[Closed] Strava ! dedicated lead for drafting allowed or report ?

It's strava. It's not a race. There are no rules.

Hand on a sec.

Nope, I can't bring myself to care.

What do you say ?

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Should we report any ride with a tailwind?

Every time there's a strong westerly round here you get flocks of roadies out taking advantage, you can't report all of them, surely?

I think you should report it. It's probably the tip of the iceberg. I've even heard that some people literally put their gps into the car and drive around in order to get KOMs and segments.

Next you'll be telling me that they don't drug test the riders at the top of Strava leaderboards !

I'm tempted to add a comment to his activity mentioning how much the car must have helped....or I could just go to sleep and forget about it

Name and shame that'll learn him good and proper, Strava is serious business, even better, shit on his porch.

I think you should report it. It's probably the tip of the iceberg. I've even heard that some people literally put their gps into the car and drive around in order to get KOMs and segments.

If he was a pro, he probably doesn't give a shit about Strava, and just uses it to record his ride time/miles/hours, like a lot of people.
FYI, pro's do a fair amount of motor pacing, I used to do it to, long before Strava though.
Flag his ride, Im sure he wont care.

999

Goddamn pros, they're only fast because they're riding behind cars or in big bunches. Imagine uploading actual race performances to Strava, stealing KOMs off hard working people, coming over here, with their top level kit and favourable genes, and training and nutrition and not being fat.

Ban them. Ban them all.

There's a climb near me that I went from top 10 to south of 100. Somebody stuck the tour of Britain up it. Should I have flagged it. Was still 4th on the descent. (was first descent day 1 so guess they weren't fussed for a dashh down.)

Burn the (pro) heretic

Mleh btw

get a ****ing life. 8)

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Sorry, I forgot all the 'kids' are too cool for Strava here. 'night

Loads of KOM near me are fakes.....strava in their car / motor bike......then uploaded...so what ...I doubt I'll ever get near 99% of the KOM

I remember once I got KOM on a ride that only a few people did as it was 8 miles long....the person I knocked off was also the person who set the segment ......do he deleted my time .....lol...the Tosser ha ha ha

All I care about is if I beat my friends......there's something smug about a 40odd year old beating a 24 year old ironman triathlete ....lol

I got a KOM riding behind the X84 Ilkley to Leeds bus. I hit nearly 40 before I dropped of the back

It was my finest strava moment

Sorry, I forgot all the 'kids' are too cool for Strava here. 'night

I've seen a bloke and a girl round our way doing similar - she often drafts him and occasionally I see him behind her when she's on a moped

Doesn't bother me, and now they can't ride at all - and my bumper mostly buffed right out

never did find them on strava, though. Makes you think

[quote=aP ]But it involves Strava so I assume that it's something that IT people do, and care about.

I always enjoy the way people feel compelled to open threads about Strava solely in order to mention they don't give a shit about it.

[quote=wwaswas ]Should we report any ride with a tailwind?

Which is of course completely equivalent to motor pacing. I'd suggest that motor pacing is certainly against the spirit of Strava. Though I thought people motor paced behind bikes - seems strange to do it behind a car (which apart from anything else is going to cause much more of an obstruction).

Loads of KOM near me are fakes.....strava in their car / motor bike......then uploaded...so what ...I doubt I'll ever get near 99% of the KOM

That's probably because your shit slow, on 99.99% of any segment I'm on nothing is in a vehicle

Motor pacing predates strava

You cant really take strava times too seriously as there are so many variables, people go out to 'hit' just one section for the kom, drafting, group/bunch riding so average speed is high compared to solo, electronic epo or whatever its called, no difference between mtb and road bikes on roads, mayby electric bike times in the future....

If this is your biggest worry and moral dilemma, I hope you slept soundly last night.

djglover - Member
I got a KOM riding behind the X84 Ilkley to Leeds bus. I hit nearly 40 before I dropped of the back
It was my finest strava moment

Some of my finest KOM's have been achieved this way. Always on the look out to jump on the back of something to draft.
Bin or skip lorries are just perfect for 5% climbs I find.
And only last week I managed to get on the back of a little moped ... seeing him pulling back that throttle and looking back expecting to be dropping me was quite amusing.

As said. Strava is not a race. It's just something to be used as part of YOUR riding.
Lots of KOM's will be taken by those in a peloton or with wind in right direction ... but so what?

Sorry, I forgot all the 'kids' are too cool for Strava here. 'night

So you came on here for validation, didn't get it and decided to flounce. We've not had a good flouncer for a while so I'm looking forward to your development as the KoM of STW Flouncers.

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On topic, its likely because any time any properly fit and strong cyclist rides a segment I've got a KoM on I'll lose it that I really don't care about motorpacing/wind/cheating etc. As long as I'm getting better and beating my mates, I'm quite content.

Would you report a ride that was in a group? i.e. KOM taking rider could be sheltering behind team mates? or a rider riding a lighter bike than the previous holder of ooooh look a shiney thing, how did that get there? I wonder what it is... so shiney.

Strava? Completed it mate.

But in all serious no its not really on, someone might have worked their guts out for those KOMs on solo rides.

"On topic, its likely because any time any properly fit and strong cyclist rides a segment I've got a KoM on I'll lose it that I really don't care about motorpacing/wind/cheating etc. [u]As long as I'm getting better[/u] and beating my mates, I'm quite content".

And this my friends is why we have Strava. Life's not always about being at the top of a list.

From an aerodynamic point of view I'd have thought riding in a pack would be better than drafting a car anyway?

but overall i wouldn't give two hoots, as said he's probably just training. But if you feel your integrity has been slandered I would challenge him to a duel at dawn. Naturally with sabres rather than pistols, only doping cheats use pistols.

I didn't came looking for 'validation' of anything, 'I asked a question - "Is this actually against 'the rules'".

I've found the answer. The term I was looking for was 'motor paced' (thanks to 'aracer' for using that term). The 'guide lines' are:-

Uploading data from a car, motorcycle, e-bike, motor-assisted bike, [b]motor-paced ride[/b] or any bicycle that includes any non-human propulsion or pedal-assisted force, and categorizing the activity as a "Ride" displaces data uploaded from a human-powered bike, thus conflicting with the fairness and integrity of the Segment Leaderboards.

I always enjoy the way people feel compelled to open threads about Strava solely in order to mention they don't give a shit about it.

Whilst agreeing with the sentiment I don't enjoy it and think it is quite unpleasant. It's not a very inviting place for people to ask genuine questions. Putting it in the Chat Forum and asking 'what do you think' didn't help my cause though.

A local club used their van to reclaim some of their Strava KOMs following the pros of the Giro stealing a load of them around the club's locale.

What do I think of it? I think it illustrates perfectly what a bunch of tossers they are, and fits perfectly with their modus operandi. It's akin to me going out on a motocross bike or e-bike to get an off-road KOM. An incredibly sad and pointless act and more than worthy of a Stravasshole t-shirt.

I've found the answer. The term I was looking for was 'motor paced' (thanks to 'aracer' for using that term). The 'guide lines' are:-

did you flag the ride then?

Strava? Completed it mate.

😆

Can feel a tshirt coming on....

thus conflicting with the fairness and integrity of the Segment Leaderboards.

it's so unfair!

were any of them your KOMs?

I'm a strava fanatic and have got a bunch of KOMs/top tens on (offroad) hill climbs but its been purely as part of my training for racing. When I loose a KOM it just gives me an incentive to try harder next session. I would'nt really care if someone did 'cheat' to beat it, so long as it was in the realms of possibility that i could get it back with more training, its just greater incentive.

Strava isnt a level playing field, people might be riding cx bikes not mountain bikes, be doing different routes etc etc. I got a top 10 on one fireroad section in afan which is part of penhydd, but i did it not going all the way up to the top but skipping across from the bluescar junction to sidewinder. does that mean it doesnt really count?

Loads of KOM near me are fakes.....strava in their car / motor bike......then uploaded...so what ...I doubt I'll ever get near 99% of the KOM

No they aren't, you're just slow as Dirtyrider said!

I remember once I got KOM on a ride that only a few people did as it was 8 miles long....the person I knocked off was also the person who set the segment ......do he deleted my time .....lol...the Tosser ha ha ha

No he didn't. No one owns the segment. Your ride can be flagged if someone thought you were in a car or whatever, but that comes back to you to validate, no one can just decide to delete random times from the leaderboard.

Strava? Completed it mate.

winner

in other news I left my phone on the other week while racing back to a wife and kid going mental. I was doing approx. 60mph up a very very steep hill in Calderdale. my 2l focus was struggling.

I came third on strava!

As a fat, rubbish, orange five rider I take solace in these facts and think that if it wasn't for all these cheaters id be KOM of everything, while eating cake.

If 'non-human propulsion' is against the rules then aren't tailwinds and gravity problematic?

in other news I left my phone on the other week while racing back to a wife and kid going mental. I was doing approx. 60mph up a very very steep hill in Calderdale. my 2l focus was struggling.
I came third on strava!

Flag it then, takes two seconds.

I'm pretty sure gravity's the same for everyone (except for some on here whose mouths/egos create their own field) and there's not a right lot you can do about the wind either, you can however decide not to cheat.

OP flag it if you're bothered, don't think it would worry me but it's certainly not in the spirit of friendly competition which is what the social side of strava is for.

I'm pretty sure gravity's the same for everyone

And a greater density ;P

the fairness and integrity of the Segment Leaderboards.

Choked on my tea.

njee20 - Member

in other news I left my phone on the other week while racing back to a wife and kid going mental. I was doing approx. 60mph up a very very steep hill in Calderdale. my 2l focus was struggling.
I came third on strava!

Flag it then, takes two seconds

My only experience of this was when I was out cold in an ambulance, sirens blaring, with strava still on, so i guess going a bit over 60mp, but Strava flagged it automatically -doesnt it always?

But in all serious no its not really on, someone might have worked their guts out for those KOMs on solo rides.

Are they really working their guts out specifically for a Strava KOM though? Surely it's riding hard to get stronger/faster for some race/event rather than having the sole objective of getting a KOM? Or maybe I'm not taking it nearly seriously enough!

Strava? Completed it mate.

Quote of the year 🙂

Are they really working their guts out specifically for a Strava KOM though? Surely it's riding hard to get stronger/faster for some race/event rather than having the sole objective of getting a KOM? Or maybe I'm not taking it nearly seriously enough!

Maybe they are simply using it to log ride distance and duration.

Most of us mid-leaderboard fodder are effectively in that position whether we realise it or not.

Does one need a life? Think they can be ordered online without needing to go out into the nasty world

someone might have worked their guts out for those KOMs on solo rides.

Then they are very deluded. If you really want to know how good you are, pin a number on your jersey and enter a race.

got a technical question about strava, ask strava
wanna chat about strava, feel free to post it up on stw, but dont expect it to all go your way.

If we are placing a bulk order to spokeshirts* count me in for a Medium.

*other t-shirt printers may be available.

Tempted to print a few

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Doh! Is it too late to patent this?

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[url= http://www.redbubble.com/people/spookydark/works/15957468-strava-completed ]Ready for purchase[/url] 😉

Ready for purchase

Better buy them quickly then before I get sued.

I'll have one, dunno if tight for aerodynamics or baggy so as not to gain an advantage.

Then they are very deluded. If you really want to know how good you are, pin a number on your jersey and enter a race.

This. Trained with loads of guys over the years that are great in training, less good when it mattered.
Fan of Strava though as a motivational tool in training. Only count my KOM's (running) if the whole run has been at an even pace. Plenty of guys who run slow and hammer the segments. Not in the spirit!

But who completed it fastest? Is there a leaderboard?

surfer - Member

Then they are very deluded. If you really want to know how good you are, pin a number on your jersey and enter a race.

This. Trained with loads of guys over the years that are great in training, less good when it mattered.
Fan of Strava though as a motivational tool in training. Only count my KOM's (running) if the whole run has been at an even pace. Plenty of guys who run slow and hammer the segments. Not in the spirit!

The other night I went out for a spin and got a KOM on a section I'd noticed I was languishing in the 100s on. Previously I wasn't aware it was a segment. My point being that strava's a really good tool for encouragement on solo rides. Call it a training aid, call it whatever but I like it because it keeps me honest when I'm out on my own.

Of course it's not a race, and people should consider it as such but there are plenty of people out there who, for various reasons can't or don't want to race and it gives them some idea of how they might stack up.

Got to laugh at the "to cool for Strava" guys. Thing is thousands of people enjoy Strava and work hard to improve their position on the leader boards. If thats not for you fine, but why piss on other people's chips over something that you have no interest in ??
Op as you've found out motor pacing is against the spirit of Strava. If your sure the pro riders Kom's where motor paced flag the ride.

T-Shirts Ace !! 😆

Surely if it's flat enough for motor pacing to make a difference, it's not really a "KOM" (notwithstanding being motorpaced to the foot of the climb at 65kmh), is it?

Anyway, you can tell pretty easily in most cases that the segment was motorpaced, so while you might not have the badge, you do have the moral victory 🙂

less good when it mattered

Shit. Nobody told me that none of my cycling matters.

Jimjam - seriously tempted - are you another 26" recluse like me after looking @ the other tee's!!!!

Shit. Nobody told me that none of my cycling matters.

Did you not get the memo?

Training is training and racing is racing. Strava is a training tool, it's not racing.

🙂

I was riding near Newport Saturday morning and was passed by a female pro cyclist being paced behind a moped. Just checked Strava and she is not on there. She would probably be at the top of the leader board without assistance anyway!

I really could not give two hoots about the leader boards, I just use it as a log of where I have been etc.

Did you not get the memo?

Training is training and racing is racing. Strava is a training tool, it's not racing.

Don't do any racing when you're training, you know, for fun?

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One of these or a STW 100th Tee. It's not even a contest 😀

After a big crash at Cwmcarn, I uploaded my Mytacks route to Strava and was surprised to find I'd notched a KOM.

I then realised I had left it running whilst I drove myself to A&E.

I deleted the route as I thought it was only fair. Though it was quite amusing to see my efforts running around the top of Cwmcarn trying to find my tooth I had knocked out!

[quote=eskay ]I really could not give two hoots about the leader boards, I just use it as a log of where I have been etc.

The thing is, some people do and there's nothing wrong with that (not having a go at you, yours is a quite reasonable post, it was just a good place to put the comment). My laugh about people having to tell us they don't give a shit is a sarcastic one - fine if you don't then ignore it. Likewise if for you it is just for logging your rides then ignore the leaderboard.

For some of us the leaderboard is a training aid - it gives you a target to aim for. I'm quite happy to admit that I've gone out on rides and hammered a segment I've been aiming for to try and get the KOM - that's not against the spirit or rules of Strava at all - I have a tendency to ride steady most the time, so having something specific like this to aim for is good for me. If people upload e-bike or motor paced rides then that does spoil it - as njee and others have mentioned, contrary to the belief of many who aren't near the top of the leaderboards, most rides at the top are genuine rides.

Of course the KOM rides might be with a tailwind (most of mine are 😉 ) riding in a group, or during a pro race, but that's all fine - those people are still all riding a bike in the normal way bikes are ridden by the vast majority of people. If it puts the KOM out of reach of normal mortals on solo rides, then so be it - I'm not going to motorpace to get it back (though I might consider the TT bike at some point!)

Oh, I quite often record unicycle rides as runs as they're more similar in speed and settings I use for running work better than the settings I use for bike riding. I do usually try and quickly change the type of activity after uploading, but did once get the ride flagged very quickly when I didn't get around to that immediately and stole somebody's KOMs with rather unfeasible times!

That's probably because your shit slow, on 99.99% of any segment I'm on nothing is in a vehicle

Yeah I probaly am slow to some but I'm talking roadie strava.....last year ...the KOM up boxhill was something like 40mph av speed....yeah right!!....35mph.that's me in sprint mode for about 30secs tops...let alone a 2mile climb

Maybe now with all the updates on strava things have changed now.....but like I said I'm only interested in beating my mates...or at least trying to get into the top 3.... Even if it is for just one day!!..ha ha ha

[quote=cheekyget ]last year ...the KOM up boxhill was something like 40mph av speed....yeah right!!

This Box Hill? http://www.strava.com/segments/3623111

KOM might have briefly been something silly, but then presumably that ride was flagged and removed leaving the pros at the top of the leaderboard (you'd be doing extremely well to make the top 50 on that I'd imagine). Because that's how it works properly - "rides" which are made in vehicles, motorpacing, on e-bikes etc. get flagged and removed, and as mentioned most of the leaderboards are pretty clean. I'd expect a dodgy ride on Box Hill to get picked up quicker than most (TBH anybody who isn't a pro is going to get their ride flagged if they take that KOM).

I'm mostly interested in the road leaderboards - have ridden my bike off-road very little since I've got into Strava and am usually doing well to get into the top half off-road - and have only very occasionally seen a dodgy ride on any segments I'm on (which I've flagged).

There's a fair few broken power meters in that box hill top 20!