Any women using STRAVA Cycling??

[alisonmwill]

Dear fellow women cyclists,

I'm completing a masters dissertation at UCL on how people use Strava for cycling. If you have 5 minutes please fill in this survey. There is a prize draw with 5 prizes (1x£30($45) & 4x£10($15) amazon giftcards). So far 97% of my respondents have been men, really hoping to get the women user perspective as well!

https://opinio.ucl.ac.uk/s?s=25154

Hope some of you will be keen to participate :)
Alison W.

[Skippyak]

I think perhaps the question you could ask is why women don't use strava. I would say that women, no matter how competitive or driven, just don't buy into it. I would like to see a strava equiv by women for women. As it is it all seems so very macho.

[pll]

I don't use Strava because I don't see the point of it. I record my workouts elsewhere (and in private... i think there some social thing to Strava).

[ny biker]

I also don't use it. My impression of Strava is that it's about competition, which doesn't interest me.

[rebeccaC]

This was the first year in the last 4 that I've had time to train for some double centuries. I have no interest in the QOM/KOM part but I've used it this year for training stats and to find some great climbing routes to train on. It was what sent me to the Santa Ynez valley for some of the best rides I've done. I do most of my rides alone so it also gives me some sense of competition when I need it. I've met and ridden with one woman after we saw each other doing some of the same routes. It's worked well for me this year.

edit Took your survey Alison....hope the study provides you with some useful data!

[Karenanywild]

Did the survey.

I have a cateye computer. It uploads to cateye atlas. I also upload to Strava because it allows me to look at data in ways that cateye doesn't. Cateye also gives me things I can't see in Strava. So, I use both. I haven't found either tool to give me what I really want which is to set a weekly mileage goal and see on a week by week basis how I'm doing. cateye lets me track how I'm doing for the current week. But, I haven't yet found where I can see week over week data. And, I have to buy premium to set goals in Strava. I haven't done it yet, but am considering. The only problem is Strava doesn't pick up my cadence data.

I don't use the competitive features of Strava. But, they don't bother me, I'm just not good enough ... yet. :) I find the 'personal best' and 'awards' stuff confusing. I'm getting all kinds of notes and awards that don't seem appropriate. But, whatever.

[SheFly]

I like Strava (mostly), and don't think it is any less geared to women than men. Here in the northeast, we have a large number of women who use Strava regularly. I use it to track my rides/workouts, but also for the competitive aspect. I have been known to go out and do a ride simply to achieve QOMs on specific segments (lovingly referred to as Strava-whoring).

I have also cursed Strava. I curse it when I do a hard workout, and don't get credit for certain segments (this is a GPS issue vs. Strava, but I still curse Strava). I curse it when I go out to ride with DH, and every ride becomes a Strava segment race. I curse Strava when someone takes my QOM, because I have to go out and get it back :D. Several times I have sworn I was quitting Strava, but I never have...

I also like the social piece. I can comment on friends' rides and races. I have a friend who is a teacher, and not on FB, but she is on Strava. I watch teammates and competitors train. It is a useful tool, and despite the curses, I will likely continue to use it.

Alison - I took the survey as well!

SheFly

[antimony]

I don't have a GPS yet (nor a smartphone -- yes, yes, I know), so I don't, but the reason I will stick with something else if/when I eventually get one is that I actively don't want to see the competitive stuff. I'm not that fast, and I would find constantly being in the bottom of the rankings (which I'm sure I'd be) disheartening and make it tough to see improvements. I *am* competitive by nature, but I'm not a speedy cyclist, and constantly "losing" would kill the joy. I don't know if you can turn that off in Strava and just log rides with it, but even if you can, it seems like I'd be better off with a different service.

[maillotpois]

Will take the survey.

I really like Strava. I've used the cycle version with my GPS for over 3 years. Recently, I have also been using the "run" app on my phone to log my hikes as well. It's motivating, especially this year when I simply have not been physically able to ride my bike.

For me, the competitiveness is there when I want it, and I can ignore it when I don't need it. I don't find it negative or intimidating. I also like that most of my cycling friends are on it, so we follow each others' progress and cheer each others' big rides.

[TrekDianna]

I will do the survey in just a minute. I use it, but I have no interest in competing against other people. I like the statistics and feedback I get and I like being able to see the segments I ride every day on my commute and see how headwinds and longer/shorter work hours impact my times. I like data. I also use Garmin Connect because i like some of those features too.

[ehirsch83]

I use Strava and feel it is just as geared towards women as men. I love the competitive aspect of it and the social aspect of being able to comment on friends rides.

[pll]

I will do the survey in just a minute. I use it, but I have no interest in competing against other people. I like the statistics and feedback I get and I like being able to see the segments I ride every day on my commute and see how headwinds and longer/shorter work hours impact my times. I like data. I also use Garmin Connect because i like some of those features too.

Data on wind? Could you describe what you get? I have a free account and don't see anything about the wind. Being in the Chicago area... we've got wind! I record stuff in Garmin Connect and WKO+, (I confess, I like data, too)

[zoom-zoom]

I used Strava for a while, but it was a PITA to upload my Garmin Edge data there and on the running log site I use, where I also log those workouts (with my Garmin Forerunner). It irritated me that I had to re-login to Strava EVERY time I wanted to use it. I found it slow and clunky and didn't like all of the random dudes who wanted to follow me (never women, only guys -- eesh).

[alisonmwill]

I used Strava for a while, but it was a PITA to upload my Garmin Edge data there and on the running log site I use, where I also log those workouts (with my Garmin Forerunner). It irritated me that I had to re-login to Strava EVERY time I wanted to use it. I found it slow and clunky and didn't like all of the random dudes who wanted to follow me (never women, only guys -- eesh).

In my research of Strava Cycling, I stumbled across an interesting estimate: they predict only 10% of the Strava Cycling users are women!! Explains why you might have felt a strong of a male presence ;)

[TrekDianna]

Data on wind? Could you describe what you get? I have a free account and don't see anything about the wind. Being in the Chicago area... we've got wind! I record stuff in Garmin Connect and WKO+, (I confess, I like data, too)

Not data specifically on the wind, but I live in the coast range mountains and on my way home from work (bike commute) many days there is a killer headwind. Knowing and tracking my time in the headwinds on the way home shows me that I am adapting to it. The winds are not blowing gentler, but my time is frequently faster.