without Strava.

I think I was part of that group on Strava before, but, now I have a Garmin Edge 500. I uploaded my first ride with it yesterday.

I'd be doing great in the combined 65+/200lb+ class (if there were one!). I like being able to look back to last fall when I was in very good shape and see how my current rides compare. For well-traveled routes there are too many segments to even worry about working for a KOM. And what's this with a 0.1 mile "climb"; what does that mean. Ought to be a minimum length of let's say 1 mile.

1952

You are correct there are people that abuse a Segment and you can also request that a segment be closed because it is dangerous. I even know people who motor pace and have set a Segment by using a motorbike. But they would abuse the downhill anyway.

I love Strava. It's just fun. The rankings mean nothing to me, as there are pros where I ride. Heck, the Tour of California just destroyed the Mt. Diablo KOM.
But I see my friends, and they see me. We give kudos and comments.
You can also see your personal bests, which is fun. You'll also discover a big tail wind makes a giant difference.
Have fun, remember it means nothing in the real world except what you make it mean.

Three very good points there! I'd make the min. length of a climb less than a mile though... but, yeah, .1 mile is silly to call a segment.

Strava also gives me good ideas for routes that I would not have thought of.

Strava is good fun. I love seeing how I stack up to people I'm following and really like seeing where I stand in my peer group (by age).

I love Strava I do not have KOMs so I don't have to worry about someone taking them. Most of my friends are faster so no worries there either. I compete against myself and Strava provides a forum for me to do so

Yes because before you were on Strava I thought you were a big fibber, and who knew there was a place as windy as where you live?