Guest Article: An Open Letter
Dear readers, let us take a break from the almighty Tour for a few minutes. I am the least qualified Velominatus to introduce an open letter concerning Strava as I’m too shame-based to post my rides to Strava. I have a Garmin on the bike for no particular reason, ok, maybe to occasionally see how fast I’m descending or to know the grade of the climb I’m presently suffering on. At some point it will ask me what should it do with all these weak-ass rides taking up Garmin memory. Oye.
@Artie has authored this open letter (our first?) and like the Rules themselves, @Artie is just trying to improve our cycling experience in this digital world. Thanks @Artie
VLVV, Gianni
Dear Keepers of the Cog and Curators of the Rules,
The Tour de France this year has had a few memorable moments. Cavendish moving behind only Merkx in Stage victories, Froome’s new descending style, and of course the bike-less sprint up Ventoux come to mind. But there has also been a subtler addition to my viewing this year. More and more cyclists in the peloton have been sharing their ride data on Strava. For example, scrolling down my Strava feed after a late afternoon ride, I now notice Greg Henderson’s data, and see that yesterday he was in fact descending like a madman, just as Rule #85 and Rule #93 implore him to do. This supplement to my Tour Digest bridges to a theme my friends and I have often discussed and I thought it time to share our thoughts.
Our over-connected world has reached a point, where the dubitability of any cycling accomplishment has become (almost) strictly correlated with that said accomplishment appearing on Strava. Did you climb Sa Calobra during an early spring training camp? Did you reach the summit of Galibier before your best friend? Did your race up Alpe d’Huez with such a murderous intent that locals began to talk about the ghost of Pantani that appeared one late August afternoon? Perhaps… but without a Strava log to prove it, who knows! But, it is not the virtues or vices of using Strava that I wish to comment on; many people use it and some don’t. Instead it is a much more mundane aspect of the app that has been the subject to our diliberations, i.e. the naming of our tours.
The default name Strava gives each activity are more than boring; “Morning Ride,” “Afternoon Ride,” or “Evening Ride.” “Morning Ride” sounds like a Monday morning commute to work. “Afternoon ride” is what I do with my girlfriend, when she wants to go on a picnic in the park across town. “Evening ride” is an excursion with my Holland Bike to the bar down the street and to the left. The blandness of these names do absolutely no justice to a properly ridden tour. If you keep your bike perfectly matched, kit in shape, and tan lines razor sharp, is putting at least a little creativity into your digital cycling life too much to ask?
I say that a proper tour deserves a proper name, and a proper name should – like all things – be casually deliberate. A quick comment about the ride would be a basic but satisfactory name, e.g. “Hard push up to Chamonix”. If you are racing, the name of the event would be fine; “Paris-Roubaix” is far superior to the default. A more sophisticated name would be that of the song you started to whistle while pushing through the most difficult bits of a climb. Such a title has a lasting effect. Each time those you rode with heard the song, they would be reminded of the pressure their legs felt as you climbed, and doubt would be further seeded into the moral.
I wish to avoid a long digression into the art of naming, although the horizon is large and well worth exploring. But, I do wish to assert that a cyclist who has gone digital should maintain his digital cycling life as he does his real life. Calling an afternoon conquering cobbles on your way back to Liege “Afternoon Ride” is a digital dirty chain; it is unacceptable, but luckily easy to fix.
Yours Kindly,
Arturo
Hamburg, Germany
I’m a fan of Strava and definitely name my rides. Really only care about my own progress/times since I’m too old to be out there hunting for anything but completion. Thinking about what to name a ride is one of the things I’ve grown to appreciate while on the ride. When I look at rides from the past, the titles do tend to bring back memories of just what went down.
Definitely agree with those who go towards sarcasm and self deprecation, but then again, who wouldn’t?
I don’t use Strava.
I don’t ride with people who use Strava. They are a pain in the ass between their bragging because they “have” some KOM title that nobody give a fuck about, their erratic, unlawful riding because thay have some timed section crap and the fact that they are narcicist.
Probably a few exception out there, but Strava users where i live are freds, best avoided.
I may be an exception, but when I’m riding, I’m not thinking about segments, times or anything like that. I’m mostly thinking about turning the pedals, breathing, and how much I’m suffering (or not, as in the rare times I experience ‘La Volupte’).
When I get home, and upload to Strava, I will glance at some of my segment times, but purely to see whether my perception (i.e. I was trundling or flying, depending on the ride) matches with reality (how I was really riding). It’s testament to the often contradictory nature of our pursuit that I’m wrong more often than I’m right – I either feel awful on the bike, but end up riding relatively good times, or I feel like I’m riding well, only to find that I was slower than previous sessions.
I reckon most people who use Strava do so for the social aspect (following people you know, including those in other areas/countries) and the individual record-keeping & measuring of one’s own progress.
End of the day (as mentioned by @markpa above), Rule #43 should be observed. And to @LeBelge – you may ride with people who use Strava but who don’t make a big deal about it…
@LeBelge
I think like most things there are users, and then there are abusers. Most people are Strava users, glad to have it but well aware what it should and shouldn’t be used for.
The people you have described sound like Strava abusers, and punishment should be being hunted down by cyclists who race properly and beaten senseless with mini-pumps and partially inflated tubs.
I’m definitely a Strava user – I love it as a method of properly tracking improvement and as a motivational tool. But segment chasing? Stupid. And I always name my rides, mostly so if I want to go back and check something out I can find a particular ride easily.
@LeBelge
No problems there. I doubt I could ride slow enough to stay with you anyway.
I will say this: Strava is the only Social Network which is apparently not presently flooded with politics.
@ChrisO
+1
@frank
I knew there was something missing when I was checking up on my Strava feed over the weekend. Hope you didn’t just subliminally (or whatever the opposite is – liminally?) implant that idea into everyone’s head…
If Strava works on my small *htc android and is not perceived as turning me into a Strava slave, then it should all be good. I work better on a principle of *service in silence, so I won’t feed me Strava post to Facebook like most other riders that I know. This may be the reason that Strava has annoyed me in the past. If I have a happening ride and no one is around to know, then I’m probably the only one that cares if the ride happened. Now if I can use Strava to show my wife that the ride was successful in real-time then we might have something here.
@frank
Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell Donald Trump that! He’ll be all over it and, of course setting HUGE numbers and beating everyone, everywhere. No-one is a better, faster rider than the Donald. No-one.
@RobSandy: True, i exaggerated the issue, but in my reckoning not by much. But i would say that people who use the headset cap pictured above are abusers. After hitting the deck ans being injuried because of a segment chaser three weeks ago, i am not in the most benevolent mood toward them…
@ChrisO: Hahahahah. Hit a nerve, didn’t i? Recognized yourself? But yeah, you would drop me, since my already bum leg got injured by another cyclist not stopping at the stop sign because, by his own admission, he was trying to beat his best time…
@geoffrey
So if JAFO = Just Another F*ing Observer, JAFR = ???
I can say that STRAVA® definitely has a good { simple } logotype going for itself { custom modified Gotham Ultra }
@LeBelge
No, but when someone says they won’t ride with another person because of what they do or what they like I recognize a twat.
You could have all the good legs you want. I’m 50 with a busted hip and I’d still tear them off you.
Post some Strava segments so we can compare…
@ChrisO
If i refuse to ride with someone who break the law, i am a twat? No, because this is refusing to “ride with another person because of what they do”
In fact, refusing to associate with people because of their actions is one of the most sensible things you can do. I see people using Strava commit law breaking all the time, sadly my street is part of a well disputed segment, and refuse to associate with that type of rider.
THAT type of rider :http://road.cc/content/news/89218-us-cyclist-who-killed-pedestrian-guilty-vehicular-manslaughter-escapes-jail
As for the rest…i am not interested in comparing penis length…let say you won!
@universo
will work on most Android 4.0 with a couple of exceptions
https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216919047-Does-Strava-4-x-run-on-my-Android-device-
I prefer to run Strava on phone, throw it in jersey pocket and forget. No Garmin or similar to distract makes for a nice 1/2 way house between recording the ride and being Rule #74 compliant.
@universo
Garmin connect would provide the missus an emailed link that’ll show your real time location and progress. You need to carry both a bluetooth enabled Garmin device (not the 500) and your phone. Some people like that, some don’t. I’ve not used this function for my rides but did receive links from a buddy when he took off. Was helpful to find him if wanted to meet up out on the ride somewhere.
The missus can always use the find my iPhone app to see where I am on a ride.
I can only imagine if I had the Garmin data and associated pic’s from the rides I did so many moons ago. Take off with no map, no GPS enabled phone, just a rough idea of where wanted to go and pretty sure there were some hills in some general direction. And be gone for half the day. Get home and not even be sure where I had been ?! To be able to look back at those today ?
My kiddos will download some of their rides to Strava and can we even begin to guess what tech and platform they’ll be posting to in thirty or whatev years ?!? So very cool.
I started with Strava on the phone too. Battery life is issue. May be better w/ latest phones today but not long ago you didn’t have battery life to record 60+ miles.
Strava only encourages narcissistic newbies, the same guys who dope just to get ahead of the other guys in their 40-49 age bracket.
http://www.bicycling.com/culture/advocacy/strava-files
As a non-Strava-ite I would say it’s totally fine in the right hands and open to abuse by others, and being pro or anti it is pointless except in context. The last thing we need is yet another nothing issue dividing us.
@Oli
Bingo.
For my part, I use Strava and love it. Track my progress and fitness across all of the racing I do.
Making useless characterisations (and Rules for that matter) against others because of their preferences is classic in group / out group behaviour. Exactly pointless.
“’Afternoon ride’ is what I do with my girlfriend,”
My stars, that comma gave me bit of a jolt.
@LeBelge
That is not Strava’s fault, and it’s time to bust this beauty out…
@Dean C
But my sea monkeys were so Casually Deliberate as I recall…
Does anyone want to pitch in on the pure unadulterated evil of live Strava segments on the new Garmins?
@RobSandy
I have just splashed out on an Edge 820 but only went for the Explorer model as I really don’t care about “Live Segments”, I prefer the surprise of getting home to discover a pb. There are one or two local segments that I’m aware of and, if the wind and the speed of the car I’m following fall right, I might have a go at them. By and large though I just like it when a string of PBs corroborate my feeling that I was on a good day (or the tailwind really was THAT strong).
As an aside, on two of the four occasions I’ve used the 820 I have arrived home to find fresh coffee waiting and tea just 5 minutes from being ready, all thanks to the “Live Track” element. It’s also great that as soon as I save the ride data on the GPS unit it’s almost immediately up on Strava and Garmin Connect, I just have to amend the ride title on my phone – no cables and laptops etc like I had with the Edge 800.
@Talisker
By “casually deliberate” do you mean floating lifelessly on the surface of the water filled container?
@wiscot
That, of course, is what they wanted you to think – just before the attack!
Arturo – Nice one! Not a Strava user, but I like this piece. Good going!!
wiscot – don’t you mean UUUge? I confess. I’m a Yankee and never knew I didn’t pronounce my “h”s until I moved to the southern U.S. and my VMH said, “What the hell did you just say?” Uuuge. “You mean HUEge.” I actually had no fucking idea. Not to get too deep into it, but Donnie’s writing buddy was written up in the NY Times last week. His “co-writer.” Amazing article, only confuses me more than anyone is a fan of that lunatic.
Stefan – tell us more about living in and cycling in Serbia. I visited Croatia and actually met a South Korean guy who was biking around the world. Those folks blow my mind.
Sorry, it was The New Yorker that profiled the actual author of “Art of the Deal.”
@Talisker
When I was a kid (in Scotland) in the 70s, somehow my older brother had a bunch of Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost comics. No idea where they came from. They had all these amazing ads for things like Sea Monkeys and Seeds and other stuff to hawk to your neighors plus offers like 10,000 plastic army soldiers for like $10. I was always so tempted but ordering anything from America was never on the cards so my dreams of importing sea monkeys top Scotland remained unfulfilled . . . they looked like sneaky wee bastards in their sea world kingdom with their fancy-schmancy crowns and all.
@Ron
Yeah, Tony Schwartz. Fascinating article. Apparently the Donald has the attention span of a sea monkey. I loved the bit about how the “king of negotiations” readily gave up 50% of the advance and 50% of royalties to get Schwartz to write the book. I don’t know what ghostwriters usually get, but apparently 50% is more than customary.
I still get shit for pronouncing the word “Herb” with the “h” enunciated. H-E-R-B. not “urb.”
i almost always name my strava rides. mostly because its a quiet rebellion towards technology suggesting my ride titles for me.
I also use a garmin 520, and i have live segments enabled only for one or two segments where i really want to improve against myself. where i live, there are quite a few serious hitters: elite cyclists, semi pro, former pro, competitive white collar folks, so i don’t worry about competing with them for the leader boards.
@Rusty Gramm
I don’t follow too many pros who ride near to me Rusty, but judging by some of their times and speeds there are a few amateurs of most ages who should be. I’m convinced there’s some sort of “sticky bottling” (or software manipulation) going on with some of the times, which is another reason I’m not so interested in KOMs and segments.
Anybody ever seen Strava doping?
@Steve Trice
i do follow a few pros on strava, because its amazing to see how their training and recovery rides compare to us mere mortals.
i also know of a few folks in my area who are pretty unscrupulous: holding onto cars or running stop signs just to improve their times, i’ve heard of some folks leaving strava on and driving the segments slowly in a car. i don’t want to be a dick and flag those guys cause its usually pretty obvious whats going on, and the community generally ostracizes those folks pretty quickly.
there was also a case in california of an amateur who took to doping just to improve his strava times. turns out he was also supply PEDs to local masters racers (which is silly, cause if your a wealthy Dr., lawyer, or whatever, what does your racing results really matter anyhow).
again, its a useful tool for me to keep track of my rides and to measure my training. i’ll compete with you when we’re riding together or racing against each other. i don’t need a digital score card for that.
wiscot – One of the better articles I’ve read in awhile. I’m only more baffled/amused by his supporters. Love that Schwartz said he fears for human civilization if Donnie Attentionspan is elected.
Steve – I’m completely dumbfounded by old amateur roadies doping. I was as competitive as heck when growing up and playing college sports. Now I only compete with myself. There is a local guy who was trying to sell some bike parts via our cycling listserv. Guy had to start out his email, “I know many of you think I’m a dick since I got caught doping last year…” Good fucking lord.
@Ron
Well, look on the bright side, your local guy flogging parts has much greater self-awareness and honesty than Donnie Attentionspan! Of course, any components Trump would sell would be spray painted gold and have his name on them. I’ve got some lovely Trump double-click shifters and a gently used Trump DuraAce chainset if you’re interested . . .
@markpa
I ride without data and mostly without a phone { even though I qualified my phone as being small for the jersey pocket }. If Strava will map my usual route(s) one time, then that is all my wife will need to track me down in case of an emergency. We will see.
@Randy C
thnx for that Garmin insight { not the 500 }. It may be prove to be the best setup to pair a Garmin to the VIRB which I still intend to mount for recording insane, all-road sections.
Some goober’s gonna combine Strava with Pokemon Go and the end days will come. (Stravamon Go?)
@RobSandy
Unlike actual pure unadulterated evil you can just not enable it. Or disable it if you have it enabled. Simples.
@Ccos
We can hunt Strackachu’s and Giannisaurs!
( no I have never played it but I glean from social media that this is what you do)
Sea Monkeys… little wonder they never looked like the adverts, turns out they breathe thru their feet and only have one eye !
As for Strava and Pokemans… at the beach last week the kids were everywhere steering their beach cruisers with one hand and staring at their phones held out in front with other hand. I think they must have been trying to run over the little virtual picochu’s!
Cheers all
Here’s an account of the dangers of not gathering ride data…
@wiscot
Nah man, he means they were hella chill like these guys. They just played dead when you were around. Trust me. When you would leave for school or go to bed it was party central. Master class in Casually Delib.
@wiscot
I just got round to looking these up as I didn’t remember them. Maybe my upbringing was too scientific as we just called them Brine Shrimp.
Oh – and fed them to the Goldfish.
@mouse
Totally agree with both of you.
Strava doesn’t turn sensible people into idiots, it just makes the idiots more noticeable.
I love it but it doesn’t get in the way of my ride, or anyone else’s.
I imagine this is “common knowledge” here but, if you’re looking for a way to let family know where you’re at on a ride, in particular solo rides, Road ID has an app that allows this for those, even without the app (via their computer). You can even set a warning if you’re too stationary for any one time.
https://www.roadid.com/ecrumbs
@Ccos
I managed to wholly avoid ever reading out or having a discussion about Pokemon Go & Uber. It ain’t easy, but the world is bewildering enough; if I can keep out the next trend, my brain is slightly quieter. And, I need that.
@Bespoke
Thanks, was not aware of this.
I have a road ID bracelet, but wondering whether anyone would actually bother to read it if I was face down in a gutter off the side of a road unseen.
Cheers