Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

In Defense Of Strava

06.11.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

Dan Colvin
Dan Colvin

I’ve tweaked Strava a few times for data overkill, but the other day I heard from Bike Noob reader Dan Colvin. Dan pointed out that Strava has its uses, and can come in handy for any rider. I asked him to turn his comments into a guest post. Here it is.

For better or worse, Strava changes your rides. In an extreme case, the ride can become all about trying to capture the King Of the Mountain on some segment. Or multiple segments.

Personally, I don’t care for rides that become all about that, but I am OK with pushing a segment if it just occurs naturally. It might occur to me, for instance, that I am really working hard into a fierce headwind going south on an out-and-back, and maybe I should back off a bit. Then, when I turn around and give it everything I’ve got on the northbound leg through a particular segment, see if I can improve my standing there.

Or, I will remember that there is a particular climb on today’s route for which I’ve never recorded a particularly good time. Maybe I will push it really hard and see what I can do with it. More subtly, there is the idea that friends are watching – can’t turn around now, how will that look? Can’t hunt arrowheads, got to finish strong. This can be both a blessing and a curse.

Then, there is the after. I rarely take more than a glance at the Garmin as I turn it off after a ride. I wait to get home and see if the ride was as good (or as poor) as I thought it was. It is sort of like Christmas morning there, as I upload the ride, give it a name, and wait to see if my time on some particular segment was as good as I hoped it was. There have been times where I was just trying to post a good time on some segment and discovered I had a KOM. Or a top 10. Other times, I’ve thought I climbed something really well, then discovered that it wasn’t as good as some previous attempt I had made.

Once the ride is up there, friends start to notice, comment and/or give kudos. On any given day, someone I know is posting some cool ride from some other part of the area. Or, I will see that some friend who normally rides in town was out on my local roads. Pretty cool. Not so cool, on the other hand, on days when I didn’t ride, but see that others did.

The really cool thing is when I run across some of those same names in the pro ranks. A number of the up and coming pros, particularly the ones who’ve come through the Livestrong-Bontrager team, have spent their off-seasons training in the Austin area. So, they show up on many of the local segments. Of course, there is no way to tell whether they had a headwind or a tailwind, or if they had a clue they were on a segment, but it is still fun to think, “Hey, the next guy in front of me on this segment is currently racing in the Tour of California.”

I’ve only used the free stuff on Strava. From what I’ve seen, the upgrade is pretty reasonable, and I have friends who use it to tell all sorts of stuff about the training efforts of their rides. I guess knowing that I was able to sustain an average of X number of watts over a 10 minute period today, and it was so many watts higher than what I had been able to average three months ago would be nice. But, it would only mean something if they were measured watts instead of estimated.  I guess you need that for the Suffer Score as well. I’m not sure I need a computer to tell me how much suffering I did.

It is helpful to have all of my rides for the year out there. I don’t have to track mileage or average speed or try to remember where I rode on a specific date. I can just refer back to it. It also helps if I am trying to remember a particular route, or figure out how long a route would be.

A friend who has recently been cycling in various parts of the country tells me that Strava is somewhat of a regional thing. In some parts of the country, it hasn’t achieved critical mass, so there are few, if any, segments established. With no segments and few other riders, there is much less benefit to using Strava. In other areas, Strava is well established and not being on Strava can make you somewhat of an outlier.

Our area, Central Texas, seems to be one in which a very large number of riders are on Strava. I start to feel a certain kinship with riders whose names I see on the segments I ride regularly.

All in all, it has been a mixed bag. I wouldn’t say that it is for everyone, but I have enjoyed it.

 

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Accessories, guest post, training Tags // guest post, Strava

Now It’s Not A Ride Unless You Suffer

06.06.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

I was pleased to see a couple of new B riders on our club ride recently. We need an infusion of new blood, because the B turnout has been weak lately.

These two, Frank and Yasmin, turned out to be strong riders. During the outbound leg of our ride (an out-and-back route), Frank stayed right on Buddy’s wheel. Buddy tends to get well out in front of the rest of us, and treats himself to a bit longer rest at the turnaround point.

Then, Yasmin passed me, and I put in a greater effort than usual to stay with her on the way out. These two can ride.

On the way back, it was me and Frank in one twosome, and a way behind us, Yasmin and Buddy. All of us finished the ride feeling fresh.

Janice eagerly checks her Strava Suffer Score at the end of a ride.
Janice eagerly checks her Strava Suffer Score at the end of a ride.

When I posted about the B ride on our club’s Yahoo group, New York John said he was glad to hear about them, and that Janice would be in touch with them soon about Strava. Janice is our Strava addict, constantly trying to set the mark for various segments on our routes.

It turned out that Janice had gotten to them already, and wouldn’t you know it — they were already Strava users! Because they’re new to it, they don’t have any King or Queen of the Mountains — but they’ll come soon.

I decided to tweak Janice a bit: “Meanwhile, Janice, I continue to use my $12 Schwinn. Current speed, max speed, avg, speed, elapsed time, distance. What more do I need?”

Little did I know that Strava has a feature you just can’t do without: The Suffer Score.

“I am all in awe of the Suffer Score now,” Janice said.  “It measures your effort using your heart rate and other ride info to derive the score.  A rider who is working harder will get a higher score, even if they are going slower then someone who is working less hard but going faster.  It is cool to see how fast your friends are on Strava, and who get the crowns, etc., but it’s even cooler to see how hard some people work on the bike.”

Yipes. I told her I already knew I was suffering, just by trying to keep up with Frank on the return leg of our ride.

“Give up, Ray,” said Buddy. “Come over to the dark side.” It turns out he’s on Strava, too. Apparently, I am the only one in the club who hasn’t taken that step yet.

Strava ranks the suffer scores into categories: Leisurely, Moderate, Tough, Extreme, and Epic. Some of the club members have been chattering about “epic rides they’ve been on  recently, and now I know they’re not using the term the way “Wayne’s World” used it.

Doggone it, I’m determined to hold out. I do push myself from time to time, and I do have segments where I huff and puff to finish. I can tell when I’ve been suffering. Having a number to put on it won’t make the ride any more (or less) a triumph.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Accessories Tags // Strava

Stravalogisms

07.26.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

If neologism means coining a new word, or new usage of a word, some members of my club seem to have found a new pastime. They’re Strava addicts, and their posts to the club’s Yahoo group often mention their efforts to win King or Queen of the Mountain (KOM & QOM) or post a best new time on a favorite Strava segment.

Their obsession has led to the coining of a bunch of new words relating to Strava. We’re all familiar with “Stravacide.” Here are some that surfaced in the last few days (and yes, I’m aware that some of these might have been grabbed off various online sites):

Stravacation – A vacation or getaway planned around prime opportunities to obtain a KOM / QOM, i.e., a repeated ride in a remote area designed to obtain the KOM / QOM without competition.

Stravasectomy – Riding your bike so much trying to obtain KOM’s / QOM’s your testicles are numb, fall off or are no longer of use due to lack of availability.

Stravatude – An arrogance or attitude displayed in a group of Strava users. The medium is not limited to physical presence, but social media as well.

Stravitude – Planning Strava segments with the highest altitude beginning points in an effort to gain maximum descent speed.

Stravagate – Posting obviously flawed data to obtain a KOM / QOM, e.g., “Bill’s Garmin posted a maximum speed of 2,450.1 mph and he uploaded it to Strava for a KOM even though everyone knows he can’t go any faster than 1,872.7 mph. That’s Stravagate right there.”

Stravapocalypse – Awakening to compulsively check Strava in the morning (see Stravacompulsive) to find out 10 of your 11 KOM’s / QOM’s have been taken, e.g., “I looked at Strava this morning and all of my KOM’s were beaten yesterday. It was a Stravapocalypse.”

Stravalanche – Challenging your buddies to multiple Strava sections and dominating them all, i.e., “Wes challenged Bill to 10 Strava sections and won them all. It was a Stravalanche.”

Stravacompulsive – Checking Strava constantly in concern over your standings.

Stravacisstic – A narcissistic Strava user, i.e., pretty much anyone with a Strava ID.

Stravavention – A situation in which a Strava user is obsessed with KOMs or QOMs to the point they require an intervention from friends and loved ones.

Stravasnipe – When approaching a KOM/QOM segment in a group, drop to the very back of the group and attack the hill finishing with the front of the group.  Your average will be faster than the group you’re riding with.

Stravissimo! – An exclamation uttered by the tifosi in witness to a cyclist’s shattering of a previously “unbeatable” Strava segment. Used to describe said rider’s new KOM/QOM status.

Stravexpostfacto – Ride some irrelevant part of the route really, really fast and then make it a segment later that night just so that you can get your xOM on it.

I haven’t yet been sucked into the Stravacult (A group of Strava users whose practices are considered bizarre by normal people), so I’m a bystander on this back-and-forth. What Strava-based words have you been using among your Stravamigos?

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Odds 'n ends Tags // Strava

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 257 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Go to mobile version
%d