# Insane Strava times anti-passion



## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Has anyone noticed crazy Strava segment times, especially on downhills?

Nearly all of my downhill times are roughly doubled by whoever has the KOM. I can see someone being faster than me, but literally 2x or 2.5x faster, on some places I ride, seems impossible.

That and I am normally halfway up on the list or below. There are few riders faster than me, with the very vast majority in the area being a great deal slower. I don't really understand it. I still like Strava for recording my personal bests, and recording my ride, but it takes the fun out of the ride when the times are not realistic.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

So, there are faster bananas? Seems plausible. I see it myself but I realize that I'm just getting closer to middle of the strava pack. I ride with friends that will just smoke a downhill run on a similar bike as mine, and be waiting at the bottom for minutes. All the while I'm thinking how could I possibly go faster over this sh!t?! Experience, and sometimes lack of self preservation, prevails.


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## casnell (Jul 25, 2009)

There's apparently a way of altering your time afterwards. One of my fave uphills is about 200m long and stops at a stop sign - the KOM allegedly went 137 km/h !!!! next fastest I about 30 km/h, possible but the rest are all about 10-15 km/h.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

They arent 140mph insane, but 30mph average on a 1 miles technical downhill is not likely. Its also not likely that the fastest guy is 5 mph faster than the next best rider.

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## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

I get some crazy readings sometimes. I had to delete a 30 mile ride last summer because I got KOM on a climb that I stopped in the middle of to answer a text message. Every other segment I was mid pack.


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## redwarrior (Apr 12, 2007)

FastBanana said:


> ... but it takes the fun out of the ride when the times are not realistic.


I'm not asking to be a jerk, but are you serious with this ^ ?

It takes the fun out of your ride because someone else is faster than you?


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## Iamrockandroll13 (Feb 10, 2013)

Used to feel the same way until I realized most of them are held by pro racers...If I can't beat a KOM by Jeremiah Bishop or Mark Weir...I'm ok with that. haha


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

redwarrior said:


> I'm not asking to be a jerk, but are you serious with this ^ ?
> 
> It takes the fun out of your ride because someone else is faster than you?


Yeah, that seems a bit extreme. :lol:

I love me some Strava from the standpoint that it inventories all my rides and since this all started for me as a means of physical recovery, it has helped me immensely in charting my improvement. If I were to get uber butthurt over someone being faster than me on any particular segment....well, I'd have shot myself a long time ago! :lol:


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## pharmaboy (Nov 11, 2005)

You ve got to learn how strava works. Sometimes strava starts a segment late particularly when there is a turn . Unfortunately most people who set segments have no idea how to ensure accurate timing. 

However there are some really fast people out there that turn a technical downhill trail into a balls out straight line where momentum is their friend ( and the local ED)


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## Surestick Malone (Jan 24, 2004)

DigitalEPO.com


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Surestick Malone said:


> DigitalEPO.com


Dear GOD!

That's disgusting. :nonod:


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

redwarrior said:


> I'm not asking to be a jerk, but are you serious with this ^ ?
> 
> It takes the fun out of your ride because someone else is faster than you?


Not the fun out of riding, it takes the fun out of strava.

Ill just ignore the other times and focus on PRs

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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i recorded a top speed of over 60mph yesterday. 

sure thing...


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## Iamrockandroll13 (Feb 10, 2013)

FastBanana said:


> Not the fun out of riding, it takes the fun out of strava.
> 
> Ill just ignore the other times and focus on PRs
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


There you go...that's how you do it. It's a tool to improve your riding, not a video game. I know quite a few people that have gone to the ER because they approached DH segments with the 'video game' attitude. It gets real fast when you crash and end flying 30 feet through the air in a tree head first.


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## criscobike (Feb 21, 2013)

I forgot once to turn off my strava app after a ride. I got TONS of KOM's as I drove home. The next day, I got a "flagged" message from Strava and it was deleted. I laughed about it. If you really care that much, flag it to the company.


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## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

We recently opened a new section of trail. As the trail builders we had bombed it many times and felt pretty good about our speed. You can hold a speed close to a fast MTB road ride down the hill - maybe 30kph. Someone has a Strava time with an average speed of 45kph. I find it hard to believe even Chris Kovarik could do that, but maybe I'm wrong as he does ride here.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Ridnparadise said:


> We recently opened a new section of trail. As the trail builders we had bombed it many times and felt pretty good about our speed. You can hold a speed close to a fast MTB road ride down the hill - maybe 30kph. Someone has a Strava time with an average speed of 45kph. I find it hard to believe even Chris Kovarik could do that, but maybe I'm wrong as he does ride here.


Maybe someone is ripping around on an electric downhill bike?

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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

I use Strava to track my own rides and thats it. I got a KOM one day riding and I dont even know where it was let alone care. Dont let others bother you if your having fun.


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## The Yetti (Dec 22, 2005)

I've had issues lately with Strava. My last ride said I did 22 miles in 36 minutes with an average speed of 39mph and a top speed of 117mph! 32:16 gearing on my SS means my avg top speed is around half of that average.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

there's a free app called GPS Test that the strava people suggested i use to help solve my problems in the past...when my distances, speeds and times were way the hell off. supposedly, using the reset tool does the trick.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chartcross.gpstest


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## ser jameson (Jun 24, 2012)

I'm second place on a segment thats 14% grade, on a loose gravel road. Strava says he was going 35 mph up hill. I'll never get that KoM LOL. 
I figure it's a GPS glitch.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Nobody uses it where I live...heck, hardly anyone even rides...so if I wanted, I could be KOM of all my rides.


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## ZmyDust (May 13, 2011)

All my KOMs are hard earned and well deserved....


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Update: when for a rode today, and was near the top on all segments. Some times are still dumb though. Someone is ridig a dirtbike at night.

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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

According to Strava, today I did a short stretch at the very beginning of my 10 mile ride on my Stumpjumper that reached 107mph. Strava ROCKS!


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## DanD (Jan 15, 2004)

The Yetti said:


> I've had issues lately with Strava. My last ride said I did 22 miles in 36 minutes with an average speed of 39mph and a top speed of 117mph! 32:16 gearing on my SS means my avg top speed is around half of that average.


Well, don't sell yourself short. I'm sure those are legitimate figures. It just reflects all of that training you've done. If I were you I'd be more upset that I failed to hit 120 on that one climb, after that sharp left switchback.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I don't even bother with the overall rankings any more. I switch immediately to 'My Results' and see how I have done over time. It actually serves a motivator _for me_, because it helps give me perspective on how I'm doing vs how I felt today. And all of my rides started around the time my kid was born, so it's nice to see I haven't fallen that far off.

I never expect to be as fast as a lot of the guys on Strava. Just faster than my friends.


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## tims5377 (Oct 20, 2010)

You guys have it all wrong. Mountain biking is all about being the best. If you aren't the fastest, don't have the most expensive bike, don't shave your legs, chest and taint then you aren't trying hard enough. 

If you aren't first, you're last


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

I stopped worrying about strava mtb downhill times

1) I can get close to KOM...all it takes is total risk of spinal fracture. A KOM downhill means you basically have more balls and sheer luck than the last guy

2) I have seen some impossible times...like a sudden 20 second jump on a common downhill segment that -in no way- is it possible, yet someones GPS logged it as such

3) I can control an MTB in almost any terrain at any speed, but chasing MTB downhills on strava is the scariest thing I have done lately. so i stopped. trees are much wow

4) Uphills are the only thing I think counts. a KOM here is all power and a lot less risk


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## UPSed (Dec 26, 2010)

KOMs? Do what I do. Pay 6 bucks a month for the premium version and use the filters. Male, 45-54, over 200lbs and BAM! Instant KOM!


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## Ladmo (Jan 11, 2013)

I'm always very happy when I can complete a longer climbing section in less than twice as long as the (legitimate) record time. Elite athletes are elite for a reason.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

If I'm on the first page of results, I'll glance at other people's GPS tracks. I often don't even look at the segments I record on a ride. So I could be glitching my way into really good rankings at times. I don't assume other people are better about it. Sometimes I see a glitch, often because the start/end points of the segment are too close to an intermediate point. I've never seen a track that looked like digital EPO, and much as I'd like some people's insane times to be in vehicles, if they were, the person was really disciplined about keeping it physically possible for the entire ride.

Trails with switchbacks sometimes get bad GPS matches that cut off one switchback or something like that. If I'm in the mood to care, I'll make a new version that's more robust.

Really, Strava mostly tells me something I already know: I'm fast on a non-technical climb, have inspired moments but am not terribly consistent on technical climbs, and am slow on descents. I started MTB racing in 2009, and figured all that out pretty quickly, no segments or rankings needed.

If you want to compete, pin a number on and do it for real. Otherwise, just enjoy Strava for the toy that it is.


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## jrastories (Aug 2, 2008)

I find Strava to be a little humbling, I'm not as fast as I think I am just because nobody passes me while I am out riding by myself and I'm the fastest in my group of friends doesn't mean that I'm the fastest in the area. 

I have had the opourtunity to race with some national champions out there and they make me look like I don't even know how to ride a trail. 

If you are looking at downhill segments you don't know what type of bike the guy is on, if he is a competitive downhiller or enduro racer, on a 6 inch bike. or if they are just a world class bike handler and ride that trail every day and can ride it in there sleep. I am sure that some of the flat road sections that I ride and am more then half way down the segment leader board, people are riding them with massive tail winds in groups to get some speeds that they hit. or they could just be doing a full out effort for the section, I am not sure. That is why I like racing, lets me compete with people under the same types of conditions on the same day. 

If strava KOM's mean that much to you get out there and ride and train your hardest to close in on some of those times.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

UPSed said:


> KOMs? Do what I do. Pay 6 bucks a month for the premium version and use the filters. Male, 45-54, over 200lbs and BAM! Instant KOM!


I just spit out my coffee!

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

jrastories said:


> I find Strava to be a little humbling, I'm not as fast as I think I am just because nobody passes me while I am out riding by myself and I'm the fastest in my group of friends doesn't mean that I'm the fastest in the area.
> 
> I have had the opourtunity to race with some national champions out there and they make me look like I don't even know how to ride a trail.
> 
> ...


Well put. It really is just a toy, however I am doing a enduro season this year so i will really get a chance to see just how poor of a rider i am.

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## frdfandc (Sep 5, 2007)

FastBanana said:


> but it takes the fun out of the ride when the times are not realistic.


I think it takes the fun out of it because your spending too much time dwelling on what the Strava lists are instead of enjoying your rides.

Turn off the app and go ride. Who gives a f#@% about Strava. I only use Strava to keep track of my rides and see how I did against myself. That's it. I don't care who is faster or slower than I am.


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## pharmaboy (Nov 11, 2005)

If you want to be faster so you can ride easier with mates or ride longer etc, then strava provides great training motivation to make a special effort for a a couple of minutes. I also use it on long circuits to keep me going hard - when riding by yourself it's if the hard to keep on the hammer for a full 30minutes or hour and strava helps that.

But don't bother with downhills, I have sprained a thumb, had a wife come and pick me up kind of crash and fractured my clavicle going for downhills.


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## Fleezus (Aug 27, 2013)

Where I live (Nevada City) the KOM's are all held by pros. I went to high school with a multiple Downieville Downhill winner who still lives in our home town. It's normal for them to be twice as fast as I am up and down. All I care about is seeing those PR indicators consistently.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2014)

I'm a Strava newb and not a tech kinda guy at all. Some technology is useful and lots of it is useless. I've used Strava a total of 3 times, all this month. My first two logged rides were a week apart, identical route, exactly the same. Strava says the first ride was 9.5 miles, 2650' climbing. The second, same exact ride, Strava said was 10.5 miles and 2975' climbing. 

So obvious to conclude my first impression of Strava is that while it's pretty neat and fun to use it's not 100% accurate. I like it and will continue using the free version but won't worry much about accuracy all the time.


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## AMjunky (Apr 29, 2013)

More and more people are using Strava and KOMs are not as easy to snag as they were a few years ago. To get a KOM you pretty much have to go all out balls to the wall. The downhill KOMS have to be insanely fast you have to comfortable plowing over rock gardens and dodging trees at 20mph+. If things go wrong at those speeds it will get ugly if you go down. I have run into a few segments were times are just too hard to believe though all of them are climbs, then I run into the guy who set them and it all makes sense. There are some sick casual and pro riders out there. Then there are segments where it is obvious someone is out there on a motorbike or there is some funny business going on.

Equipment plays a big roll, if you have a light weight all carbon super bike with all the goodies you have a decent advantage over a guy with a similar level of fitness on an aluminum bike with heavier wheels. Then you have wheel size all of which are superior on different types of segments. I have been chasing a few KOMS only to realize that the guy beating me is on a significantly lighter cross bike, though in my experience that is a disadvantage on the trails I ride, on a smooth climb yeah it will win. 

On the road there are some serious Strava sharks swimming out there. Though keep in mind a good amount of the road KOMs are set on time trial bikes.

I set a KOM today on a super technical segment but I didn’t keep it. I set it on a fat bike with all the technical features of the trail buried under 2 feet of snow, not exactly fair to the other guy who risked serious injury setting the KOM so I made the ride private. Though setting a KOM on a fat bike is not easy, just getting the damn thing up to speed and keeping it there is hard enough, then you got to keep it on the trail and pray your front wheel does not slip off the beaten path into deep snow sending you over the bars.


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## Dougie (Aug 29, 2004)

I guess I'm in the minority of riders that don't see much use in something like Strava. Aside from training for a race and/or setting specific goals for yourself it seems like it might otherwise have negative effects, particularly if you value your "rank" against other riders. 

I'd rather be among those with HIGH Strava times. Those people are on their bikes longer.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Strava explicitly allows "weather doping" when they do challenges. I'd say if you and your fat bike won a segment, keep it.

I'd also argue that having good Strava times doesn't necessarily mean I'm on my bike less. There's a part of me that's disappointed at how short some of my favorite loops are when I ride them like I mean it and non-stop. But I also lap them, go further into the trail systems, do variations, etc. And when I'm targeting a racing season, I typically end up spending more time on my bike. So between going a little faster at times and riding more hours, I cover a lot more miles than in periods when I'm riding more casually.

I should mention that I was starting to do a lot of that stuff long before I joined Strava. I think the only riding behavior of mine that it's changed is how I pace myself during races in the 1-2 hour range.


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## Locool (Feb 25, 2006)

Dougie said:


> I'd rather be among those with HIGH Strava times. Those people are on their bikes longer.


High Strava times riders maybe in the segments longer, but prolly not on the bikes longer. Lower Strava times riders get there for being on the bike longer. Some of their rides are pretty impressive. Just sayin...


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## FujNoob (Dec 20, 2009)

Strava has limitations. According to their tech support you only need to go through the stop and end points of a segment and ride about 75% of the segment to get a time on the segment. This limitation allows people to take shortcuts and achieve faster times. Some do it on purpose and others are completely unaware. I notice that for me Strava and the Android phone I use shorts me about 1/4 mile per mile of distance I ride while in the woods but gets it almost completely correct on the road. The only thing Strava does well for me is let me see how I compare against myself. It’s a nice tool but I can’t take it too seriously.


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## Dougie (Aug 29, 2004)

Locool said:


> Some of their rides are pretty impressive. Just sayin...


Maybe to you. I'm more impressed by those that just go out and ride with complete disregard to the figurative measuring stick that's becoming all too popular. Those are the guys I try to ride with.


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## SylentK (Aug 9, 2004)

Yeah lots of things have to go right for a rider to get a KOM these days. Weather, trail conditions, traffic on the trail, etc. all have to be just right. But if you get to around the top 10, you can tell when/if a time is fake or a glitch or whatever. I think the only person who might get butt hurt on that is the ex-KOM holder. If they want to take it up with the Strava Police, fine. I could care less, tho. It's not a perfect system and I'm just happy to be riding my bike with or without sweet strava times.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Don't be stravatard. What are you a roadie?


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## jjaguar (Oct 6, 2011)

FujNoob said:


> I notice that for me Strava and the Android phone I use shorts me about 1/4 mile per mile of distance I ride while in the woods but gets it almost completely correct on the road.


That's more a limitation of the phone's GPS losing signal than with Strava. A dedicated GPS could possibly be more accurate in the woods because it has a more capable receiver that gets better satellite reception. But that's another point - someone using the Strava app on a smartphone could very well glitch themselves ahead of a rider with a Garmin and 1-second recording. It might go the other way too, if the phone app is consistently shortchanging your rides.


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## TwoNin9r (Jan 26, 2011)

(zips up flame suit tightly) 

Anyone want to give a brief explanation of what strava is and why it's so talked about in this forum? 

(please don't hurt me) 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk


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## markymark (Oct 30, 2004)




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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

TwoNin9r said:


> (zips up flame suit tightly)
> 
> Anyone want to give a brief explanation of what strava is and why it's so talked about in this forum?
> 
> ...


strava is a free web site which allows you to manually enter workouts or automatically upload them from your garmin or other GPS, and can overlay your rides on everyone elses ride and you can see how fast you are vs everyone else, all over earth. it automatically tracks and shows your own personal records on segments you commonly ride. you can also create new segments and see who else is riding your secret stash. this is all free

it is a good logging and workout tool, and you can also pay for premium access and get more bells and whistles

I use a garmin edge 500, and when I ride, I start it. when I am done, I stop it, connect to my computer, upload to strava, and it does all the rest. then I can go look at my ride and see all the other riders that did any segments on my ride loop and who is fastest and how many people are doing it (with gps's of course)

it is fun, but some people become Strava snipers and intentionally try for KOM's which is fun in itself. some segments are very popular (famous places) and might become a hazard if too many people go for KOM's...such as a MUP and someone wants to run sprints on a crowded MUP. a member of strava can request that, that segment be deleted from logging KOM so no one has reason to hammer on it and be a dick and possibly hurt themselves or others. so some segments will log what you did, but won't have a public KOM time listed. also some downhills where people have been injured, someone wanted to sue Strava for 'leading them on' so to speak, so Strava now is able to -delist- times for any 'controversial' segments


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## TwoNin9r (Jan 26, 2011)

oh wow, that's kind of awesome. I wonder if it'll work with my Suunto Ambit II


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## FujNoob (Dec 20, 2009)

jjaguar said:


> That's more a limitation of the phone's GPS losing signal than with Strava. A dedicated GPS could possibly be more accurate in the woods because it has a more capable receiver that gets better satellite reception. But that's another point - someone using the Strava app on a smartphone could very well glitch themselves ahead of a rider with a Garmin and 1-second recording. It might go the other way too, if the phone app is consistently shortchanging your rides.


You are correct on the limitation of the smartphone gps. It is a Strava fault that allows a rider to cut about 1/4 of a segment and still get credit for the time. I just use the program to compare me to me.


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## Locool (Feb 25, 2006)

Just started Strava, a Garmin GPS device for X-mas, and I dig it. I like it for relative and virtual competition. Strava aids in working harder in some segments, keeping me focus and motivated, and it is a kick to see a PR, and a gradual climb up the YTD and All-Time lists after a ride. Very satisfying form of tracking progress. As for KOMs, forgetaboutit, for me anyways. My goals are top 100 out of 500+ riders.

The top 50 times, especially the climbing segments, are way above my capabilities, and way above what I can imagine. They are uber fast.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

TwoNin9r said:


> oh wow, that's kind of awesome. I wonder if it'll work with my Suunto Ambit II


Probably. It accepts a couple formats. You just need to be able to get them onto your computer. Create an account and click the upload button. All the options are right there.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

TwoNin9r said:


> (zips up flame suit tightly)
> 
> Anyone want to give a brief explanation of what strava is and why it's so talked about in this forum?
> 
> ...


Because its the cause of a lot of douchery and ass-pains, yet so addicting.

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I've always thought that people who use Strava and ride like douches would have ridden like douches before discovering Strava too.


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

I don't even have a smart phone. I'm consistently haunted by the fact I might be KOM and not even know it...


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## FujNoob (Dec 20, 2009)

AndrwSwitch said:


> I've always thought that people who use Strava and ride like douches would have ridden like douches before discovering Strava too.


Strava acts as a douche amplifier.

On my ride today Strava gave me credit for a segment I didn't even ride.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

There's a MTB trail that runs parallel to a road on a popular road route near where I used to live. If anyone tried to make it a segment, it got sniped by people riding by on road bikes. Doubt they even knew it.

I guess I can see douche amplifier. Although so many things can amplify a douchey rider's douchiness - another rider in front of them, riding with other douches, the phase of the moon...


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## Iamrockandroll13 (Feb 10, 2013)

AndrwSwitch said:


> I've always thought that people who use Strava and ride like douches would have ridden like douches before discovering Strava too.


correct, but now they can ride like a-holes while screaming "Strava!", as if it somehow gives them the right of way on a trail no matter what, thus increasing the levels of douchebaggery. Most people who use it are not complete jerks...but like anything, the minority that are ruin it for everyone else.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

Iamrockandroll13 said:


> correct, but now they can ride like a-holes while screaming "Strava!", as if it somehow gives them the right of way on a trail no matter what, thus increasing the levels of douchebaggery. Most people who use it are not complete jerks...but like anything, the minority that are ruin it for everyone else.


Ha I have blasted past a parking lot full of bikers (I ride my bike to trails, btw) and yelled '''Strava'''!!! whilst on the rivet hammering just as a joke. but really I basically ride my arse off anyhow

if I am seeking KOM and someone is in the way I just turn around and try again, attempting to push past ain't that great if it isn't a race


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## Surfdog93 (May 30, 2005)

I ride XC on my own most of the time, so Strava is fun and a great motivator to ride faster/more efficiently. On a negative, a couple of months ago a Strava-Maniac-Stalker-Dude asked to 'follow me'….normally not a problem. But this guy was obsessed and started following my trail rides in person. I would post a new PR or KOM, then the next day he would be out there on the same segment. Then I was getting the Strava 'Uh oh message" that Stalker-Dude just took the KOM. So, I cut him off and went to private format.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Surfdog93 said:


> I ride XC on my own most of the time, so Strava is fun and a great motivator to ride faster/more efficiently. On a negative, a couple of months ago a Strava-Maniac-Stalker-Dude asked to 'follow me'&#8230;.normally not a problem. But this guy was obsessed and started following my trail rides in person. I would post a new PR or KOM, then the next day he would be out there on the same segment. Then I was getting the Strava 'Uh oh message" that Stalker-Dude just took the KOM. So, I cut him off and went to private format.


Thats creepy.


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## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

FastBanana said:


> Thats creepy.


Creepy Strava; the place where digital and physical obsessions meet!


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

Surfdog93 said:


> I ride XC on my own most of the time, so Strava is fun and a great motivator to ride faster/more efficiently. On a negative, a couple of months ago a Strava-Maniac-Stalker-Dude asked to 'follow me'&#8230;.normally not a problem. But this guy was obsessed and started following my trail rides in person. I would post a new PR or KOM, then the next day he would be out there on the same segment. Then I was getting the Strava 'Uh oh message" that Stalker-Dude just took the KOM. So, I cut him off and went to private format.


:ihih: "Hu-hey hey hey. You can be king of my mountain any time."


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

I don't Strava. I'd say if you want to know how you stack up against others, the only real way to know is to enter a race. I've always fancied myself a decent rider, usually faster than my buddies on the down. So I entered a DH race a couple of years ago and an Enduro race last year. Both races I finished mid-pack in my age group, but was totally gobsmacked by how fast the "pro" class is. It's another level.

I would think Strava is good for tracking your progress if you are training, but when it comes to comparing yourself to other riders, nothing compares to an actual race. Plus, usually mountain bike races have a good vibe and it's a good way to meet other/faster riders...


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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

Yeah but theres alot of people that dont want to race or are to self concious to try it.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

dirtrider76 said:


> Yeah but theres alot of people that dont want to race or are to self concious to try it.


Do I need spandex to race? Is spandex enduro?


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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

FastBanana said:


> Do I need spandex to race? Is spandex enduro?


Not at all where I was going.


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## NoahColorado (Aug 3, 2004)

I love Strava. It keeps me motivated to push it when I'm riding and helps me set goals. Most of my friends use it as well, and that helps me keep tabs on what they're riding. If I see a segment getting ridden a lot that's a pretty good indication that it's fun. I don't always "go for it" but sometimes on a ride if I know there is a segment I'll put in an extra effort - but you gotta shut it down if you run into anyone.

Also, I love getting KOMs....especially heavily contested ones. I'm kinda a segment Nazi - it drives me crazy when people make dumb segments or misspell segment names. I mean seriously, I can't believe there are adults that don't know the difference between descent and decent. There are a couple local trails with "holy" in the name and several segments where people spell it "holly".....

Another cool thing about Strava, I follow a few pro riders and it's really interesting to see what they're riding and how much time they dedicate to training. Jared Graves, for instance, is an f-ing animal.


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## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

Surfdog93 said:


> I ride XC on my own most of the time, so Strava is fun and a great motivator to ride faster/more efficiently. On a negative, a couple of months ago a Strava-Maniac-Stalker-Dude asked to 'follow me'&#8230;.normally not a problem. But this guy was obsessed and started following my trail rides in person. I would post a new PR or KOM, then the next day he would be out there on the same segment. Then I was getting the Strava 'Uh oh message" that Stalker-Dude just took the KOM. So, I cut him off and went to private format.


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## RaythePedaler (Feb 10, 2014)

I just like it for my own PR, it's all about that continuous personal improvement.

Some kom are obviously dirt bikes or cars, I know no one was averaging 30mph+ on a sandy climb, or 40mph on a 30 mile road loop.

It's like video games, the top scores are all glitches or hackers, and those with skills are a few pages back in the ranks.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

dirtrider76 said:


> Yeah but theres alot of people that dont want to race or are to self concious to try it.


It took me a while to try my first XC race. I was still riding my little red Hardrock and I was afraid I'd get weird attitude about my bike or everyone would be super-serious.

It actually was a lot of fun when I finally gave it a shot. Certainly by the front end of Sport class, people are pretty serious. But that doesn't really exclude having fun. The intensity is pretty awesome. And one works up to Sport. All the competitive riders I've met have been pretty supportive too, and I've loved both teams I've ridden for.

Ironically, I feel like there's more attitude and weirdness among explicitly rec. riders. I think the competition is right there in the open with racers. It's still there on a rec. ride, but people find other ways to express it. Not everyone, of course. But I feel like I run into more.


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## slyfink (Apr 15, 2004)

AndrwSwitch said:


> It took me a while to try my first XC race. I was still riding my little red Hardrock and I was afraid I'd get weird attitude about my bike or everyone would be super-serious.
> 
> It actually was a lot of fun when I finally gave it a shot. Certainly by the front end of Sport class, people are pretty serious. But that doesn't really exclude having fun. The intensity is pretty awesome. And one works up to Sport. All the competitive riders I've met have been pretty supportive too, and I've loved both teams I've ridden for.
> 
> Ironically, I feel like there's more attitude and weirdness among explicitly rec. riders. I think the competition is right there in the open with racers. It's still there on a rec. ride, but people find other ways to express it. Not everyone, of course. But I feel like I run into more.


this. it surprised me too.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

slyfink said:


> this. it surprised me too.


I agree that races tend to be very chill. However, the riders I rode with are very chill too. The only competitiveness i see is in regards to paceline order. It really irks me when sketchy riders jump in front of me for a downhill.

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

^^^
Just wait. It doesn't work as well with mountain biking, but with skiing I always give the person in front of me four turns before dropping in. You still get your choice about whether you wait for someone at the top of a section of trail, at the bottom, or while breathing down his neck and making him even sketchier.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

FastBanana said:


> Has anyone noticed crazy Strava segment times, especially on downhills?
> 
> Nearly all of my downhill times are roughly doubled by whoever has the KOM. I can see someone being faster than me, but literally 2x or 2.5x faster, on some places I ride, seems impossible.
> 
> That and I am normally halfway up on the list or below. There are few riders faster than me, with the very vast majority in the area being a great deal slower. I don't really understand it. I still like Strava for recording my personal bests, and recording my ride, but it takes the fun out of the ride when the times are not realistic.


Strava might be good to see what the general spread of times are if you have a number of runs to aggregate, but the outlying points (especially the fastest) are pretty meaningless. The timing is unreliable, and you can fudge the data, anyway.

If you don't like seeing outrageous, exaggerated claims mountain biking strength, skill, and fearlessness, you better get off of MTBR ASAP.


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