# Found Strava useful, now I don`t...............



## speccy1 (7 Jul 2016)

I used to be very "bah humbug" when it came to Strava, and being competitive, but slowly, it grew on me and I started to get the bug, getting faster and fitter as time went on.

Now, I`m finding the opposite, I feel slow and useless, I`ve scraped together 4 KOM`s in the last 3 years when others have hundreds, all of which I`ve lost to the same bloke who is doing it to get on my tits (trust me I know!). I worked hard for those trophies and can`t even keep them.

Now I am demoralised, sick of riding to the point of throwing up, and hacked off with the whole thing. I get no reward for it, and when I do somebody takes the p*ss out of me.

What happened to just riding a bloody bike??


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## ianrauk (7 Jul 2016)

*Strexit *is the answer.


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## User32269 (7 Jul 2016)

Maybe, just ride your bike?
I even got rid of my basic bike computer and gave it to my little lad. 
Free yourself!


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## speccy1 (7 Jul 2016)

ianrauk said:


> *Strexit *is the answer.


Just discovered that, can`t agree more with it, thanks for the link, made my evening


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## Soltydog (7 Jul 2016)

Another option, when you get a KOM set your ride to private  Nobody knows you've got it then, so they don't go chasing it. It doesn't show up as a KOM, but you'll know you've got it & that's all that matters


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## shouldbeinbed (7 Jul 2016)

Binned all of the tyrannical electronic gadgets ages ago and have never signed up for tracking apps. 

I'm not against them but I ride because I like riding not because I want to compete with myself or anyone else and am not that bothered about my mileage down to the nearest yard.


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## speccy1 (7 Jul 2016)

Soltydog said:


> Another option, when you get a KOM set your ride to private  Nobody knows you've got it then, so they don't go chasing it. It doesn't show up as a KOM, but you'll know you've got it & that's all that matters


Didn`t know you could do that


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## speccy1 (7 Jul 2016)

Soltydog said:


> Another option, when you get a KOM set your ride to private  Nobody knows you've got it then, so they don't go chasing it. It doesn't show up as a KOM, but you'll know you've got it & that's all that matters


The "uh-oh" email is annoying enough, without the same annoying tW*T emailing me too just to rub my nose in it, he`s done it to every one I`ve had, and although it`s only a bit of fun I could do without that crap


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## speccy1 (7 Jul 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> Binned all of the tyrannical electronic gadgets ages ago and have never signed up for tracking apps.
> 
> I'm not against them but I ride because I like riding not because I want to compete with myself or anyone else and am not that bothered about my mileage down to the nearest yard.


That`s what I`m going to be doing from now on


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## classic33 (8 Jul 2016)

All I've got is a Cateye computer recording distance(including total), speed & average speed.

Used more to record total distance than anything else.


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## simon.r (8 Jul 2016)

I can only dream of a KOM. I managed 62nd (of 2990) on a segment yesterday and was chuffed to bits!


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## Shut Up Legs (8 Jul 2016)

classic33 said:


> All I've got is a Cateye computer recording distance(including total), speed & average speed.
> 
> Used more to record total distance than anything else.


Similar here, except it's a Garmin. I'm only interested in the total distance and climbing, really, as I like to build up endurance not speed.
By the way, here's the OpenStreetMap view of the last big hill on my 31km ride home every weekday. Look at all the contour lines going up the hill on Craig Rd. I can safely say that this hill alone contributes significantly to my overall fitness!


http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/-37.80513/145.20818&layers=C


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## BSRU (8 Jul 2016)

On RWGPS I do not take part in any public segments, only private segments I have created which means only one person is going to better my time


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## Oldfentiger (8 Jul 2016)

I use Strava, but only to check my own improvement. Even that is counter productive sometimes. If I set a PR with a howling backwind it's gonna be difficult to match or beat.
I take little notice of other people's performance, but I take some satisfaction when I can just sneak into the top half occasionally.


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## Erudin (8 Jul 2016)

You could have some fun creating bonkers convoluted segments that would not suit your opponent, perhaps starting on a road bike, then wading across a river and swapping to a waiting mountain bike and a muddy track.


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## T4tomo (8 Jul 2016)

I use it for basic logging of mileage, but use Velo viewer as the analysis, comparing myself to myself. There are so many silly segments near me that I don't even bother looking at them


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## Shut Up Legs (8 Jul 2016)

Does your house have a long corridor? Create a segment inside the house.


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## kiriyama (8 Jul 2016)

Strava is great as long as you have the right attitude towards it. I used to feel so frustrated and cheated if the gps went wrong and I lost half my ride. Almost as if the ride was pointless! But once you get over the taking it really seriously phase and just see it as a tool to help your own fitness it's great again.

There's one segment near me that I had the KOM on and every time I take it this one guy beets me THE NEXT DAY every time by 2 or 3 seconds. I think he's got issues! I can't help but laugh of the image of this guy who sees me as his strava nemesis! I couldn't care less!

Me and a friend are pretty equal in ability and I tend to compare segment times with him more than anyone else. I tend to be at the top of the daily segment leader boards on my commutes. There are a lot of good riders round here I don't know them in person but recognise them on the strava leader boards, it's a good feeling and a confidence boost to beet them on a segment but in reality in a race situation over any length of time they would compleetly destroy me.


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## dave r (8 Jul 2016)

classic33 said:


> All I've got is a Cateye computer recording distance(including total), speed & average speed.
> 
> Used more to record total distance than anything else.



Thats all I've got, just the cycle computer, if I start doing audax again I might look at a Garmin type device to help with the navigation but apart from that I'm not interested.


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## Racing roadkill (8 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> I used to be very "bah humbug" when it came to Strava, and being competitive, but slowly, it grew on me and I started to get the bug, getting faster and fitter as time went on.
> 
> Now, I`m finding the opposite, I feel slow and useless, I`ve scraped together 4 KOM`s in the last 3 years when others have hundreds, all of which I`ve lost to the same bloke who is doing it to get on my tits (trust me I know!). I worked hard for those trophies and can`t even keep them.
> 
> ...


Strava is excellent for tracking mileage, and creating routes. That's all though. There are many ways to cheat on Strava. 6 very popular methods, are explained here.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...ts-make-their-strava-rides-look-better-177438

There are lots more ways. A lot of the 'leader board' leaders, are fairly obviously full of Shiite. Don't let it get to you. It's still a useful tool.

Another really easy cheat, involves hooking up a 'virtual trainer' (Zwift / Bkool ) etc. to a washing machine drum / motor. Record the ride as 'virtual' on Strava, then it allows you to change it to 'real ride'. Bingo, gazillions of Km's and little or no actual riding done.


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## Ciar (8 Jul 2016)

What pray tell is a KoM???


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## Racing roadkill (8 Jul 2016)

Ciar said:


> What pray tell is a KoM???


It's a King of the 'mountain', which rarely involves a mountain, and is normally done on an e-bike, or via digital EPO.


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## derrick (8 Jul 2016)

Soltydog said:


> Another option, when you get a KOM set your ride to private  Nobody knows you've got it then, so they don't go chasing it. It doesn't show up as a KOM, but you'll know you've got it & that's all that matters


Whats the point in that


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## Racing roadkill (8 Jul 2016)

derrick said:


> Whats the point in that


What's the point in any of the 'cheats'? I got a 'KOM' that I didn't even know was a 'segment' last year. Within a week, I got the 'uh oh' thing, and an email from the person who 'beat' me. I decided to put in a 'follower request' from someone else's profile. He accepted, I looked at his historic Strava logs. It was riddled with obvious digital EPO rides / motorised rides, so I (admittedly quite churlishly) flagged loads of them. All he needed to do is hit the "trust me, it's fine" button, and the ride was automatically "resolved". Now, he screwed up soon after. My Strava profile, doesn't use my actual name. His does / did. A person with the name on his profile, signed up for one of my led Skyride social rides, a couple of weeks ago. The person who signed up, turned up. Very out of shape, riding an e-bike. It may not have been the same person, however, when I got home, and logged my Strava ride, guess who else appeared on my ride, yep, he was the guy. Quelle surprise, he got some KOM's on the ride to and from the Skyride.


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## Bollo (8 Jul 2016)

Peoples is always surprised that I don't do Strava considering how I love the geek end of cycling (if someone asks me if I've upgraded my bike I have to ask "hardware or software?" and n+1 is actual code on my Edge 520) but its never floated my boat. 

If I'm riding for pleasure then I don't want to be chasing virtual glory and if I'm training then I've already set my goals against something like a training plan, so again segment chasing doesn't come into it. Strava has some interesting training metrics but you can poke around in your numbers in much greater detail using something like Golden Cheetah, which is free, or TrainingPeaks, which is and isn't.


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## HLaB (8 Jul 2016)

I prefer RWGPS its lets me compare my own rides better. On last night's TT for example I saw I was at or below my pbs for the first 8 miles but for the last two I was significantly faster and got a pb overall but I like comparing mystats on meaningful segments (rather stupidly short segments on pavement, dodgy turns and through lights) and breaking them down further for analysis but if its not for you don't bother ;-)


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## h1udd (8 Jul 2016)

Lol at the people who think the people that beat your times are personally going out their way to annoy you .... Guys it's in your head.

The guy that took you Kom from you doesn't give a sh1t about you, he just wants the Kom to be number 1 .... Did Cav win the sprint just to annoy Kittel or did he win it because that's the game ?

Don't hate the players, hate the game .... This Sunday I am going out 5 am to get better times on 3 of my segments ... Sm I doing it to personally offend the people above me ? No ... I am doing it be the best, and when i get that Kom I fully expect the people below me to up there game, play harder, work harder and go after my time .... It's the whole point


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## Ciar (8 Jul 2016)

Racing roadkill said:


> It's a King of the 'mountain', which rarely involves a mountain, and is normally done on an e-bike, or via digital EPO.



that would make sence as some of the KoM's i have seen are at phenomenal speeds haha ;-)


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## derrick (8 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> I used to be very "bah humbug" when it came to Strava, and being competitive, but slowly, it grew on me and I started to get the bug, getting faster and fitter as time went on.
> 
> Now, I`m finding the opposite, I feel slow and useless, I`ve scraped together 4 KOM`s in the last 3 years when others have hundreds, all of which I`ve lost to the same bloke who is doing it to get on my tits (trust me I know!). I worked hard for those trophies and can`t even keep them.
> 
> ...


You could always ride in a skirt and go for a few QOMs.


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## SpokeyDokey (8 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> I used to be very "bah humbug" when it came to Strava, and being competitive, but slowly, it grew on me and I started to get the bug, getting faster and fitter as time went on.
> 
> Now, I`m finding the opposite, I feel slow and useless, I`ve scraped together 4 KOM`s in the last 3 years when others have hundreds, all of which I`ve lost to the same bloke who is doing it to get on my tits (trust me I know!). I worked hard for those trophies and can`t even keep them.
> 
> ...



A parallel:

I have a very good friend who is a golf obsessive. Caught in an everlasting quest to reduce his handicap (now slightly under 8) he is back-tracking a little on his relentless quest. It causes him angst as his improvement is plateauing and he no longer enjoys the game quite so much as he used to.

It's all about the numbers to him and less about the camaraderie of those he plays with, the beauty of some of the course locations and the sheer wonderful-ness of been in the great outdoors.

He is a bit fed up with it all and is seriously thinking about "easing off".


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## Racing roadkill (8 Jul 2016)

When push comes to shove, I cycle for pleasure, and it keeps me fit. I use Strava to plot routes, and now British cycling have teamed up with "Bounts", I get rewards for my cycling mileage ( shopping money off cards and such) it's not a lot, but it all helps, and Strava is an easy way to log the miles. If it caused my blood pressure to rise, I'd jack it in.


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## h1udd (8 Jul 2016)

when my 5 year old can't cope with a game because she can't win, or someone is better than her and she starts to get all stroppy and starts acting like a 4 year old ... Sometimes I have to mediate and take her away from the game

Perhaps strava should implement some kind of parental controls ... So if you lose your Kom or keep placing 2nd to 10th then it emails your mum and she can decide whether to hug you and tell you, it's ok, it's just a game the nasty boy in 1st probably cheated or ate more of his dinner ... You really won ..... Or weather to cancel your account and let you watch tv instead ????

Premium members only of course


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## Aravis (8 Jul 2016)

As nearly all my rides are solo and spontaneous, there's never going to be a medal or brevet card at the end. For most of my rides over the years I have a date and a distance - and frequently no recollection at all of where I went. In a few decades time today's youngsters will be able to do the equivalent of me reviewing my 1985 tours, turn by turn and minute by minute. I am convinced there can be no turning back.

When I finally acquired a Garmin device in February, I had heard of Strava so that is what I started using. I quickly found that it did what I expected plus a lot of cool things besides. Having had a look at RWGPS, I can see good things there too, some of which I'm not sure I can get from Strava. So a question which I hope is not a stupid one: is there any reason not to use both? Clearly there is nothing to stop a ride being uploaded to both sites, but are there any reasons why you seriously don't want to be doing this?


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## derrick (8 Jul 2016)

This is a nice add on for Strava. https://www.relive.cc/


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## outlash (8 Jul 2016)

If being a faux-pro is your thing and it's getting a little stressful because some nasty person has stolen your hard earned KOM's then get a crosser, find a few off road climbs and bask in the glow of your new batch of KOM's because you beat someone up a hill with a bike that's a fraction of the weight of the former KOM holders' MTB. You're welcome.


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## craigwend (8 Jul 2016)

Soltydog said:


> Another option, when you get a KOM set your ride to private  Nobody knows you've got it then, so they don't go chasing it. It doesn't show up as a KOM, but you'll know you've got it & that's all that matters



I now know ... & is this why you won't let me ride up your drive  ?


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## MarquisMatsugae (8 Jul 2016)

odav said:


> Maybe, just ride your bike?
> I even got rid of my basic bike computer and gave it to my little lad.
> Free yourself!


^^^^^^^^^
This.
People can spend too much time competing than enjoying.
Unless of course you are a competitor,who needs to keep track of performance.


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## Racing roadkill (8 Jul 2016)

User13710 said:


> Well I never. What a complete pair of utter saddos.


Oh yeah, _now _I rember why your in the troll box. I really should stop 'showing ignored content'. Back you go.


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## Soltydog (9 Jul 2016)

craigwend said:


> I now know ... & is this why you won't let me ride up your drive  ?



You're welcome to ride up the drive any time mate, but be aware, my kind neighbour has installed a gravel trap at the end of his drive


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## subaqua (9 Jul 2016)

Shut Up Legs said:


> Does your house have a long corridor? Create a segment inside the house.



now that is a great idea for at least 2 projects in work .


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## Pikey (9 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> I used to be very "bah humbug" when it came to Strava, and being competitive, but slowly, it grew on me and I started to get the bug, getting faster and fitter as time went on.
> 
> Now, I`m finding the opposite, I feel slow and useless, I`ve scraped together 4 KOM`s in the last 3 years when others have hundreds, all of which I`ve lost to the same bloke who is doing it to get on my tits (trust me I know!). I worked hard for those trophies and can`t even keep them.
> 
> ...



Much as I now sound like a chunky knitwear tree hugger, leaving the strava behind has been great.
I have a simple little computer on the bike now and have just started enjoying riding again, looking at the birds, looking at the view, even going to somewhere nice with a decent chippy and something interesting to look at rather than just flying round the same route to try and get segments and go home.

I'm pretty glad, as my personality defect and stravaholism got me 99.98% of the way to sacking cycling off altogether.

Although my KOM still stands (definitely didn't just check it) as it is in the wilds of Scotland and only four people have ever ridden it 

I'm toying with buying a large chateu in france or a place in Scotland somewhere we can use as a Stradetox retreat with a helpline for the similarly afflicted


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## Racing roadkill (9 Jul 2016)

[QUOTE 4357950, member: 43827"]

it is not racing, .

[/QUOTE]

How _very _dare you.


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## classic33 (9 Jul 2016)

I want to know who has the KOM/QOM on my street! 
I don't use strava, but I'm the only person on a bike on it.


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## SpokeyDokey (10 Jul 2016)

classic33 said:


> I want to know who has the KOM/QOM on my street!
> I don't use strava, but I'm the only person on a bike on it.



Are you saying you want to be both?


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## vickster (10 Jul 2016)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Are you saying you want to be both?


One in the week, one at weekends?

Perhaps simply someone faster has ridden up @classic33 street?


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## classic33 (10 Jul 2016)

vickster said:


> One in the week, one at weekends?
> 
> Perhaps simply someone faster has ridden up @classic33 street?


It's a cul-de-sac! Usually with kids playing on it. Just seems a bit pointless for 75 yards.

@SpokeyDokey, I'm the only one with a bike, so uncertain if it's a KOM or a QOM.


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## fossyant (10 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> I used to be very "bah humbug" when it came to Strava, and being competitive, but slowly, it grew on me and I started to get the bug, getting faster and fitter as time went on.
> 
> Now, I`m finding the opposite, I feel slow and useless, I`ve scraped together 4 KOM`s in the last 3 years when others have hundreds, all of which I`ve lost to the same bloke who is doing it to get on my tits (trust me I know!). I worked hard for those trophies and can`t even keep them.
> 
> ...



Just use it to log your training. With my injuries I haven't even ridden in 7 months what I do in two weeks. It at least shows me I'm not the slowest person down or up an off road track. 

Some people must be seriously unfit if I can beat then whilst recovering from my injuries. Reverse motivation


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## fatjel (12 Jul 2016)

I set up one segment and on my very first ride was KOM !!! 
More surprisingly I still am 
I rather see it as a blot on my reputation as a slow, overweight, old fool on a bike
Would be pleased to see my time beaten 


https://www.strava.com/segments/8214964


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## tommaguzzi (14 Jul 2016)

I don't do Facebook but have just realised that strava has morphed in FB for cyclists that being the case I have just this week I unfollowed every one except my daughter and deleted my club asocitations.
I will still use it to record my rides but now I am mercifully free of "kudos giving" ride status checking and reading comments from people I barely know.


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## Kominic (15 Jul 2016)

Racing roadkill said:


> I looked at his historic Strava logs. It was riddled with obvious digital EPO rides / motorised rides, so I (admittedly quite churlishly) flagged loads of them. All he needed to do is hit the "trust me, it's fine" button, and the ride was automatically "resolved". .



Flag them again and it stays flagged. Then they have to get Strava support to examine their upload and they decide if it goes up again or not. Get that fool flagged if he's juicing.


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## Kominic (15 Jul 2016)

Although I feel the ops pain, the post did make me laugh. (#heartless. #tool). That said, the way around that is to seek segments nobody rides on and to do the others at 4 in the morning. Both worked for me just fine. Being a sprinter helps too. Leave climbing to the 100Ib club riding machines.


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## speccy1 (15 Jul 2016)

Kominic said:


> Although I feel the ops pain, the post did make me laugh. (#heartless. #tool). That said, the way around that is to seek segments nobody rides on and to do the others at 4 in the morning. Both worked for me just fine. Being a sprinter helps too. Leave climbing to the 100Ib club riding machines.


I`m glad it made you laugh!

I`m not getting wound up by it any more, my rides/profile are now private, nobody else knows what I do or don`t do, I`m purely using it for logging my miles over the year - much more sensible.

As for all the kudos giving/getting crap etc......no no no no


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## ianrauk (15 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> I`m glad it made you laugh!
> 
> I`m not getting wound up by it any more, my rides/profile are now private, nobody else knows what I do or don`t do, I`m purely using it for logging my miles over the year - much more sensible.
> 
> As for all the kudos giving/getting crap etc......no no no no


If your just logging miles. ..then sign up to the Cycle Chat group at MyCycleLogs


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## h1udd (16 Jul 2016)

Loving strava more and more each day .... Thanks to trying to beat my segments and resting on others I am now tying them together .. Knocked over a minute off my commute in the last two weeks.... For me it's the best training resource ever invented ... Every journey to or from work is now a race with myself .... My quads have grown as well !!!!!


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## Nigelnaturist (17 Jul 2016)

I still record my rides, but less interested on times these days, I just enjoy being on the bike and fit enough to ride it.


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## speccy1 (17 Jul 2016)

h1udd said:


> Loving strava more and more each day .... Thanks to trying to beat my segments and resting on others I am now tying them together .. Knocked over a minute off my commute in the last two weeks.... For me it's the best training resource ever invented ... Every journey to or from work is now a race with myself .... My quads have grown as well !!!!!


Nothing to say you can`t.

Just not my cup of tea any more - it`s doing me more damage than good


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## Nigelnaturist (17 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> Nothing to say you can`t.
> 
> Just not my cup of tea any more - it`s doing me more damage than good


I find its interesting I still set P.B.'s and whilst its at the back of my mind I don't tend to try for them, just pleasing if I do. especially as I am only doing 10-15% the distance I was a few years ago.


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## h1udd (17 Jul 2016)

speccy1 said:


> Nothing to say you can`t.
> 
> Just not my cup of tea any more - it`s doing me more damage than good



I expect once I reach the higher levels of my fitness ability and stop improving, I'll start to get angry with it and have to quit .... Or just get bored as I have done with everything else I have been into.

When did you start with strava ??? ... Just wondering how long I have left before I reach where you are now


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## speccy1 (17 Jul 2016)

h1udd said:


> I expect once I reach the higher levels of my fitness ability and stop improving, I'll start to get angry with it and have to quit .... Or just get bored as I have done with everything else I have been into.
> 
> When did you start with strava ??? ... Just wondering how long I have left before I reach where you are now


Couldn`t tell you to be honest, have used it on and off for several years. I can see where it will be useful for some, but I personally get sick of hearing about it, seems hardly anybody can ride without it these days and enjoy the outdoors and surroundings. To me it`s the same as the Castelli craze, but that`s another conversation..................


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## Nigelnaturist (17 Jul 2016)

@speccy1 I just record on my garmin and upload whenever, I actually prefer RWGPS, but then I have my own data base, which for keeping an eye on fitness is better than any as it shows HR/CAD and ft/mile, and an average over time is a better indication of fitness, for example I used to average about 15mph, I haven't ridden as much recently so was disappointed a bit to see my speed drop to high thirteen's but then I looked at the elevation which was up from 37ft/mile to about 50ft/mile so I thought considering the lack of riding I guessed its not so bad. 
@h1udd Individual segments are too weather dependent, this will have happened to many, you set a p.b. with a good tail wind you never equal it again, I don't set to many p.b.'s locally these days but I do from time to time especially roads I haven't done much, however this is one I do very often trip to my mates about 3 miles and 2-3 a week, I set a new p.b. this week https://www.strava.com/activities/643564642/segments/15730982907


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