I'm so hooked on STRAVA!!! :D

I suspect there are other threads relating to Strava somewhere around here, but I haven't been around a lot lately. In fact, since I'm just now starting to do rides that make me feel like a "real cyclist", I'm giddy over Strava and simply have to share.

For anyone who doesn't know what Strava is, it's a site (strava.com) where you can download your ride stats and see how you compare to other riders who have done the same ride, or parts of that ride. People create "segments" of rides and try to beat their previous times, beat their friends, or become King of the Mountain (KOM) if you're a guy and Queen of the Mountain (QOM) if your a gal. You can compare your time to men and women combined or just women, etc.

I started by downloading all my old rides from my former "glory days" and had so much fun finding segments that I had earned a "crown" for (QOM). :D

And today I went and did a flat route where I knew there were two segments I could probably earn crowns for and I done did it. Hee hee!!! I suspect the other gals on the list weren't trying to kill it on those specific segments, but I don't care. I earned two QOM's for the first time in 2012. They can now go out and beat my time if they care. (You get an email when you lose a QOM letting you know someone beat your time.)

Now I can finally get back at my husband who has been coming home for months giddy over all his KOM's, which he has LOT of. I could hardly ride at the time and sometimes had a hard time hearing about all his achievements. Now I get to squeal over mine.

I've always been a stat freak, trying to best my previous times and all, comparing mine to others I rode with, but Strava adds a whole new dimension to my addiction. Muahahahaaaaa!!! :D

I am afraid that site would make me so competitive I wouldn't enjoy the ride. It's bad enough just competing with myself to keep my speed up, etc. (This back when I was in the US riding on the road; I don't even have a computer on my bike here in Belize.) But glad you're enjoying it!

Congrats Jiffer! I can totally relate ...from the opposite point of view since I'm sitting here getting the emails about everyone passing me on ridewithgps while I'm injured ... but I get it. Way to go!

I use both Strava and ridewithgps, but I prefer ridewithgps. I'm a loser on both, but it's great to see what others are doing. They are both great tools to find new routes for rides as well.

I use Strava and Plus3Network to log my miles Plus3 gives money to charity based on how far I ride, so that's motivating to get out there too.

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Originally Posted by Jiffer

I suspect there are other threads relating to Strava somewhere around here, but I haven't been around a lot lately. In fact, since I'm just now starting to do rides that make me feel like a "real cyclist", I'm giddy over Strava and simply have to share.

For anyone who doesn't know what Strava is, it's a site (strava.com) where you can download your ride stats and see how you compare to other riders who have done the same ride, or parts of that ride. People create "segments" of rides and try to beat their previous times, beat their friends, or become King of the Mountain (KOM) if you're a guy and Queen of the Mountain (QOM) if your a gal. You can compare your time to men and women combined or just women, etc.

I started by downloading all my old rides from my former "glory days" and had so much fun finding segments that I had earned a "crown" for (QOM). :D

And today I went and did a flat route where I knew there were two segments I could probably earn crowns for and I done did it. Hee hee!!! I suspect the other gals on the list weren't trying to kill it on those specific segments, but I don't care. I earned two QOM's for the first time in 2012. They can now go out and beat my time if they care. (You get an email when you lose a QOM letting you know someone beat your time.)

Now I can finally get back at my husband who has been coming home for months giddy over all his KOM's, which he has LOT of. I could hardly ride at the time and sometimes had a hard time hearing about all his achievements. Now I get to squeal over mine.

I've always been a stat freak, trying to best my previous times and all, comparing mine to others I rode with, but Strava adds a whole new dimension to my addiction. Muahahahaaaaa!!! :D

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Jiffer, I like Strava also and I see that it keeps growing in popularity. PM me your name in Strava so I can follow you :)

Just snagged five QOM's on the Pacific Electric Trail. SWEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

:D

fyi, FatCyclist had the funniest entry on "the Hammer" and Strava: http://www.fatcyclist.com/2012/06/20...ted-a-monster/

As a caution, make sure that you either have your Strava account locked down, or that you are not riding illegal trails and posting them on Strava. A local Friends group here is using Strava to bolster their arguments about mountain bikers riding recklessly and/or on illegal trails. I still contest that it's not an issue confined to Strava (people are jerks), but it sure does make it easier for groups like this.

FWIW - I am also horribly addicted to Strava, and VERY competitive. I hold a number of our local road segment QOMs. Have fun with it, but remember that it is what it is - a tool to record your rides, and share with friends :)

SheFly

Sorry - duplicate post.

SheFly

I'm a self confessed Strava Wh0re. And now that my marathon training is over, I'm getting back on my bike! Plus...all those segments that I lost earlier in the year? Those were on my road bike. That's right b!tches, I got me a tribike. GAME ON! :D

Can't wait for cycle training to start. Buwwaaahhhaaahhaa.

Anyone want to stalk/friend me, just shoot me a PM of your Strava name and I'll reply in kind.
Denise

I started using Strava this summer. As a distance rider, I rarely ride hard enough to earn QOMs, but I do enjoy racking up the miles on there. I've generally ranked pretty high on the distance challenges so far, at least amongst the women. The weekend they started the Skratch Labs challenge (455 miles in 2 weeks), I rode a 600K (373 miles & 23,000 feet) brevet. Needless to stay, I was near the very top of the overall rankings for a while. It was quite entertaining to read the comments people left on that ride.

Can we start a Strava group? I keep my rides private, but I think there must be a way to share within a group. I've been having such issues with Plus3 locking up on me that I might just switch to Strava fulltime.

Ohhh...good idea. We could start a Team Estrogen Club! Or something that doesn't rob them of their company name. Maybe Team TE or something like that?
We can make it a private club, but then we have to assign a passcode to it.

Which we would probably post here and then...well...it's not so private anymore. :confused:
I keep my info public on Strava. But I do set my "private" location setting so that my rides/routes stop 1/4 mile from my home.

I've never used Strava but wonder what kind of equipment I would need to do so. I don't have a fancy phone that can keep track of anything, but currently use a Garmin FR60 with the GSC10. My Garmin doesn't do GPS, so I guess that would be a problem. What kind of equipment are you ladies using?

What equipment would I need to have on my bike in order to use Strava? I currently use a Garmin FR60 with a GSC sensor. My Garmin does not have GPS. Would I need something along the lines of a Garmin Edge 500 or 800? I would love to use Strava, but don't know what I would need to go about doing so. Thanks!

I would join a TE Strava club!

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Originally Posted by MMEZ

What equipment would I need to have on my bike in order to use Strava? I currently use a Garmin FR60 with a GSC sensor. My Garmin does not have GPS. Would I need something along the lines of a Garmin Edge 500 or 800? I would love to use Strava, but don't know what I would need to go about doing so. Thanks!

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It's an iPhone app too.

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

It's an iPhone app too.

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No smart phone here - I live in Germany and don't get very good cell coverage in our little village. I only have a pay-as-you-go phone :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MMEZ

What equipment would I need to have on my bike in order to use Strava? I currently use a Garmin FR60 with a GSC sensor. My Garmin does not have GPS. Would I need something along the lines of a Garmin Edge 500 or 800? I would love to use Strava, but don't know what I would need to go about doing so. Thanks!

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Just go to Strava.com and check it out. I'm sure there are specifics somewhere that tell you what you need. I have a Garmin Edge 500. I'm sure you need something with GPS as Strava uploads your actual route.

I got tired of my phone running out of batteries while riding , plus when you plan on be on the saddle for 4+ hours then U wont be able to record the whole ride and you still going to run out of battery even with a full charged phone. So I just wanted to be able to record and upload my rides to strava, I didn't want nothing fancy , it does not have the nice modern graphics and it does not tell you where you at , but its good enough for my needs without having to spend a lot of money. I got me one of the older Garmin GPS devices... a Garmin Edge 305 . I got it with all the accesories sensors, mount, Heart rate strap etc etc..(of course it is a used one) but for 80 bucks it does a lot of stuff, the only thing it does not have is the nicer graphics and the GPS maps but once you record your ride and upload it to Strava it does it just like the more current models with every turn and every road you rode.....
I am loving it!...no more worrying about my phone dying. Last time I used it it was on for about 6 hours and still had some charge left. Get yourself used one in good working order.

I would totally join a TE Strava club. "If you build it they will come."

I love Strava too even though I'm not in the fitness/competitive league of some of you lasses. Started with my iPhone but same problem already mentioned ref the battery fade-out so now use Garmin 500. It's encouraged me to increase my distances and efforts up hills, not so much in comparison with anyone else but just with myself. It certainly is a bit addictive: the first thing I do after a ride is to download and check out the route, climbs, speeds etc. What always consoles me when I look at segment results against other women is that while I might be 8th/10 or 30th/50, as soon as I specify comparison with my age group (55-64) I'm usually 1st... This may be because I'm the fastest of my age but more likely it signifies that I'm the only one of my age nutty enough to be on Strava! Believe it or not, I've even been QOM once or twice but can't imagine how, as they're not segments I've set up and it always seems I'm the only one to have ridden them. Never mind, I still get The Buzz from it :-)))

I usually come in as 734th out of 804 riders, so don't expect major victories on the Strava front. But every so often I beat my own time, which is sort of fun.

What I do like about it is knowing more or less how many km I have ridden this year, minus the rides when I left the Garmin at home, of course.

Oh gosh I love Strava. I basically don't have any QOMs on segments anyone else has ever ridden, but I enjoy the 'carrot' of chasing whatever woman is ahead of me on hills in our neighborhood. Just yesterday I PRed on a hill in my neighborhood, because I had a goal time of the Strava person in front of me. Now, I'm gearing for the next lady. I can see how someone might get too competitive with it but I accept that I will never be the strongest rider out there and just have fun :)

I'm also sometimes motivated to get out there solely because people will see my miles on Strava.

And yes, I would join a TE Strava group. I don't follow many female cyclists.