So I finally discovered Strava..

[TiGeo]

Yep...I can see where this creates "Strav*******s". Lots of fun! I can't believe it...but I can't wait to go tomorrow and see if I can knock some time of my lap. Hey, at least I said hi to the folks I passed

[Brewtality]

Lots of opposition to Strava. But as long as you don't get too carried away, its a lot of fun. Its also a great training and ride tracking tool.

[ArmySlowRdr]

Don't be afraid to try other GPS sites such as RideWithGps. Share the wealth; eventually the number one in things fall. I am already sick of strava this and that as I sure at least some others are.

But it's cool you are enjoying it. Go beat some times and get some KOMs are whatever they call it.

[shawnt2012]

Congratz, Now let it take up space on your device until you realize that Strava is useless . I am not a fan of it, horrid lay-out, just blah.

[freighttrainuphill]

It also lets you know how much you suck on a regular basis .

I've ridden a particular trail three times now. Every time I ride it, I get slower (probably due to muddier conditions every time). On road rides, even when I know I climbed a hill better than the last time I climbed it, there's always a bunch of other women who can climb it faster. Sometimes the fastest woman is twice as fast as me!

I have the premium subscription. I like the suffer score, but I'm not sure that's worth paying another $60 a year for when my current subscription expires.

[NateHawk]

It can be fun. Just don't get too caught up in it. Also, take it easy on multiuse trails and beginner friendly trails. I know of a couple trails that prohibit racing, and they consider Strava and other tools that let you compete against your previous time (Garmin's virtual partner, etc) to be racing all the same.

I track my rides with GPS, but I don't put them all on any given site. Just depends on the reason I was riding that day.

[AnonymouseTech]

I think people put way too much thought into why they like or dislike Strava. It tells me where I ride and what I find to be a decent estimate of my mileage, elevation, speed, etc. Being able to see where I ride is pretty cool because it has helped me find some trails that I had been trying to to but failed to find while riding. I also inadvertently made a riding friend through Strava too which is pretty neat.

[freighttrainuphill]

Also, take it easy on multiuse trails and beginner friendly trails. I know of a couple trails that prohibit racing, and they consider Strava and other tools that let you compete against your previous time (Garmin's virtual partner, etc) to be racing all the same.

+1. There have been some close calls on our local trails from people riding too fast for conditions, all for the sake of Strava KOMs. Not worth it at all, IMO.

There is a member here who has a signature that says something like "STRAVA: Enabling dorks everywhere to get trails shut down, all for the sake of a race on the internet". I don't remember who it is, but I like that sig!

[Dion]

When I discovered Strava, life was good. I had a lovely wife, a nice home and making a good middle class income.

Before I was on Strava, my friends would be, like, "You should try Strava... it's really great." At first, I resisted, but one day, I created an account...

I started to lose myself. PR's, 2nd, and 3rd, bests and even one KOM on some random trail started to consume me. My marriage, work, bills, responsibilities... all fell to the wayside. It was just me, my bike and STRAVA. I loved Strava - it made me feel like a man.

One day, I painted my dog orange, just to match the Strava logo.

I started making segments like crazy. To get the mail, waiting in line at the supermarket... I set a PR for letting out a fart. Checked the next day, and somebody knocked me out of top ten. I lost it, punched a hole in the wall and flagged the segment.

I stopped being intimate with my wife when she wouldn't cooperate on getting a PR on love making. She left me a month later.

I am in recovery now. I've realized that not everything is a race and I can safely wear baggies on a XC ride again. I joined "S.A." or Strava Anonymous. And my wife, with loving support, attends the meetings with me. She gently reminds me not to go for KOM of trips to the coffee maker, or try for PR's of pouring sugar. Without her, I couldn't have done it.

So yeah. Strava can be a gift or a curse. I recently saw a homeless guy on the street begging for Strava crowns. I sadly realized it was a guy I used to ride with.

Sad.

[menusk]

man, im still trying to do the strava relay that was mentioned on here once. ill have my chance one day.......theres more then one way to get k.o.m

[Slash5]

It also lets you know how much you suck on a regular basis

Yep, you see that that you're 15 out of 58 people and feel you're not doing too bad. Then you realize that you are last of anyone riding the segment seriously - everyone after you is at least 15 minutes slower.
At 59, a KOM is never going to happen for me but I still like Strava.
Shows the rides I've done by month and mileage for the year.
Shows how my different bikes stack up on the same segments.
It's fun seeing the times improve as the year goes on. It's an incentive to train and to push that bit harder and faster.

I can't believe the heart rate the kids can push out - sucks to be old.

[Dirty $anchez]

I am the King of Nothing on Strava and working hard to maintain the status quo.

[Silentfoe]

I love Strava. It does everything I'd hope for in a website/app for tracking mileage and elevation and it kicks in all the segments and competitions. Good stuff.

Tomorrow we are going to ride across a frozen local lake (8 miles across) and then we are going to create a segment for it. Hopefully if it thaws fast we'll maintain our KOM's for awhile.

I bet someone will flag it as "hazardous".

[TiGeo]

I have been having fun, but agree that you have to use your head. Today I rode a multi-use 2-way directional trail...you have to be smart.

[Bethany1]

Only thing I don't like about Strava is that there isn't a voice telling you your miles/lap times.

[rebel1916]

Strava is the best at what it is. And what it is is a way to compete against the rest of the neighborhood and show off the competition to your other cardio wimp friends. If you are into that (and I am), Strava completely blows away the competition. If you are not into that, what's the point. There is nothing immoral or wrong with it though. It cracks me up how it brings out the retrogrouch types in all their grouchy glory.

[ArmySlowRdr]

haha all good--I'm not really retro, just sometimes I rail against whatever is "big" as in the most popular, and mainly when I perceive the business got to where it is through little hard work but a lot of free money. And I might be entirely wrong about strava but I just like the little players in this niche a whole lot better. Related marginally....It took me forever to go Apple, but finally did get an ipod and an ipad both this fall.

Strava is the best at what it is. And what it is is a way to compete against the rest of the neighborhood and show off the competition to your other cardio wimp friends. If you are into that (and I am), Strava completely blows away the competition. If you are not into that, what's the point. There is nothing immoral or wrong with it though. It cracks me up how it brings out the retrogrouch types in all their grouchy glory.

[evasive]

There is a member here who has a signature that says something like "STRAVA: Enabling dorks everywhere to get trails shut down, all for the sake of a race on the internet". I don't remember who it is, but I like that sig!

Yup, I think that's kidwoo.

[dirt farmer]

I am the King of Nothing on Strava and working hard to maintain the status quo.

I hear ya', man!

Strava is the equivalent if wandering around in a haze, texting on phone in hand, except it's for bicyclists.

Maybe I'm a Luddite; I am a firm believer in the "Leave No Child Inside" movement.

Leave the gadgets at home.... go ride.

[Hoban]

Luddite? Then leave the gadgety bike at home and run.

I'll ride past you yelling, "Strava!".

[dirt farmer]

Luddite? Then leave the gadgety bike at home and run.

I'll ride past you yelling, "Strava!".

Hey! Whatchootalkin' about, Willis??

Luddite

[shekky]

i use strava. i like to have a record of basic ride stats to look at after a long, hard ride.

all i care about is how far i rode, how long it took to ride there and back, how high i climbed and how many miles i am accumulating per week/month/annum.

the KOMs, segments, personal accomplishments and whatnot do not matter to me.

i do not care if i rode today's loop faster than yesterday's--today's loop may have different twists and turns than yesterday's did and i might have stopped ten minutes longer at a spot to take photographs. again, it's just nice to have an idea of how long that loop was today.

if other guys and gals obsess over the rest of the bells and whistles, more power to you all. have a good time. if you don't like strava and gadgets and such, nobody is forcing you to use them. more power to you guys and gals, too. have a good time.

[Hoban]

Hey! Whatchootalkin' about, Willis??

Luddite

Oh, I see what you did there.

[emaisch1080]

I hear ya', man!

Strava is the equivalent if wandering around in a haze, texting on phone in hand, except it's for bicyclists.

Maybe I'm a Luddite; I am a firm believer in the "Leave No Child Inside" movement.

Leave the gadgets at home.... go ride.

Not true at all. Texting and driving is dangerous and stupid. My phone (strava) stays in my bag when I ride. I think it's great for exploring new trails and tracking new rides to find different trailheads when they come out into a park or a neighbor that you don't know. And let's face it. Gadgets are cool. I'm posting this from a gadget.

[Xcisok]

I use it to keep myself honest. I can ride and go home and do a quick check to make sure I was not slacking off. It is also good to keep an eye on my mates speed make sure we are all about the same pace.