# Any point in using Strava if you don't give a flip about what other riders do?



## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

I've avoided the Strava bandwagon for years—never had it, never cared.

But I can't help but notice it seems everywhere these days—as in, huge numbers of bikers who can't seem to live without it.

So here's my question: if I don't give a flip about comparing my performance from one ride to the next...and don't give a flip about how fast other people ride the same trail/segment I'm on...and I definitely am not looking for the "most popular rides and segments," then is there any point to using Strava???

My guess is "no." But I just want to be sure I'm not missing out on some huge feature that I would love regardless.

Thanks!
Scott


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## jrhone (May 23, 2011)

I use it mainly to track my performance. It validates the hard work of getting into better shape knowing how far the ride was, time, calories burned, etc. If you dont care about that...dont use it. I dont compare myself to other riders or use the social aspects of it. Its purely a tool to give me data about MY rides and how I am doing. It was nice to see how fast I was on my old bike and directly compare it to my new bike.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Currently, for me, it’s fun as hell, as I have consistently been getting PR’s, top ten trophies, and KOM’s. It‘s proof of hard work, and progress. But as I age out of PR’s (I’m 55), it will probably lose some of it’s appeal for me. But my friends are aging, too.


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## jrhone (May 23, 2011)

rideit said:


> Currently, for me, it's fun as hell, as I have consistently been getting PR's, top ten trophies, and KOM's. It's proof of hard work, and progress. But as I age out of PR's (I'm 55), it will probably lose some of it's appeal for me. But my friends are aging, too.


For me my PR's (Personal Records for the non Strava people..lol) are on the ride because I am losing weight and getting into better shape so I have at least one PR on every ride...When I take notice is when I have like 20 PRs on a ride. That has happened a few times...those are breakthrough days!


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

I do it for miles, and PR's. don't care about the fancy features nor any live crap.

I ride, shower, eat, get around to uploading GPS sometime before next ride, check
PR's and miles and time in saddle. that's it. if it were any more complcated I'd chuck it.


My job is more complex than anything outside my job, I ain't got time nor desire for endless stats and graphs and BS. sweat on my top tube is what I seek.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

Thanks for the perspectives. While I push myself sometimes, I'm not into personal records and generally avoid any form of competition (whether with myself or anyone else), so it sounds like I'm not really missing much with Strava.


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## the-one1 (Aug 2, 2008)

As with most things in life, if you have a use for it, use it. If you don't have a use for it, don't use it.
Not much more to it than that.

I use it for myself. I don't compare my times with anyone else. I use it to track my miles mainly.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

jrhone said:


> I use it mainly to track my performance.


Same here, these days pr's are what's most important to me, also all of the other stats you mentioned. A top 10 or kom is nice but it ain't happening on most of the segments I ride, too many pros around taking that honor.

Anyway, the basic version is free so why not download it and see for yourself whether or not you like it?


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## Bike_Tyson (Jun 4, 2021)

One aspect I like is the ability to track mileage by bike. I use mileage as a proxy for maintenance timing for suspension, chain wear, drivetrain replacement, etc. It also helps with selling the bike, since you can give an accurate accounting of the amount and nature of the rides on the bike to prospective buyers.

I do like seeing performance against my previous efforts, but more to just look for areas where I might be getting lazy or need to brush up on skills. I don't use it to compare performance against others - like someone else said, I don't need or want a second job.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

I do it for MY data, not other people's data.

My miles, elevation gained, goals are all independent of what anyone else does. I started keeping track to compare tires, pressures and such.
Turns out youth and hydration are the things that count.


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

I use mine to track miles and places I've rode. If I'm feeling like it, I might even go for a couple PR's. 

I don't take it too seriously though. That's what ruins riding.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

yeah, I use it for myself. Primarily for miles tracked, number of rides per year, hours ridden, climbing totals, etc. PRs are something I pay somewhat less attention to. But it is nice to know when I am finished with my ride, that the reason I felt like crap on that ride is at least somewhat related to the fact that I rode it faster, even though I usually didn't feel any faster. I do also keep in touch with a couple old friends on there and that's the ONLY social media they use. so I also use it for the random odd heckles directed their way about some ride they did.


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## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

I use it as a reality check to show myself how effin slow my sorry a** really is especially when I had one of those I still got in me rides not that I ever got it in me in the first place and I get a bit too full of myself.

That keeps me from buying fancy parts because I know I am not worthy.


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## ronhextall (Sep 13, 2015)

I use it for mileage, a few people follow me, I follow nobody.


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## Blatant (Apr 13, 2005)

As apparently everyone already said and I’ll echo. Logging mile, tracking one bike vs another and monitoring my own performance, which is most important.

If the OP doesn’t wish to track his own performance, sounds like he ain’t missing anything with Strava.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

I like it mostly for tracking bicycle gear. It's a tad clunky as you are unable to change gear from ride to ride, but overall it tracks.
You replace a chain, it keeps track of miles, etc.
If you want to swap a trail tire for a race tire and back, you can't track that as easily.

I have my privacy settings configured for "followers" meaning the few friends I have can see, nobody else can. That means people can't just randomly find me and want to be my friend because they saw I rode the same trail that day.
I've had a few people send me a request that have searched my name (because they know me) but I've ignored them.

Other than that it's good to see how my progress increases or declines.
I can't come here and tell you that I PR every ride from the one previous and I can't say I own more than one KOM (not sure it even stands today) so I can't come here to brag about how fast I am and have Strava prove it. 

You can download and install Strava and make up a silly name that nobody will guess. Note: I will note search for SWriverstone user today to add as a friend.
Then keep all your rides private. You will not show up on a leaderboard if you do that -so if you do want to be compared to others, the privacy option won't work for you.
I do find myself looking at segments after a ride because I am curious if I am as fast or slow as I felt. I have always been good about guessing my running pace or riding speed. Now I make it a game. If I start out good or bad, I'll guess my segment time early into the segment then check it later against my thought. Sometimes I'm like "no way did I go that fast today" because I felt like crap but somehow it was quicker than I expected. Likewise, I've felt quick only to see I really wasn't. 

Strava works perfectly well for a person who doesn't "give a flip" about others. You can use it to track your own progress/problems and/or you can track your gear/maintenance.
I use Strava and Garmin both (redundant), plus lately as I travel I use Garmin to track where I have driven. I could use Strava as well if I chose to.
As the state continues to burn up, I can see all my bicycle rides, dirt bike rides and now some of the driving routes to vacation places and see that I've been in a lot of burnt areas, preburn. 
I used a Garmin years ago when my dad and I visited Crater Lake, for no reason other than to show I was there, and it also could remind me that my dad and I visited because I've associated the two.
Having Strava will also allow you to search your own records. If you add a description (and now they have added a private notes area) or smartly name your activity to something better than "morning ride" (default), you can search for the name.
I log all the trail names at the OHV park when I ride my dirtbike there. It's helpful for me to see when the last time I rode a particular trail was. I will also input riders names of people I ride with. I could add your name to my activity then search for it to see when that one ride happened that you and I met up for.
Some of the OHV trails are trails I have ridden my dirt bike on, and my mountain bike. I can search for the trail name (because I typed it in in my notes) to see anythime I've accessed the trail, regardless of my method of transportation.

I have zero social media platforms and I still use Strava all the time for rides and activities, or otherwise.
One neat thing recently is I imported the GPS track to Google Earth. Then in Google Earth I review old aerial photography to see lake level and I now have GPS tracks riding in the middle of a lake because the lake no longer has water there. It looks neat and serves zero purpose in life. 

You may get hooked and find yourself competing with strangers. Or you may not. I do hope you try it out and when you like it I hope you can become a person that realizes Strava isn't going to make you an irresponsible individual who goes out with only intention of winning that day, even when it means pushing a 7 year old child over the edge to his death. No matter because the parent couldn't catch you anyway.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

I use it to draw bewbs on maps


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

Thanks for the added info-I might check it out. I'm admittedly probably a bit biased against it because app developers universally seem to think these days that everything in life is about "Community!" and "Doing things with friends!" and "Seeing what everyone else is up to!" [Add cheery music in the background with smiling 20-somethings staring at their phones and smiling harder.]

I just wish for once I could download an app that doesn't immediately start yelling at me to "Join the fun!" or "Log onto the Community Board NOW!" or "Become part of our growing community!"

I'm not a misanthrope (I'm here after all!)...but I value solitude and privacy and am turned off by the "Everything is a party where EVERYONE CAN JOIN!" concept which drives app development these days.  I miss apps that were designed for a solitary user-and don't require a constant connection to the mothership.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I use it to check trail conditions and to connect with rider friends who don't use other social media. If I scan down through the feed of local riders, I can usually find a friend who's ridden a certain trail in the past few days and find out what conditions are like, especially in the shoulder seasons when conditions vary due to weather.


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## toyotatacomaTRD (Apr 4, 2012)

I signed up for an account years ago, but never used it more than a couple times. I completely deleted the account recently as out of the blue I started getting a ton of notifications people were following me, none of which I knew and most were across the world. Then I got a notification my password was compromised. I don't quite have a lot of trust in their site security as a heads up.


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## Ducman71 (Mar 18, 2015)

@SWriverstone Simple answer to your simple question: no.
Based on your comments, you are not missing anything. If anything, you are gaining a few minutes of your life by not needing to fiddle with your phone at the start and end of each ride.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

I have had one spam follower and have never felt my strava account has been compromised. I joined in 2011 or 2012.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

It takes about the same amount of time to launch and start Strava as it does to walk from the tailgate to the rear door of my pickup to grab my forgotten helmet and strap it in place.

If time were of the essense, I'd just start strava and leave my helmet behind.

Plus when using strava, contrary to my earlier post -you will be forced to ride faster negating the wasted time to start Strava.

Now if a person never carries a phone I can see it being a frustrating and cumbersome change to the ride routine.
Just making a point that it is silly to say Strava is bad because it takes time to start up.


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

SWriverstone said:


> Thanks for the added info-I might check it out. I'm admittedly probably a bit biased against it because app developers universally seem to think these days that everything in life is about "Community!" and "Doing things with friends!" and "Seeing what everyone else is up to!" [Add cheery music in the background with smiling 20-somethings staring at their phones and smiling harder.]
> 
> I just wish for once I could download an app that doesn't immediately start yelling at me to "Join the fun!" or "Log onto the Community Board NOW!" or "Become part of our growing community!"
> 
> I'm not a misanthrope (I'm here after all!)...but I value solitude and privacy and am turned off by the "Everything is a party where EVERYONE CAN JOIN!" concept which drives app development these days.  I miss apps that were designed for a solitary user-and don't require a constant connection to the mothership.


Just make your profile private mr grumpy pants.

Youre being unbelievably hypocritical by posting to this THIS community that lives within the Tapatalk app.

Benefits to an ogre:
Tracking your own stats.

Heat map is now integrated into map on phone. You can see routes people have taken, you can click on segments to discover 
1. How many people have ever ridden it. To give you an idea of how difficult or primative 
2. How much elevation gain is in that trail. (Find secret downhills or uphills. 
3. Click on "who has ridden Today" to get a feel for condition of the trail and if it's a mud fest. There are often comments or pictures of tires.

If you are actually friendly and ride with someone it may tell you who you rode with.

BEACON! If you ever ride in a sketchy or remote. You can send a tracking beacon to a friend or family member capable of coming and getting you if you fell or got stuck. I have gone to get people before who blew up in the back country. I found them leaning against a tree and they thought I was a mirage. Their beacon hadn't moved in over an hour.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jochribs (Nov 12, 2009)

FJSnoozer said:


> Just make your profile private mr grumpy pants.
> 
> Youre being unbelievably hypocritical by posting to this THIS community that lives within the Tapatalk app.
> 
> ...


Wtf is tapatalk?


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

jochribs said:


> Wtf is tapatalk?


I hate that advertisement.


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## jochribs (Nov 12, 2009)

dysfunction said:


> I hate that advertisement.


I'm curious if it's like living in the matrix, and not knowing about it? Would be news to me.


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## bdreynolds7 (Dec 13, 2019)

Definitely use it to track my own progress, its fun competing with yourself. I guess I'll be part of the minority here and say I like competing with my friends too, I'm not "too cool" to admit it lol


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## jrhone (May 23, 2011)

Forest Rider said:


> It takes about the same amount of time to launch and start Strava as it does to walk from the tailgate to the rear door of my pickup to grab my forgotten helmet and strap it in place.
> 
> If time were of the essense, I'd just start strava and leave my helmet behind.
> 
> ...


Agreed. I use the strata app on my Apple Watch...2 buttons to open and start a ride..or Siri can open it and one button to start a ride. One button to end the ride. It uploads automatically when I am done with the ride. Easy and fast. And yes I love how it is able to differentiate bikes and get so you can see how many miles on on your components for maintenance,


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

jrhone said:


> I use it mainly to track my performance. It validates the hard work of getting into better shape knowing how far the ride was, time, calories burned, etc. If you dont care about that...dont use it. I dont compare myself to other riders or use the social aspects of it. Its purely a tool to give me data about MY rides and how I am doing. It was nice to see how fast I was on my old bike and directly compare it to my new bike.


Same here. It's a great tool, to make sure I'm not getting lazy.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk


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## speedygz (May 12, 2020)

No. No need. I've got a little Garmin GPS watch and just use the Garmin connect app that comes as part of the purchase. I follow no one, my data is private/concealed, I use it simply out of curiosity, to see how long drivetrain parts last, and how many kms I ride each week/month/year.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

rideit said:


> ...But as I age out of PR's (I'm 55), it will probably lose some of it's appeal for me. But my friends are aging, too.


That's what the age group and "people I'm following" is for.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

rideit said:


> But as I age out of PR's (I'm 55), it will probably lose some of it's appeal for me.


I've gotten a few PR's this year, on climbs, and I'm about to turn 69. But, they are fewer and farther between.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I've been using RideWithGPS and I have it linked to my Strava account. I like it just to record my rides and especially to see how my annual mileage breaks down between my bikes (CX actually gets the most miles due to longer distances and mtb being split between three bikes). I follow about a half dozen and they follow me. I'm usually surprised when I get PRs as I don't really try for them. I do use Strava for my trail running, just to record my mileage.


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## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

There's an actual need/point to Stava in general? See more problems than solutions myself


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

I like it for road biking. I don't use it much for mtb anymore. It's good for tracking mileage, but there is no way I'd ever pay for it. When I was younger, I used it a lot, but now I just don't care enough.


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## Dirtrider127 (Sep 17, 2010)

I'm an broken old man that does a lot of solo rides, sometimes way further than I should venture so I use the record feature and send a beacon text to my wife on every ride. First time I used it she was out front watching me come around the corner to check the tracking which works great. One day, when that 'ol beacon stays in the same place for a couple of hours, she can tell my boys where to find my bike.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

I like to know how much ive descended. I also have some datum segments that I like to race me on. 

That said. I'm not using it at the moment unless its a new ride location.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

It doesn’t track ‘negative vert’, AFAIK?


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## Stop Drop N Roll (Nov 10, 2009)

I use Strava as my riding journal. I like keeping track of my rides and what I saw during my rides, deer, owl, friends etc and any mechanical issues or new gear. It’s also very useful when traveling and you want to cobble together a nice ride. Years ago I kept paper journal entries of my rides so now it’s nice to do it through Strava. Plus it’s really fun and definitely pushes you


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## ibanda (Mar 16, 2018)

I used to keep a paper training journal years ago also. I like having a record, all my Strava settings are set to private, except for 5 friends that I ride with.


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## Arm&Hammer (Dec 19, 2020)

I used to use Strava but switched to Ridewithgps last year and found that it was a lot better at tracking mileage and gave more information that I use. I did not care about others just what I was doing and it seems most posts on here are in that group and would be better off switching to Ridewithgps. I really like the recommended routes it gives me with step by step directions for rides based on my area.


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## DoctorJD (Jan 15, 2004)

I use the free version, so I'm not comparing myself against other riders my age, so the competitive aspect of the app doesn't really have any relevance for me. I'm not grabbing any KoMs at 58. I like that it journals all of my activities. I can look back and see where I was vs where I am. I like that there's almost (at least for me) this sense of accountability and peer pressure. It makes me want to get out and ride in a stealthy kind of way. If I look at my feed and I see that all my friends have been out riding, and I'm sitting on the couch eating tacos and drinking beer, it makes me a little guilty, and even a little jealous. It may not be for everyone, but I like it.


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## shadowsports (May 10, 2009)

Greetings,
I never used Strava either. Just tracked my rides the old fashioned way with a basic trip computer. I would then calculate my average speed, etc. I put this info into a spreadsheet and tracked my performance that way. In my hey day I also monitored my weight and body fat %. I have a few years of data. Now of course there is an app for just about anything fitness related, heart rate, and more. Mine was for my own knowledge, personal goals and measuring improvements in fitness, aerobic capacity, distance and average ride speed. This gave me all the info I needed to track performance. Strava, I don't need it, for some though I'm sure its great. (like @DoctorJD said above)


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

shadowsports said:


> Greetings,
> I never used Strava either. Just tracked my rides the old fashioned way with a basic trip computer. I would then calculate my average speed, etc. I put this info into a spreadsheet and tracked my performance that way. In my hey day I also monitored my weight and body fat %. I have a few years of data. Now of course there is an app for just about anything fitness related, heart rate, and more. Mine was for my own knowledge, personal goals and measuring improvements in fitness, aerobic capacity, distance and average ride speed. This gave me all the info I needed to track performance. Strava, I don't need it, for some though I'm sure its great. (like @DoctorJD said above)


I'm sure some people enjoy the process but I like having all that info (and more) without having to take the time and effort to write it all down, make calculations and keep track of piles of paper.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> There's an actual need/point to Stava in general? See more problems than solutions myself


The only 'solution' I can consider of Strava is tracking miles on gear.

What are the 'problems'. I expect you to list 2 problems to make them more than the 'solution'.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

shadowsports said:


> Greetings,
> I never used Strava either. Just tracked my rides the old fashioned way with a basic trip computer. I would then calculate my average speed, etc. I put this info into a spreadsheet and tracked my performance that way. In my hey day I also monitored my weight and body fat %. I have a few years of data. Now of course there is an app for just about anything fitness related, heart rate, and more. Mine was for my own knowledge, personal goals and measuring improvements in fitness, aerobic capacity, distance and average ride speed. This gave me all the info I needed to track performance. Strava, I don't need it, for some though I'm sure its great. (like @DoctorJD said above)





J.B. Weld said:


> I'm sure some people enjoy the process but I like having all that info (and more) without having to take the time and effort to write it all down, make calculations and keep track of piles of paper.


ha!
I use Garmin and Strava to record and input the distance calculated by the two and use an average of the 2, along with the date I rode, the amount of time I rode and the trail name/location.
Same spreadsheet is used to track parts cost and categorized by maintenance/gear/parts, etc.
The maintenance part is good for me for like fork service (because I don't do it myself). I count the number of hours between service, and the cost for parts/labor. 
I use the Strava gear feature of "fork" as my service date too.


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## provin1327 (Mar 31, 2013)

Strava is great to use for bike maintenance tracking if you use it conjunction with the Pro Bike Garage app. Sync your Strava account and add your components and any service intervals you want. Strava and the app work together to track time between services. I love it and its the main reason I use Strava. Your end of year totals/recap that Strava puts together is pretty cool too.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

I use it to track my performance.
I follow a few people, but none of us are into group riding.
Sometimes someone will do a ride that I think is a cool circuit or I didn't know was possible and it'll give me ideas for the future.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

I've found new routes by tracking the few people who pop up on segments along the remote trails I ride. Some do more hardcore routes around the area, which gives me motivation to try too. New adventure!

I used to geek out on the other data, but I've been treating it as gee whiz info lately...

I've followed some people, but it's turned into an instagram for sporty people seemingly, with me just scrolling for pics.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

SWriverstone said:


> I've avoided the Strava bandwagon for years-never had it, never cared.
> 
> But I can't help but notice it seems everywhere these days-as in, huge numbers of bikers who can't seem to live without it.
> 
> ...


I track my own performance. It's free, usually works and its on my phone that I carry anyway so what's the issue? No one cares if you use it or not.


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

Strava is for peer pressure self-application.

I'm far less likely to skip a ride/run when everyone can see me slacking.

For 10 years and counting.


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## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

SWriverstone said:


> Thanks for the perspectives. While I push myself sometimes, I'm not into personal records and generally avoid any form of competition (whether with myself or anyone else), so it sounds like I'm not really missing much with Strava.


From your perspective, no, you're not missing anything.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

I don't give a darn about trophies, etc. Just post my (Cyclemeter) gpx data there for others to see where I've been and find different routes than mine.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

rideit said:


> It doesn't track 'negative vert', AFAIK?


Typically your up = your down so it kinda does unless you turn off for shuttle uplifts. Also if you record as snowboard then it tracks the downs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Yeah, I have done all of those things, I wish there was just a ‘dh’ mode that only shows the downs for shuttle/lift days. It would help track service intervals for suspension better.


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## Ducman71 (Mar 18, 2015)

Forest Rider said:


> Just making a point that it is silly to say Strava is bad because it takes time to start up.


No disagreement here. I'm not saying Strava is bad; I use it as well, for many of the reasons you mention elsewhere here. I am saying the OP is not missing anything by not using it, based on his perspectives shared. And as a bonus, for him, it's one less thing to think about at the start and end of each ride. Like most things in life, if you see a clear need for something, accommodating that thing becomes second nature. If you don't see a clear need for something, accommodating that thing would be a PITA.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

OP here—thanks again for the info. I have no "problem" with Strava because I don't know anything about it (and it's faster to just ask others about it than download it and use it myself to find out, LOL)—I use another navigational app (Topo Maps+) that I record GPS tracks for most of my rides with...so was just curious if there was some "big thing" in Strava (aside from social functions) that makes it worth using over other nav/tracking apps? (Sounds like there isn't.)


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

SWriverstone said:


> OP here-thanks again for the info. I have no "problem" with Strava because I don't know anything about it (and it's faster to just ask others about it than download it and use it myself to find out, LOL)-I use another navigational app (Topo Maps+) that I record GPS tracks for most of my rides with...so was just curious if there was some "big thing" in Strava (aside from social functions) that makes it worth using over other nav/tracking apps? (Sounds like there isn't.)


When I signed up years ago I literally googled "Strava" while driving to the trailhead and then clicked "download". By the time I arrived all was set and then I clicked "start ride"

Honestly I think it was less time and effort than starting a thread. Not that I think there's anything wrong with starting a thread about it because I don't.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

Yeah, I still can't comprehend "having to start and stop a ride (recording) by thinking about it" as being a thing.
I take more time to check tire pressure on a tire that didn't need air.
I spend more time getting drinks ready so I can be sure to have a spare bottle of water to drive home with that I didn't actually drink that day.


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## Purulento (Aug 27, 2009)

Global heatmap (to explore new rides) and logging component's mileage are the "big thing" for me...


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## neeko b (May 12, 2016)

The mobile heatmap in the map section of the App that you can view while riding was a game changer for navigating confusing terrain, especially places with lots of criss crossing double track where I used to get lost. Getting a little lost was fun yeah but ain't nobody got time for that.


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## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

SWriverstone said:


> OP here—thanks again for the info. I have no "problem" with Strava because I don't know anything about it (and it's faster to just ask others about it than download it and use it myself to find out, LOL)—I use another navigational app (Topo Maps+) that I record GPS tracks for most of my rides with...so was just curious if there was some "big thing" in Strava (aside from social functions) that makes it worth using over other nav/tracking apps? (Sounds like there isn't.)


The biggest advantages I can see vs. other options (and one of the reasons I've stuck with it as the central place for looking at my workout data) is that it's probably the most common integration option across different apps and devices.

Some of the reasons for that:

Having a free option that's "good enough" for most people means that they've built up a pretty big user base
They've been around long enough to have a bit of a first-mover advantage
They support both iOS and Android
They've done more work to open up their APIs for data access / import / export than most of their competitors
I have a fitness tracker -- the only options for syncing data outside of their proprietary software are Google, Apple... and Strava.

I tried a heart rate to power meter app over the winter for tracking rides on a stationary bike -- it could export raw data... or sync data to Strava.

My work has a wellness program -- it can get data from a few proprietary device makers (Polar / Garmin / Fitbit)... or it can get data from Strava.

Last summer I started trying out different apps to record data that included speed & cadence sensors along with an external heart rate monitor -- found a few different options that would all store data... the big thing they had in common was that all would sync workouts to Strava.


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## ShakyDog (Oct 24, 2019)

Only use for the Beacon, so the wife knows where I am on the ride and if I spend too much time at one spot on the trail...
It is nice to see when I beat a time, but I am not out to beat times, I am out to ride.

Steve

"And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul"
John Muir


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## Yootah (Jun 30, 2017)

I can only speak for myself, but my primary use for Strava is to track my miles and watch myself get faster over time. The gamification keeps me motivated.

I also use it to see where friends are riding and whatnot. But you could take that away and I'd still use it.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

SWriverstone said:


> So here's my question: if I don't give a flip about comparing my performance from one ride to the next...and don't give a flip about how fast other people ride the same trail/segment I'm on...and I definitely am not looking for the "most popular rides and segments," then is there any point to using Strava???


No.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

jochribs said:


> Wtf is tapatalk?


Seriously. 
Nothing I've ever used or heard anything about aside from seeing it show up at the bottom of some people's posts here.


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## NC_Foothills_Rider (11 mo ago)

I mainly use it to log my rides and hikes. But I'm not going to lie. When I did manage to get #1 on a short DH segment at my home trail for "this year" it felt pretty good. A long way from KOMs due to my advanced age adn the fact that pro or extremely skilled and fit riders stop in once in a while (or is it e-bikes lol) and get KOMS, then never come back. When you see a loop the majority of 'fast' people take 1:00 and all of the sudden a guy shows up with 47:00 you know that guy is elite fitness or on an e-bike.

I've always been a competitor and Strava lets me compete with myself mostly. The feeling of 'winning' actually raises testosterone. And for older men, that's a good thing.

I see Strava as a win/win.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

Reminds me of the people who get warned to not weigh self so often (without recording it) during weight loss programs.

I get the impression that data is counterproductive for types who are more reactive (than proactive).


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## Octopuss (May 30, 2020)

I use Strava so I have an idea how much I ride. I don't care about speed and other stuff. I simply use it as a kind of riding/running log.


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## wolfmw (Dec 18, 2020)

I mostly use it to find secret trails I can poach 

but really, as others have said using the heat map to see what routes others take is pretty useful, especially if you're new to an area. Also a good activity log for no effort other than pushing start on my Garmin.


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## StayVigilant35 (8 mo ago)

I just use it to track my rides and stats right now


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## R3aPerCr3W (11 mo ago)

Well why do you care about about others ,, its all about self tracking and self goal ... and what was that flip about again ?


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