[Closed] So come on, who is using Strava?!

Me too. Upload a ride then see who's time I have beaten. If someone has put a ride on Strava with a time that I will ride, I will try and beat that time. Can't help but try and beat it.
The final descent of the Verderers trail is on Strava. Jonsey from Dirt mag clocked 2mins 49secs the fastest I've done it in is 3.09. I did have Trailrakers on though 😉

Exactly the same for me, loving it. only frustating thing about the various times is when a non local/race whippett comes along and posts a really fast time on 'our' trails. for instance the fastest time on a local hill has been posted by a south african on holiday. Otherwise best gps type tracker i've found.

Ahh, fisherboy - I'm back in Devon over christmas and I've been chasing as many 'KOMs' as I can! Made a few segments around my area too, so we'll see how they stand up when the tourists (or is that tourers?) arrive in the summer.

Just started using it with my heart rate monitor too and its actually pretty useful for training, if you're into that sorta thing.

Just gone onto their website and clicked the [url= http://www.strava.com/android ]android app link[/url] and it's broken - which isn't a good start!

I'm really enjoying it. Knowing that you're racing a time on your local singletrack adds some of that race urgency to a normal night ride!

And stats help me to justify running 🙂

I have signed up but my gps is on the blink on my phone. grrrr

OMG thank god it's not just me! Conscious that the road climbs I'm against are put up by road boys with too much tarmack under their wheels....

Been using this for the last week. Utterly brilliant!! Love the bike-specific features like being able to track how many miles on each bike & even the miles on each component on your bikes! I'm finding the segment leaderboards great for motivation as well (need more in my area though). Everyone on STW should sign up for this (free) so more segments get mapped and in case they do another club-wide KOM competition like last year.

Yep I really like it! I have 21 'segments' on my commute, need to get KOM on as many as possible! Loads are about 200 yards long though, and very traffic light dependant.

I'm KOM on about 7 segments, although 3 of them are the same climb at Mayhem, not sure how that works 😕

2 of them are descents too, so they must be very hidden!

I'm KOM on about 7 segments

How does it recognise segments, simply by GPS? E.g. if I incorporate one or more on a route will it record each one without me having to do anything?

Can I create a segment afterwards when I upload my route?

Someone has to create a segment manually in the first instance (bring up a map of your ride then click on the "actions" drop down menu if you want to do this) but then anyone else who rides the same segment (in the same direction) is automatically added to the leaderboard! I've not checked but I suspect this would work retroactively as well. Yes, it uses GPS, be it your Garmin/iPhone/Android/whatever.

Thanks I was hoping it was that simple. Signed up for free and will see what happens.

What's different about the paid verion?

I was wondering that.

I also don't really get the power figures - plenty of people seem to have wattages against their times, and it says if you input weight and what not it can give you (estimates of) power. Sometimes there's a little 'lightning' symbol next to it, which I assumed was a proper measured power, but it rarely seems to pull through my PowerTap data.

Not a huge issue as I use WKO3, but seems a bit odd.

The trouble I have is that I can never remember where any of the segments are on my commute - I need to focus on one at a time I think and gradually take over the South-West London/CS7 leaderboard 🙂

I think the paid version has a lot more detailed analysis available, especially if you have HRM/power gizmos. Could be useful for the more serious cyclist. It also lets you filter the leaderboards but tbh there aren't enough people on there at the moment for that to be necessary.

It's only £40 or so for the year though so if I carry on using it I'll sign up. I'd like to see them develop the iPhone app a lot more and I suppose they need an income to do that!

Sometimes there's a little 'lightning' symbol next to it, which I assumed was a proper measured power, but it rarely seems to pull through my PowerTap data.

As you say, the symbol denotes the use of measured power. I don't have a powertap so can't comment on any problems pulling in the data though.

It used to be that you could only upload 3 rides a month for free and so it was worth paying for the premium subscription for unlimited uploads. However, now I think the only extra is that you get the 'suffer score' and more detailed HR/power analysis. Not really sure what this is though.

I've been using it since the summer, had a free 3 months with the paid for features and don't think they give me much of interest.

How about setting up a STW club on there?

BTW, some people are wary of recording rides right from their house but there's a security option for this where you can hide postcodes.

How about setting up a STW club on there?

Good idea, done!

[url= http://app.strava.com/clubs/3229 ]HERE[/url].

Hopefully it'll work...

Need other people to join that club now... it looks lonely with just me and Nick 😳

Couldn't find an appropriately sized logo either - we're anonymous!

I'll join later as can't access from here. If there's only a few maybe I'll have some of the best times on some of the Surrey Hills climbs...!

Nah, I'm in the Surrey Hills, KOM of Leith Hill 🙂

Edit: no I'm not, some bugger's taken it off me.

Alright then... I uploaded the history that was on my Garmin, which was about 3 months worth, but it doesn't seem to have retrospectively applied my segment times for all rides, any idea why? Like my Leith Hill time, I'm sure I've been quicker up that than I was a couple of weeks ago and yet it reckons that's my quickest time. Ditto I don't appear in certain segments that I've definitely ridden, is it very sensitive as to start and finish points?

I love Strava, but go through phases.

Not used it for a week now, aminly because I think it was using a fairbit of data on my phone.

Just updated my profile with last weeks rides, and joined the STW group. I'll starting using it again now I think 🙂

The segment matching can be a bit hit and miss though mostly OK - often due to the GPS location being recorded wrongly at times. If you look at the Boxhill sections you'll see some of the fastest guys have got times when they are descending - I think on the middle section. It must be getting better as times for Coombe Bottom have improved - the end points sometimes got messed up due to the tight final corner.

Nah, I'm in the Surrey Hills, KOM of Leith Hill

OK, maybe you're a bit faster than me...!

Just uploaded a few routes. I love it! found I'm KOM for a local climb (blagdon) and a few 2nd and 1sts.

My parents are in Church Stretton, not many Strava users around there so easy to get a few KOMs unlike Surrey...Boxhill must have the most Strava times in the UK, anywhere else have more?

Nick - I think they process segment times in the background, so your historical rides might turn up as segments sometimes in the next day or so.

IME they only take a few minutes to appear - well less than 30 anyway.

I suppose we can settle the age old argument about quick times around cwm carn

http://app.strava.com/segments/884827

Think i need to get down there 🙂

Logo?
[IMG] [/IMG]

I'm on there. Although I'm confined to South Wales.

Been using it for some time but don't always upload my rides onto there. KOM for the Rhigos climb at the moment and a few other lesser known ones, and I'm no roadie.

I'm using it with with the iPhone app. It's working well for me so far :)Havent won any of the KOM or anything, but I'm liking it.

wondered what all the fuss was about - keep hearing about Stava this and that.

well signed up... quite clever isn't it!

I uploaded a couple of garmin plots Got 6th fastest across the top of Richmond park on my commute in from Woking to London

http://app.strava.com/rides/3221164#56855308

Bah, got the app for my touch the other day but I keep losing signal, only recorded the last 6 miles of the last ride I did.

Anyone else had this? It was stashed at the bottom of my work bag though, I'll chuck it in the jersey pocket next time.

If you have a track that isn't plotting against the segment you know it should be, you can raise a ticket and they'll sort it. Sometimes the GPS freaks out and puts a random plot in the wrong place which leaves you unable to "join" the segment; like I said though, they'll fix it for you.

Looks like more miles are needed.

the times for my local climbs seem pretty slow...think i might go out at the weekend and bag a few KOTM points before the website really catches on 😀

became KOM on my commute home yesterday (Crab & Winkle). Woohoo!

http://marcpro-strava.com/blog/2011/08/22/how-to-cheat-at-strava/

Just signed up, not too many people in the Midlands.

What are the difference between this and somehting like mapmyride?

KOM leaderboards mainly. That, and it doesn't completely suck like MapMyRide does.

On,lots of trails mapped on SH 😥

I use it, sorta annoying though as I use a Powertap on the road but its wired and non GPS, pain in the ass to upload as I have to download it, export it as a .tcx then upload it. Arrhggh

But, it is far better than Runkeeper or so on

This thread should be closed ASAP - if everybody gets starts lapping Cwm Carn its going to knock me out of the top 5 ! Its my greatest acheivement.

I keep losing signal, only recorded the last 6 miles of the last ride I did.

Anyone else had this?

I have patchy GPS reception on all such apps on my Galaxy S2, have installed Tracker Booster and it seems to be improving the pickup by forcing GPS to stay permanently on.

I switched to an Edge 500 after one too many phone probs (either dropping connection or running out of power when I needed to make a call). Much better.

I use it, sorta annoying though as I use a Powertap on the road but its wired and non GPS

Good excuse for a new power meter then!

Agreed, brilliant site.

I use endomondo for recording my rides (Android) and then just upload then gpx file to Strava. Very straight forward process which seems to work well.

Strava is also a good way to find new trails! (Via segment explorer)

Good excuse for a new power meter then!

2 more like it...one in the race wheels for CX/TT's also. So not going to happen.

Unles syou'd like to buy 2 powertaps? 🙂

I'll sell you a wireless one 🙂

I have a Starbar? Will you accept that?

power meter - one of the new pedal based ones must be the way to go now?

Endomondo - what does it do that Strava doesn't?

I hadn't heard of it until I saw this post. I have joined up and uploaded the last few month's rides. It looks good, although I wish I had known about it before as I would have riden some of the segments a bit quicker...

Strangely I am KOM on quite a lot of hills, but they are hills I have only ridden once, and no one else has ridden them. So how did they become Segments? as I haven't created them.

http://support.strava.com/kb/general-questions/how-does-strava-find-climbs

?

power meter - one of the new pedal based ones must be the way to go now?

How come? The Look one isn't ANT+, so you have to use the Polar head unit, and the Garmin one's still not out, but is double the price of a PowerTap/Power2Max. Potentially good to swap between bikes, but I'm not sure they're specifically better than crank/hub based.

If someone mentions Brim Brothers and the word Power meter in the same sentence without a smirking face I am going to go mental...70's tech rehashed.

But yeah, Polar are dead in the water, Garmins Vector - although nice - is overpriced for something you will crash and break. Yes I have broken pedals in crashes.

All the parts are replaceable, but I agree it's a lot. Be interested to see what it's like though. Looks like there'll be a new firmware update on the Edge 800/500 to ddisplay all sorts of power metrics, no doubt they'll find a way to stop them working with other ANT power meters!

ohhh, looks ace, I'll have to sign up once I've got my garmin working again.

it doesn't completely suck like MapMyRide does.

Should make it a winner!

Only works with "fitness" type Garmins? Can't import normal gpx?
Also only cycling and running?

I'm in,uploaded and kickin' back with a beer 8)

Already king on two segments unwittingly 😯

Added you Muf!

Anybody signing up to the "Base Miles" Challenge, the winner has done quite a few since Jan the 6th 😆

I'm on the Base Miles thing, I only get out on my bike at the weekend so won't get a good mileage though will be recording my turbo sessions - don't usually bother.

yep, just working out a new GPS to use it more fully - my phone gps is crappy and getting worse...

what GPS are folks using? anyone with a edge 200 yet?

There's another thread about those. I'd not bother, just looks like a glorified Cateye job! 500s can be had for a sensible price.

Sorry, but I think Endomondo is a far better GPS app' service.

Unlike some of the comments here I've never had it drop the GPS signal. I had been using Gpsed on a Blackberry but that's gone to the wall, constantly drops the signal and doesn't even allow your time to keep going now..AVOID.

Endomondo allows you to tailor the data to suit different types of cycling and loads of other exercising. It also puts the data into loads of different graphs (if that's what you're in to) for instance it will tell you how your times have improved (or not) over 1k, 5k, 15k and 20k over all your rides. When it records it has some really nice features like auto pause, so if you stop for a 'chat' to a walker it will pause your route and time. Definitely worth looking at, link below.

http://www.endomondo.com/home

.... you can also import all your recorded routes from other app's !

Do you work for them?!

IMO neither of them are particularly good for the analytial/training side of it, they can churn out some basic graphs, as can Garmin Connect/Training Centre. Training Peaks is your best bet for an online resource, or offline packages like WKO or Golden Cheetah.

Strava wins my vote purely for the segments, which just adds a whole new element of interest.

Yup just started - out of the 8 KOM I currenly have 6 only ridden by me 😉 LOL

Sorry, but I think Endomondo is a far better GPS app' service.

not yet
but I'll start on monday :d

I think the segments functionality could be improved by allowing you to see all segments you have a time for in a table with some summary info including your %age position out of all riders. These would then allow you to zoom to the segment pages to see the detail.

On the club pages a table showing all segments that members have a time for with leaders would be nice too - always good to see where you are better than your mates!

Just getting ready for my first Strava ride, going to try to beat my mate's time of 6:09 for Churwell Hill in Leeds.

I don't fancy my chances, he was on a road bike.

Been out for a gentle road pootle as recovering from virus. found i still got 3rd on a couple of hills, so i'll be out again on that route when feeling better

🙂

Its brilliant isnt it? The social/gaming element makes a massive differnet

njee - are you incognito on there? I cant see any n.... j... on rides I thought we'd have in common.

King of Bookhurst Road - get in 😉 And, more sportingly, King of a climb in Nice nr my brother-in-law that will piss him off no end.

I can see the dog has a serious negative effect on my trail performance, it will either to speed up or get left behind when it goes in rabbit holes or after squirrels.

njee - are you incognito on there?

I'm Nick Evans, NJEE being my initials 🙂

Got times on most of the Surrey Hills segments, on and off road, but I've only got the last few months of rides as CSV files.

Made an account, and got the app, to see what all teh fuss is about, but not used it in anger yet.
Seems (at least around here) it's mainly road riding, with exactly 1 segment. Further afield searching with a filter on "mountain" seems to return road rides along the river 😕 And it's all abotu bits of rides, rather than whole rides? Thought I was looking for rides that other people had done (for inspiration) but it insisted on showing me 1 single 3km long hill instead.
I assume if I ride up 1 hill enough times I become KoM regardless because despite it being a busy hill, nobody will ever log it on Strava?

At least endomondo lets me do multiple sports.

At least endomondo lets me do multiple sports.

Strava lets you do runs too?

I assume if I ride up 1 hill enough times I become KoM regardless because despite it being a busy hill, nobody will ever log it on Strava?

It's nothing to do with how often you ride up it - it's speed. So if you're the fastest then you'll be KOM if you ride it once. Or you could ride it 500 times and still be bottom. You're quite right about people needing to be Strava users though.

You can get complete rides off it if you want to follow people's routes, and as above can do running or whatever if you want.

I realise it's speed. But since nobody else uses it, then I must be KoM on my first ride? (assumed it might take more than 1 ride before it recognises one as the fastest).

Only signed up thinking there might be some target times to beat (either uphill or time-trial etc.), which might be more interesting than just km counting. Certainly plenty of cycling terrain (both on and off road) around here, which is often quite busy, but maybe everyone around here uses something else.