No. But if I was competitive on that KOM I'd be racing for a national championship. A championship is permanent, unlike a KOM.

I understand that people value things differently. For me (proud racer dad/rec cyclist that used to compete) - a local KOM on a classic segment is something everyone you see (cycling wise) knows about and it is perpetual vs. a championship which is annual. I will be approached on rides about my son's KOMs while nothing is said - or they don't know about most race wins. I have no idea who the various SoCal State Champions are from year to year and most others don't either. But most SoCal cyclists know who has the Palomar KOM and most know the Cooks Como KOM.
A National Championship - yea, better than any Strava result. But some races are harder than National Championships to even get a top 10 - and those are not noticed. Get a KOM in those same races and my son's Facebook fills with friend requests.

More on communities.
SoCal has big group rides with 100ish riders weekends and others mid-week around 50ish (Como, Swamies, SDBC, Simi, Foodpark, Coffee Crew, Rose Bowl (forgot name), Bud's Ride, El Dorado Park, Great Park, New Years Day will be 500-1000 on coast Hwy - one pack). Europe has big race groups and big crowds (Belgium) watching but I have not seen the big group rides. The big group social aspect appears to be more an American (SoCal in particular) thing than Euro thing. Part of that may be the roads here/there, or maybe they save it for race day.

If you look a little closer at the classic Euro Strava segments of the famous riders and use that flyby feature http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer/...2&z=B&t=1MVzi2 you can see they are not often in groups.

I just thought of it as another example of "Northern Agression", but you are probably right:thumb:

Currently 2015 - The Euro kids use Strava a lot, about the same as the USA kids. The USA kids/juniors are in generally faster on Strava, and the road.

By now, I just assume that all of the KOMs in the world have been set using TT bikes on days with a gale-force tailwind by guys who specifically went out with one purpose: to set that particular KOM. (I don't count the KOMs that go up a hill because I'm old and fat and know better.)

So to draw conclusion about a cycling community based on Strava data is a moving target. You have no idea what you're up against.

side story (feel free to skip): I did a long ride on a breezy day. Somewhere along the line, I unwittingly set a KOM in the tailwind section. The next day, the winds were 30mph. I get a notification that my KOM was beaten. Out of morbid curiosity, I check the guy's ride. He had only gone out to ride that segment. He took two runs at it. Huge tailwind. Beat me. Titled his ride: Your move, Smith.

Does he realize that Smith is old? Was on a mtb? Was 40 miles into my ride? Was unaware it was a segment? Didn't care? Didn't ride any faster than the rest of my ride?
So my only 'move' is to think that perhaps he's lonely. I don't engage.

As I said, if he's drawing any conclusions from his Strava performances, he's missing a lot of information.

Not a Strava member so I can't comment on any of that. I use their heat maps to find routes to ride sometimes, but that's as far as my experience with them goes.

I've spent a lot of time riding in the Methow Valley in northern Washington and the place is cycling heaven.

Less 'clydes' riding around in Europe.

Yeah. Years later why would anyone want to be able to look back on a state championship victory against the known top competition on a level playing field when they can instead boast about a random Strava KOM where they stacked up against unknowns under random and different conditions?
I personally like to fire up my ebike to grab some KOMs on the world renowned SoCal segments of true supremacy. I regularly run into tdf riders and ofc state champions while I am out there because where else would they want to go to measure up against the best of the best right?

I think I already posted I have a junior, but this affects adults too if a junior is present. State Championships are not level playing fields. If there is a junior there (there usually are) they are by rules not allowed the same equipment. The winners are not really winners if there is a junior close behind.

Example - NRC Redlands Stage Race - one of the pro big ones - 2015 Phil wins. But after 10+ hours Adrian is 30 seconds behind - he got 3rd. Adrian is not allowed to use his 11T,12T,13T. Phil is and does. When it comes down to a level playing field Phil - a pro vs Adrian a junior. The same is true of group rides.

To the subject of this thread - it may very well be regional / cultural.
For us, around here KOMountain means wind and TT bikes don't help a whole bunch. Most my son's best rides are group rides and reflect a break or bridge - and except two - a hill. That everyone else posting here has different experiences based I expect on location and also age does not mean that some kids aren't more excited about KOMs than race wins. Strava posting is part of the social media things they do and a way they can share with everyone else (who decided not to go watch the race) how they did. They also like to hunt for hardware.

There were some prior posts here reflecting opinions about non-sanctioned events. This is the Rogers Cup - a perpetual Cup for a non sanctioned event going back to 1976 (40 years). There are at least 10 National Champion names on this trophy. Pros, Cat 1s, USA U23 National team riders compete for it. I do not think there is a race in SoCal outside of the Tour of California, and Redlands that will give a rider as much local attention.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=495512

My biggest pride is the KOMUP I held once. Extremely prestigious, wouldn't change it for anything.

Which one?

****

It's kind of pizzled out now. I think it's just going to die on its own.

Try to take it away from me and I'll flag you.

Rich Meeker's name on that trophy is all the tarnish it needs.

I ride in So Cal.

I just learned about this KOM feature on Strava like 2 days ago. I checked the stats.

This whole thing about a "TT Bike in gale force tailwinds" to gain a Strava KOM, is pretty thin in my opinion.

If you ride in an area with a lot of hardcore cyclists, you are not going to KOM a single segment unless you are a beast, or on a scooter.

All the KOM times I checked on my usual haunts were impressive, and I really need to step up my game to even get top 20. It's all fun. :)

Pretty cool when a 16 year old can beat the druggies don't you think? There are 3 sides.

I'm an admitted proud dad ... This is Rodgers Cup. The crew there was 2-3 pros, 6-7 Cat 1s, USA U23 team, and a World Tour Pro Teammate of Sagan's at the time and some juniors that knew there was an uphil finish and knew how to ride together.
It was all for fun and memorial of how deadly this sport can be. As this year's winner picked up the trophy (my son was rowing during the event) he mentioned it was the most prized SoCal possession.
https://vimeo.com/113866136

Here is the one I posted about. It is now 58,000 attempts by 6,407 people. FYI the sprint is a wee over 22W/kg.
https://vimeo.com/106844288

I've got a KOMUP that I'm pretty pleased with -- I don't know if it is prestigious or not, but it's the only place nearby you can ride 62mi+ without having to legally stop.

On the track, 17-18 year old juniors do not have gear restrictions. Their times are no where near the times of the elite men and not in the same stratosphere as the World Cup riders.
USA Cycling National Records - USA Cycling

Is that what this thread is about? I think a lot of that has to do with the mass of rider and the time it takes to build that mass.
Different sports favor different ages. Swimmer teens are pretty fast. Most KOMs for juniors are not on the flats or descents.

Yes. Come to think of it, while we did, from time to time, see other roadies, sometimes in pairs, the only groups we ever encountered were racing teams.

about 98% of that is inaccurate
You're proud of your son and you listed some group rides. Those are facts.

There are a couple names on there that were "going well"...
These dopers taint everything.