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[PaulSB]

I suppose the other angle, that I don't know if anybody has touched on is that maybe paid up subscribers were drifting away as perhaps they were thinking

"What am I actually getting for my money, not a lot when all the free users are getting nearly all the features I am paying for"

Certainly when I was a free user under the old conditions I couldn't see a great deal of advantage in paying.

I've been a Strava subscriber for three years and have to say this hadn't occurred to me. I subscribed because I wanted to support Strava.

Your point though is very valid. I have been a Guardian Supporter for several years. Alongside buying the paper at weekends I was using the online service for free. Sometime ago I became a supporter and paid £100pa. I got nothing for this but was quite happy to continue.

Last year the paper asked if I would contribute for other features online. Again I did - another £100. Then I discovered all these features were free to all online. I felt ripped off.

I cancelled all my voluntary contributions to the paper. Cost them £200 pa and an unhappy customer.

So yes it's necessary to be very careful with such changes.

 

[Stephenite]

I've been a Strava subscriber for three years and have to say this hadn't occurred to me. I subscribed because I wanted to support Strava.

Your point though is very valid. I have been a Guardian Supporter for several years. Alongside buying the paper at weekends I was using the online service for free. Sometime ago I became a supporter and paid £100pa. I got nothing for this but was quite happy to continue.

Last year the paper asked if I would contribute for other features online. Again I did - another £100. Then I discovered all these features were free to all online. I felt ripped off.

I cancelled all my voluntary contributions to the paper. Cost them £200 pa and an unhappy customer.

So yes it's necessary to be very careful with such changes.

I've been a subscriber to Strava for 5 years and, like you, a contributor to The Guardian - though only, maybe £20 a year. I'm not well off but I feel an onus of responsibility to pay for, or support, a good product or service. For 'people of good conscience' it's about finding a balance (as always) between the give and take.

In your case with The Guardian if you felt the balance was tipped too far then it was right to correct it.

 

[kingrollo]

My leaderboards are back this morning ? - have they had a rethink ?

 

[lazybloke]

My leaderboards are back this morning ? - have they had a rethink ?

Not for me - sign up page only

 

[Angus McCoatup]

That's my account deleted.

Cynical timing though, just has thousands have started cycling again.

I also think that the timing of this is incredibly cynical and insensitive. Putting aside for a moment the global health crisis, it brings with it economic pressures for tens of thousands of people. Businesses going bust, people losing their jobs or having reduced incomes due to being furloghed or laid off work. So, dear Strava in their infinite wisdom, thought this is a good time to ask people to pay, for hitherto free features? Lovley. Well done you.

 

[Donger]

I have always found Flatnav to be quite reliable. Just a thought.

 

[David L]

I can not see a issue with paying for it. they provide a service so should be paid. nothing in life is free.

at £50 a year in relation to a lot of cycling stuff its not very expensive.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Last one it routed me into a private drive, with big gates & high walls, I figured it was a footpath/bridleway that somebody had illegally blocked, but when I got back it wasn't shown on rowmaps as being either. Problem as my old Developers used to say garbage in garbage out, so if streetmaps is incorrect the routing will be wrong, not sure how many people update streetmaps & how often Komoot pull the data in.

Did you correct it? I update OSM if I find missing stuff or alignment issues. Did a walk earlier this week and missing footpaths and some shown don’t line up with what’s on the ground. So will load my gpx up this weekend and sort out OSM for the problem areas. I also update surface type of cycle paths where I find they are tarmac etc.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Did you correct it? I update OSM if I find missing stuff or alignment issues. Did a walk earlier this week and missing footpaths and some shown don’t line up with what’s on the ground. So will load my gpx up this weekend and sort out OSM for the problem areas. I also update surface type of cycle paths where I find they are tarmac etc.

Yes I do try to keep them up to date, but I don't find it very easy, it's not very intuitive, I usually take 3 or 4 attempts to get it right

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes I do try to keep them up to date, but I don't find it very easy, it's not very intuitive, I usually take 3 or 4 attempts to get it right

Probably just because you don’t do it often. I find it pretty easy.

 

[nickyboy]

I can not see a issue with paying for it. they provide a service so should be paid. nothing in life is free.

at £50 a year in relation to a lot of cycling stuff its not very expensive.

You're right it isn't a lot

The issue is that many other social media businesses operate a free to use model and we've got used to that.

I use Dropbox, Twitter, WhatsApp, WeChat, RWGPS, Instagram....all of which are either totally free to use or have a long established free element that they don't mess with

 

[David L]

You're right it isn't a lot

The issue is that many other social media businesses operate a free to use model and we've got used to that.

I use Dropbox, Twitter, WhatsApp, WeChat, RWGPS, Instagram....all of which are either totally free to use or have a long established free element that they don't mess with

yeah but there free due to advertising, buisness fees, etc. there different buisness models that could be hard to replicate in strava.

i would rarther pay than have advertising become featured in the app

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Probably just because you don’t do it often. I find it pretty easy.

You're probably right, I find it's easier on the Linux machine, I've given up trying to use the Mac

 

[steveindenmark]

Shouldnt people be saying "Thanks for letting us have it for free for so long Strava" Instead of whinging about having to pay for it?

 

[CXRAndy]

Ultimately, a company cannot continue to offer a free service. Those taking the free service, now wanting to drop Strava, they aren't the customer Strava needs. Strava have built an extremely popular, mostly reliable platform, which captures, not only outdoor but indoor riding too.

The likes of Garmin weren't able to match Strava.