Ditching Strava
#51
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You can use Strava without obsessing. I use it to track mileage but all my rides are private, it's nice in that it tracks miles on things like chain, bottom bracket etc so I know when it's getting close to time to replace. Like any software tool, if you obsess over it then it can be a bad thing
#52
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Whole Milk
I got into Strava really late, 2016 actually, when the craze already seemed to be dying down a bit. I tried it but ultimately feel like it takes away from my joy of cycling. Especially as it seems like I become obsessed with miles and average speed instead of time and other metrics in determining how well I'm going (hill times notwithstanding--it was def. useful for that).
Anyone else tried it but have opted out? I feel like an oddball among my cycling friends but I really find it becomes an unhealthy obsession for me. Maybe I'll come back to it with an extremely locked down private account for specific rides, the odd race or century.
Anyone else tried it but have opted out? I feel like an oddball among my cycling friends but I really find it becomes an unhealthy obsession for me. Maybe I'll come back to it with an extremely locked down private account for specific rides, the odd race or century.
FWIW, There are TV shows I quit watching, music I quit listening to, and clothes I stopped wearing, too. What does it matter whether anyone else quit doing these things? I didn't like them, so I quit. Isn't Strava the same?
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Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
#55
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I have used Strava since 2013. I still enjoy PRing or (rarely) getting a top 10 or KOM on a segment. But if they stopped the service today I wouldn't cry over it. I've never watched Strava while cycling FWIW. Always just recorded it on my phone in my pocket or used data from my Garmin watch uploaded after my ride.
#56
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I also keep up with my friends and subscribe to a Grant Peterson philosophy of bike fit and ride steel bikes. It helps that I was a Cat. 3 back in the day, but so much of our current cycling obsessions seem to be so gimmicky. I'm also getting old and pretty grumpy at times.
Last edited by threeteas; 06-20-18 at 11:30 AM.
#57
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Sorry, no way. You may think you are pulling to a specific speed but you aren't....lol.
Pulling without a speedometer on your bike is disrespecting your riding friends if you take pulls at the front. Also, many groups have speed limits in different areas of the ride. For example they may have a 25mph cap on pulling because more than that would drop members of the group. Without a speedometer you have no idea what speed you are riding.
Pulling without a speedometer on your bike is disrespecting your riding friends if you take pulls at the front. Also, many groups have speed limits in different areas of the ride. For example they may have a 25mph cap on pulling because more than that would drop members of the group. Without a speedometer you have no idea what speed you are riding.
It just sounds like you're speaking from complete inexperience, here.
#58
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Sorry to say it, and this is in no way directed at anyone in particular, but a lot of you people seem like overly sensitive, judgmental ******** and I'm not the type that is going to just let a person I barely know go off on me because I didn't lead the pack properly. I don't want to be angry, I don't like me when I'm angry.
The most important things in a pace line are smoothness and safety. As long as you're not sprinting off the front as you roll through, leaving huge gaps all throughout the line, or barely skirting by objects without calling them out, most likely no one will say anything (though hopefully you'll get a few positive "nice pull" comments or the like).
You don't need a speedometer or a powermeter or anything of the like. You just roll up by the person pulling off, wait until you clear them, and then move over yourself. Very smooth, very seamless, very quick. If you're not constantly rotating, then you simply maintain the speed the person in front of you was doing for 30-45 seconds and then slowly drift left and ease off the pedals a bit until the person behind you passes. While on the front, you keep the gear the same and the cadence the same, and the speed will be the same. Come to a hill, shift up and continue s similar effort. Going down a hill, shift down and keep pedaling.
It's really not nearly as complicated or serious as some would like it to appear.
#59
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Never ceases to amaze me how an app that is mostly for post ride analysis somehow ruins people's rides.
#60
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I wouldn't ride in a group without a speedo, I don't even remember riding with anyone this century who didn't have one. Even if I didn't want to keep track of a specific speed, I like to keep track of the miles on my parts between maintenance and see how many miles I'm getting out of specific tires.
#61
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It's a well known fact that group rides were not possible until the invention of the speedometer.
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I admit that the first few rides I did with my group felt a little strange, because I couldn’t look down and see what we were doing, but after confirming that I was maintaining the pace a few times, I never really thought about it.
#63
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A ride without Strava is like forgetting to put up the sail on your submarine.
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#64
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What I like best about Strava is the heatmap. I use Strava for biking, hiking, walking, kayaking, etc to build out that map.
I used to log all my rides in an Excel file, but now my phone/Strava in backpocket does it for me so it is also a timesaver (for something that was not really needed)
I used to log all my rides in an Excel file, but now my phone/Strava in backpocket does it for me so it is also a timesaver (for something that was not really needed)
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That heatmap is a great tool for route planning. When I travel, the first thing I check is the local heat map at my destination to see how many riders there are, what routes see a lot of bike traffic, etc.
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#66
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For me it is about the creation and extension of my personal heatmap. I rarely look at the public one.
#67
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https://swinny.net/Strava/ . What's *your* Eddington number (imperial)?
but don't quite get it.
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Are you serious? How hard is it to maintain a given speed? It's precisely a function of the gear you're in and the cadence you're pedaling. Besides, how long of a pull are you doing that you think the speed will change that much?
It just sounds like you're speaking from complete inexperience, here.
It just sounds like you're speaking from complete inexperience, here.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
Last edited by kbarch; 06-22-18 at 05:11 PM.
#71
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Are you serious? You know, not being a Cat 1 racer does not equal "complete inexperience." Perhaps you take your own considerable training and experience too much for granted.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
We were able to do group rides in the 70's before the popularity of cyclocomputers
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#72
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Are you serious? You know, not being a Cat 1 racer does not equal "complete inexperience." Perhaps you take your own considerable training and experience too much for granted.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
That's pretty mindboggling.
If you struggle with keeping pace to such an extent, then you should pull through and off. Simple as that. Pretty hard to mess that up.
#74
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Are you serious? You know, not being a Cat 1 racer does not equal "complete inexperience." Perhaps you take your own considerable training and experience too much for granted.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
Most people have a pretty good sense of the level of effort they're putting out as they pedal, but I'd submit that unless they've ridden with a computer or made a point of counting pedals strokes, (or are musicians) most riders wouldn't have the slightest clue what there cadence is, ever. People ride for years without paying any attention to cadence. Combine that with the fact that conditions can vary very gradually, especially on essentially/seemingly flat roads, it takes quite a while (relatively speaking) before many riders even realize they've slowed down or speeded up.
But after you've ridden with a cadence meter, or just spent time counting your pedal strokes, you quickly get a pretty precise feel of your cadence.
Same thing with power. After awhile training with power you get a pretty good feel of your power output, and where you are as a percentage of ftp.
Pretty sure I can ride with no electronics and tell you my cadence and power within 5%
IMHO, the value of cadence meters and moreso power meters decrease the longer you use them.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
#75
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Yep, Strava is pretty much like Facebook for me, minus the drama. I enjoy both. Since I'm nursing a busted shoulder and can't ride on the road for a few more weeks, I haven't joined any group rides and haven't seen my cycling friends for awhile. But I still check Strava almost daily to see what they're up to . Gives us something to chatter about next time I do see them, especially the folks who are off on cycling and hiking vacations.
It's also handy for sharing route tips. If I'm curious about the best route to a new destination in my area I know at least one person who's already ridden it, and might want to ride together.
I really don't see any down side to Strava. It's sorta like TV. Does anyone watch TV competitively? Okay, bad example... some of my friends are still raving about Breaking Bad, and chatter about Stranger Things, and I still haven't watched either show. So I kinda feel left out of those conversations.
Never mind, you're right. Strava sucks.
At least until I get caught up watching GOT and Walking Dead.
It's also handy for sharing route tips. If I'm curious about the best route to a new destination in my area I know at least one person who's already ridden it, and might want to ride together.
I really don't see any down side to Strava. It's sorta like TV. Does anyone watch TV competitively? Okay, bad example... some of my friends are still raving about Breaking Bad, and chatter about Stranger Things, and I still haven't watched either show. So I kinda feel left out of those conversations.
Never mind, you're right. Strava sucks.
At least until I get caught up watching GOT and Walking Dead.