Took my new bike in as I had a couple of minor questions and the owner said she wanted to see it. As it turned out it was an adjustment and a tag removal so when I got home I wanted to take it out for a quick ride. By the time I got home it was raining and the temp had dropped about 7-8 so maybe tomorrow. Next day it was freezing so maybe tomorrow. Next day I decide I am going out hell or high water so mount up and set the Strava as I am going to get every mile this year I ride. Out I go, within 3 min. my eyes are watering, fingers freezing and the wind is gusting. I am bound and determined to log some miles as the bike is perfect. 40 min. later I am heading back to the house as I have had it with this weather. Pull into the garage, take off my helmet and boot up Strava only to find out that I had not pushed the darn START button. Well at least the bike was 100%.
Be safe, Frank.

At least my Wahoo Bolt is in front of me on the bars so I see it if it isn't turned on. It'll also beep at me if it is on but not started or paused while I'm moving. I like tracking every mile I do also, but if I mess it up I have plenty of rides that I can copy that will be essentially the same.

Didn't know this was an option. Thanks.
Frank.

You can also create a "route" electronically, and then dump the data into Strava manual entered ride. No need to actually drive the route.

I've been using Strava for my ride tracking, in part due to the segments. However, I like the real-time data on RideWithGPS better, so I frequently have Strava running in the background, and RideWithGPS in the foreground. Or, perhaps I'll simply be tracking, and have the phone screen dark, or the phone in a pocket or backpack. So, it isn't uncommon to find a chunk of a ride missing.

Last year, out of a bit over 7,000 miles, I think I lost about 100 miles tracking. I did enter one 40 mile ride manually. The others, well, they just weren't that important.

Hmmm...
If the phone crashes in the middle of a ride, then when you restart, Strava will draw a straight line from your last recorded position to the new position, and credit you for the miles as the crow flies. It can be a handy feature if you're riding more or less in a straight line. But, not so great if you're riding in a loop, and chop off 90% of the loop. I'm not sure if pausing does the same ??? I suppose I'll have to test it sometime. Pause then restart phone?

If you've enabled Google tracking by default it already records everything, logged to our private timeline ("Private": just between me, Google, the NSA, and every hacker in China and Russia.) Download the Google data file, convert it via a free online converter to something Strava recognizes, presto. Restored ride log.

When I switched from iPhone to Android in December 2017 I decided to enable Google maps timeline tracking by default. I figured it would help serve as an objective witness in case I was hit by a car, deer or something else happened and I was unconscious. Sure enough, it was handy last May when I was hit by a car. It confirmed my version of events -- my direction of travel, etc.

It's also handy for automatically logging all my many medical appointments in case the info is needed in court. It logs the specific hospitals and clinics I've visited. Occasionally I need to add or correct some minor info (specific clinic or doctor name). But it eliminates a lot of he said/she said.

Google data can't be faked by the user. It can be downloaded and the downloaded file can be edited, modified or faked. But not the original recorded by Google.

I figured there's no harm in enabling tracking by default. I already log all my exercise activities anyway.

If I was still a journalist and wanted to protect my sources I'd just leave the phone at home or the office. I still have my old iPhone, and by default Apple was a bit more respectful of user privacy. We have to choose to install Google apps and enable tracking. With most Android phones there's no real choice -- Google is installed by default and we're being tracked in some way whether we enable or disable tracking.

This is great information. Thank you all for your time.
Frank.

Yep, I have a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt on the bars. If I forget to turn on Strava, I can import from that. I also use an Apple Watch to monitor my heart rate. If I remember to start the workout on the watch, I can also import from that using an app called RunGap. It also allowed me to import my rides from before I was even using Strava.


-Matt

Since this is 50+ sos at least some of the readers will remember Charlie Chan.

"Man with one watch knows the time. Man with two watches, never sure."

I have nine watches so I have no idea.

Frank.

I use a Cat Eye bike comp. It turns on and off automatically so there's no need to remember to turn it on--EVER! I'm just sayin'........
Jon

wow, sounds like a brutal ride! you're a badass!

FWIW - I regularly txt myself or Wifey when I leave & when I arrive back home. if I forget my computer I can still make a good estimate of what I did