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I've stopped ticking the boxes for the Strava challenges as they are always the same and not motivating. I liked it initially, trying to get miles done or hills climbed but since they started they have always been the same.
I was thinking about ones that I'd like to see. Don't need to be technically easy but what are your suggestions?
Based a little bit on one up there at the moment I'd like to see some exploration ones based on filling in gaps in your heat map and riding in new places.
KOM Stealer Challange - grab as many existing KOMs as possible!
Frankly I've never seen any that are of much use off-road, it's all KMs and climbs etc, 100Kms in a day, on a MTB, no thanks.
Sign up for Veloviewer and have a look at your Explorer values. It provides exactly the sort of challenge you are after.
Based a little bit on one up there at the moment I'd like to see some exploration ones based on filling in gaps in your heat map and riding in new places.
I never do these ones as they seem a bit woolly and subjective.
Maybe a challenge that increased your target by 10% each month, for improving riders rather than those already at desired fitness.
Or a combo of distance and altitude instead of one or t'other.
I quite like the Challenges, Half a dozen of us signed up and there's a bit of banter at the Mo as to who's gonna get the 100K done this weekend, I did it last weekend and still havent pressed the uplaod button.........
Rugby this weekend plus a few shorter rides and maybe get the big bike out as its not rained for more than 5 Consecutive days.
Still got a couple of hndred Mtrs to climb before i get the 4,500Mtrs in though, At this time of year i think 100K is enough, Short days a bit cold and a bit windy, Come the Summer i'd like to see 150K rides and 6 - 8000Mtrs of Climbing, Especially as i'll be going to the alps and i'd nip that off in a day on the chairs....... Maybe not but you get the drift. Its more of a pissing competion for our little group, One of our lot was stuck in a Meeting last week so 4 of us went for a ride and sent him the Uploads with Pics,,, Called the ride's Lovely Sunshine, Nice to get out and Glad i'm not stuck in an office, he was well pissed off.
Maybe a challenge that increased your target by 10% each month, for improving riders rather than those already at desired fitness.
Similar to what I was thinking, based on increasing distance, height gained or whatever over the previous month/year.
Group Challenges would be good too, so you could set one up for your particular group, perhaps linked to a particular segment, ie Most completions of Segment X, Y and Z for example for your local groups.
100Kms in a day, on a MTB, no thanks.
whats wrong with that?
Eating a four pack of toffee crisps in under a minute. Not sure how you'd measure that with GPS though.
I've just signed up for the March Climbing Challenge, 4500m!! hardly a challenge.
If they're going to set challenges they should at least make them challenging.
[quote=Dibbs ]I've just signed up for the March Climbing Challenge, 4500m!! hardly a challenge.
If they're going to set challenges they should at least make them challenging.
do in one then...
18 times up Cothelstone hill may get a bit boring. 😉
Edit Anyway I noticed you manage the Feb challenge in 7 rides, I thought you didn't do hills. 😀
Descent would be sweet for uplift days.
MTB challenges, but then we also need a distinction between an MTB ride and a road ride to make it work.
Been long argued for and very long support threads on it but Strava ignore this. Yet they distinguish various forms of skiing and even have an ebike category, but they hate mountain bikes basically.
Yes you can categorise your bikes, but people ride mountain bikes on the road sometimes and even road bikes off road. The category makes no difference to challenges anyway.
They could categorise segments for MTB and road, but again you may hit a bit of road on an MTB ride, or vice versa.
As it stands, challenges are largely useless to me as although I'm only interested in how I stand against the people I follow so filter it that way, I still can't tell if my friend's achievements include a pile of road miles with it or even commutes.
[quote=Dibbs ]18 times up Cothelstone hill may get a bit boring.
Edit Anyway I noticed you manage the Feb challenge in 7 rides, I thought you didn't do hills.
I don't do racing either but I've signed up for rd2 of soggy bottoms.
The climbing challenges are bit easy in winter, but it gives the southerners a chance to get involved I suppose.
😉
The climbing challenges are bit easy in winter, but it gives the southerners a chance to get involved I suppose.
The trouble is I've booked my riding slot on our only hill here in the south, but it's not until April... Oh well - I'll just have to rely on Garmin innacuracies for any type of elevation... 😉
DrP
Been long argued for and very long support threads on it but Strava ignore this. Yet they distinguish various forms of skiing and even have an ebike category, but they hate mountain bikes basically.
My wife was complaining that they hate horseriders too. It is becoming more common and people she knows share local routes and rides on there but, because there is no horse category you can't find people. I set my horse rides to Nordic skiing as the places I've been on horses, no one would ski.
You can Strava your yoga workout though, so it's not all bad.
Not being a cockbag?
Picking up some litter.
Asking someone stopped by the side of the trail if they're OK.
Riding a climb with someone slower.
Going back and sessioning a bit you enjoyed the first time.
[s]Climbing challenges seem a bit pointless when there's so much inconsistency between devices.
[/s]
For those who cycle every day, a challenge to encourage recovery rides:
Greatest number of miles over a month where HR was < 100 BPM.
HarrytheSpider sometimes does a "who can draw the best strava genitalia" competition on the Monday Night Pub Rides.
Last years February climbing challenge was 8535 metres this years is only 4500 metres. If they're going to make the challenges so easy why don't they have finishers badges for 200%, 300% etc. (I notice the leading singletrackworld.com Forumite is currently on 470%).
Most joggers mowed down?
Should be easy to track as they use strava too.
Instead of just distance, work on times- set targets for % increases over X number of segments.
Time spent cycling in the dark / rain / howling gales.
Whilst winter miles have been lacking they are all hard earned...
It seems strange that they drop the climbing challenge in winter, but the distance challenge is the same every month. I'm currently on 304% for the climbing challenge this month, but only 74% for distance. Now that I've been doing the challenges for a few months, they don't motivate me in the same way that they did at first. I like the random ones though, like the Strade Bianche challenge which inspired me to do a 176km ride that I probably wouldn't have done this month otherwise.
Dibbs come and complete that climbing challenge in Suffolk. You'll also get some decent long rides in!
The one I'm trying/failing on which is better the previous month - a 2 week work trip killed that one this month so I'm resetting the clock.
As for the climbing challenge I've got the last 4 on 90% MTB it's a good motivation but the 6000m ones were better than the low bar for this year
The gran fondo ones do get shorter in the winter.
The other distance challenges are open ended aren't they? Or is there a cumulative one with a target each month?
You get the badge for hitting a target.
The gran fondo ones do get shorter in the winter.
Yes, we call that summer here
The other distance challenges are open ended aren't they? Or is there a cumulative one with a target each month?
There's a total distance one for the month. Seems to always be 1250 km.
Aha, well it's probably a good job I avoid them or I'd only get sucked into doing too much road riding.