Why We Don't Use Strava

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#cycling #bikes #bicycle

[lennyjames]

Anything that gets people out cycling, running, walking is a plus to me.

[ericcoxtcu]

Eh - to each their own. I'm fine with people who do not like Strava, but for me it has helped me find friends and groups to ride with. I also recognize that I ride bikes for different reasons than others, and some of my friends and I no longer ride together because we enjoy different kinds of rides. I have a few friends that love frequent stops, smelling the flowers and taking their time. I do not enjoy that - Strava appeals to me in part because I like the competition. My friends and I don't obsess over KOMs, but we certainly enjoy competing with one another on segments. It isn't out of malice or obsession; to us it is fun. Then again, I'm also someone who loves that feeling of being completely drained, knowing I couldn't give any more, after a race. Some of my friends hate that feeling. They don't race.

So I don't Strava is good or bad - it is a tool. Some will use it poorly, but we will all have different reasons for using it.

[FatBlokeDoingStuff]

I love Strava. I'm a fat guy with no cycling friends who cycles alone. I'm getting better at going downhill. I ride a Halfords Vanquish with a few upgrades.

[matthewsweat]

Don’t care for the segments, Kudos, and KOM stuff. Strava is a great training log and diary of my rides where I can share videos and photos. Oh and creating routes on the website is fantastic. Super easy.

[pauleichner]

Two of the main reasons I like Strava. 1. I can use routes other people have ridden to find new adventures. 2. Segments allow me to see my improvements, when I get a new PR on a segment, and then smash that PR again, this always tells me if my training is improving my overall performance, and I really like that.

[YouTubeHandle]

Strava > people. I ride to get away from people. I'm around people too much. Cycling is an escape for me.

[JaredGant]

"I don't want any social media".... says the person who makes a living on social media.

[andreweeley]

I like Strava, I just dont always make my rides public so if I want to arse about & do a slow one I can without eyes on me.

[brayan]

Whenever someone makes something good someone always has to hate it.

[ashurany]

Strava, like any social media, can easily become a burden that gets people all twisted up. Like other social media it also has its upsides.I like it for the social aspect in meeting and following others, joining clubs and tracking my rides and exercise (but I also track with garmin's app as well). But yeah, some people can take it too far and then miss out on the joy of simply riding.

[livibam]

You can do both.
It doesn’t have to be either or.

[siforshort]

You’re just over exaggerating it. All the guys in our community all use strava and we also don’t care about the numbers. I think the problem is you. You sound just like those cycling elitists, you said to cycle for fun but it doesn’t sound that way when you say it.

[owensnicholas]

I think that’s a totally fair perspective. I do use it, but I’m not really obsessed with segment times or data. I USE the data, probably poorly. But I like it best for just keeping track of the riding I do, the miles I have on my components, etc. I don’t use it to compete with anybody. Who cares.

I also like seeing what my friends are up to and encouraging them. There’s definitely a light side of it. Like any social media, it’s how you use it.

[jimpeyton]

Good log of activity. Take It or leave it. My experience hasn't been the same as Jimmi's...I am part of a worldwide cycling club that's tied to Zwift, but also has extensive IRL interaction. Strava is a good place (for me) to see what my friends in Britain, Europe, ANZAC and other parts of the USA are doing.

I do agree that any social media can be bad if taken to extremes. YT let's me interact with you two, Lawrence and others despite being 1000s of km away...that's pretty cool.

[chrisfoz]

This is an odd one for me - the guys are both wearing garmin watches that track and record data 24/7, but are complaining about people being all about the data. They're complaining about social media when it's literally their jobs. I get that they're saying it's something THEY don't want, and that others can do whatever, but I still find it odd.
I'm fine with whatever. You do you and all that.

[nerigarcia]

I use Strava but mainly just to record my rides. I don't necessarily care about the power, speed, and segment numbers more than I care about how long my ride was and perhaps how much I climbed. Even with my computer I pretty much use it to see what gear I'm in, distance, and speed, not to stay at a specific speed but more just to know how fast (or slow) I'm going. Makes a no difference either way but I just like to know those numbers. I don't ride by them though. It's more about the result opposed to the progress.

[kevinfeeney]

I mainly use it to track mileage for maintenance or whatever.. or if i change a part or make adjustments. Like "new tires f&r", "new chain", or "lowered (or raised) saddle x mm"

[RobLennox]

I think these are all fair points, but it also has positives. Personally, I like 'racing' segments to compete against myself. I don't have cycle club mates that I regularly ride with, but segments are just like racing for the town sign... It's a mini motivator. When I get in the top 5% of Strava times on a climb, I'm psyched about that.

It's like social media: I don't need to share my photos on IG, but I like sharing what I do and seeing what others do. Ditto Strava. If it becomes an obsession, or you're riding just to post to Strava or posting just for the likes, then you're in a toxic relationship.

And it doesn't mean I can't go out and enjoy a local pootle and soak up the sun, stop for ice cream, and look at the view.

So I'd say; hate the way that some people use tools like Strava to promote negative aspects of cycling culture, not the tools themselves. Now apply that rule to power meters, aero things, dress conventions. It's not the THING that's the problem, it's the negative attitudes that surround the thing.

[aur_gnd]

It's totally fair to think that way and I totally respect that. On the other end of the spectrum, I like to ride by myself most of the time and I'm a kind of data nerd. I check watts, HR and all kind of graphs about performances and Strava helps me put that together.

It helps me to put my life in order and keep my life - and mental health - tidy. If I sleep better, eat better and I'm more focus about what I'm doing, I'll be a more healthy person and obviously I'll perform better. It just pushes me to be a better person, even though I ultimately don't care too much about the absolute values I see as I'll never wear the yellow jersey anyway. It's more about how I improve myself.

It also helps me to follow some friends' activities even if we don't live I the same cities. It's nice to see when they are putting everything together and it works for them.

[Yannerson]

I'd say this too if I was sponsored by Garmin. I don't care about many of the things you mentioned for disliking Stava but as an aggregator for many different devices and syncing to other systems it's unparalleled. Also, Garmin mapping has improved but it's still miles behind Strava.