Don't worry, one of those KOM hunters will go out and find it... I had a KOM once, for a while, but mostly worry about PR's. I know I'm not the fastest rider out there, I create segments for my own benefit.

The RideWithGPS app looks good though. I like the ability to configure what is shown on the ride screen! This looks like my answer to getting current HR during a ride without having to sink money into more electronics.

Ha! I don't need a phone app to stroke my ego. That's what I bought my Amazon Echo for. The first skills I enabled were the 'Ego Stroker' skill and the 'Talk Dirty To Me' skill.

I'm not a competitor by nature, nor am I obsessive about stuff. I do like to track my progress to see where I have improved. I have the Strava app on my Android phone and I also have a basic digital wireless cycle computer (i.e. no GPS stuff). On August 5th I participated in the Blackberry bRamble event ride, a noncompetitive single-day tour based out of Eugene, OR and I rode 62.9 miles. My Android phone died at about the 61.3 mile mark, and thus so did my Strava data. My bike computer recorded the whole ride. Strava is kinda fun for keeping track of friends around the world who record their rides on Strava. I'm actually more interested in RideWithGPS but it seems a bit more complex.

I recorded last night's ride on RwGPS, sent the GPX to Strava to see my segments comparisons with past rides, then went back to RwGPS to break down the segments into 1-foot, 1-second intervals.... I could lay out the speed, elevation and grade, and see where on each hill I slowed, and how many times ... and then I could remember "Oh, yeah ... that was the first time I wanted to quite and said, 'No, go again," and that is the second time I said 'Go again;' and my heart said 'Go to H3ll\'." Interesting to see where I slowed .... and how much---which a simple segment average wouldn't tell me.

And I use the free version of both apps ... and still don't rally know what either of them can do.

I like RwGPS because planning a route is easy, and afterwards, analyzing a ride is easy .. but for comparing to past efforts,, Strava. Thing is ... I usually don't care about how I compare. if I lost Strava, I could live just fine.

I totally agree. Honestly I'm not that obsessive about my stats. After all, I'm not a competitive athlete where a fraction of a second gain in performance will mean the difference between losing and winning a race.

I once wanted to play a Stravavarius. But I wasn't good enough for one.

Exactly why I use it, and think it great. Plus it posts the rides into the apple health app.

Not trying to get the fight more ugly ... but the hardest thing about pace lines is that when the guy ahead pulls off, the next leader has to increase effort to hold the pace ... and too little, slows the line while too much stretches it. I might know my cadence (I don't, but for the sake of silly argument ... ) but i am not going to figure speed, air resistance, gearing, and figure how much harder or faster I need to pedal to maintain the precise speed ... by the time i realize couldn't do the math my pull would have long been over.

That said, I have never used a speedometer in a pace line ... and no one has ever accused me of disrespecting the other riders.

I think this is one of those tiny, half-serious statements stated a little too loudly, which grated on someone and then grew into a "My crank arms are longer than yours" debate not in any way about the stated subject ... you know, competitive people and all .

Nonsense.
Cycling computers provide feedback - whether it's a reality check when you take your turn at the front of a pace line, or just a check of your accuracy at guessing your cadence.
You don't have to be serious at all, or pay any attention to cadence figures to rack up 5-7,000 miles a year. Time flies when you're having fun.

I think you're right. But I'm wondering what you meant.... wait, wut? Are you saying that knowing your cadence (and more importantly, having a good sense of whether it is changing) keeps your pace lines in order, but it just so happens that you don't need a speedometer? I know there are a fair number of guys like that (and some of them can be pretty irritable) but some folks just ain't got rhythm, and they need all the help they can get.

Ha. My crank arms are shorter! Which makes me more aero. Which makes me faster! Which makes my pulls ALSO shorter!

Win/win.

Cue the yelling!

No. I never said anything like that.

I said that i have never been in a pace line where Anybody had a computer or maybe two out of 12 or 15 ... and No one said I was Disrespecting the other pace line members by not having a computer.

That specific idea, that a person Not using a computer or speedometer, was Disrespecting his fellow pace line riders ... was raised above. I don't care enough to see who said it but it is as ridiculous as the notion that you cannot ride a good pace line without a speedometer ... or the notion that it is not easier to ride a pace line with a speedometer.

I won't pretend to have a huge amount of experience ... but in my limited experience, riding a steady pace line takes a good deal of practice. One cannot simply maintain a cadence ... when that wind hits, the lead rider has to increase power to match it. and knowing how much to increase so as to not slow the line or stretch it is not natural or easy. A speedometer could make it easier to get the feel at the beginning.

As many have noted, bicycle pace lines predate bicycle speedometers by a good bit ... so speedometers or computers are Not necessary, and not using one is Not disrespectful. I do think using a speedometer could aid a rider to learn how much harder he needed to push to hold a pace, and would also make it easier for a cyclist to know when to pull off.

Hyperbole and absolutism are two great attributes of silly internet arguments. Because I am a spoilsport, and only enjoy life when I am ruining others' fun, I wanted to point out some factually unsupportable notions I saw here----Not using a speedometer is Not disrespectful to fellow pace liners; a speedometer is Not essential to riding a good pace line; and the second rider in line Cannot simply maintain the same cadence and power when he moves to the head of the line.

Maybe there are people who will claim they know their cadence to an eighth of a rev and know their power output to a fraction of a watt at all times ("I dialed up 400 watts .... ") and maybe there are dogs which talk. But I do know that people can learn to ride a pace line with Zero electronic aids---and I imagine that having electronic aids ... well it would be easier because one had aid, right?

That is what i was saying.

OK.
That was easy.

OK, I'll bite.

WTF is 'sträva'?

I remember, because he was saying it to me

I run the basic Strava app on my phone during rides. it's in my pocket, so I don't see any real-time info, but I like to see if I managed a decent average speed after the ride, and I can track total mileage for maintenance purposes.

I use strava to keep track of rides and use that info to improve on it. Isn't that what its for? Anything else is gravy

If it ain't on Strava, it didn't happen.

If you didn't announce you were quitting Strava like some drama filled 13 year old middle school girl who's just "OMG! fed up with Becky(Strava)" then did it really happen?

Could everyone please post a list of things they aren't interested in, don't understand, or don't use?

the abacus
adding machines
cuneform
asbestos
lawn jockeys
artificial turf
shake weights
sew ups
leather saddles
aramaic
dodo birds
wd40
hair curlers
diving bells
roll on antiperspirant
the rhythm method
picks when playing electric bass
outboard processors, anymore. who wants to take up that much of a footprint? most people can't tell the difference between a good plug in and the real thing anyways. especially if they're on wedges.

Almond or hazelnut creamer here. It's gotten to the point where Big Milk is running attack ads against almond milk.

The Internet

Bar end shifters
AppleTV
Embrocation
Mineral Spirits
BitCoin
Uber
SS/Fixie
Road shoes
Pickle Juice