[HAMR] New challenger - Bruce Berkeley AKA Cycle_dr 1

[Greenbank]

Strava have new "yearly" KOM/QOM's now, probably for this very reason.

[Exit Stage Left]

That's what will make Strava a dubious medium for records. Its function is to motivate the current users, not to intimidate them.

[TigaSefi]

bit off topic but i don't use strava for seeing how fast I went on a ride. I use it to record my rides and see what i have been doing for the last couple of years because apparently it rather easy to forget that you actually did a ride that you have forgotten all about!

[mattc]

That's what will make Strava a dubious medium for records. Its function is to motivate the current users, not to intimidate them.

And it will evolve to meet that need over time. It might be utterly different 5 years from now (they might make a deal with a particular gadget company and tie the whole thing into that).

records are fiddled with a bit, but basically the concept is fixed!

[crowriver]

That's what will make Strava a dubious medium for records. Its function is to motivate the current users, not to intimidate them.

Stava is social media. Its user base is quite specific, composed primarily of runners and cyclists. It's still social media though, whose primary function is basically "Everyone look at me! Aren't I great?"

Instagram: social media for camera phone users who post selfies or pics of the great places they've been, people they've met, even stuff they've eaten, etc.
Strava: social media for Garmin* users who post GPX tracks of the places they've been, speeds and distances they've achieved, altitudes climbed, etc.

* - Other GPS devices are available.

[Exit Stage Left]

I foresee Strava evolving into something like the Veteran Time Trials Association, with standards for age groups. An interesting point about VTTA standards is that they've become more stringent at most distances, but the 12 and 24 hour standards have become easier, as more Audaxers ride them, and they've been revised in line with actual performances.
http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=70426

[Si S]

I foresee Strava evolving into something like the Veteran Time Trials Association, with standards for age groups.

If you're a premium member you can already filter results by age or weight

[Exit Stage Left]

Age and weight are self-reported stats. There are people who will happily mislead others to move up the rankings.

[Greenbank]

...There are people who will happily mislead others to move up the rankings.

Yes, that's Strava all over.

Cycling segment records with average speeds >50kph, running segment records with average speeds >25kph, etc.

(They tend to only last a few days before they get removed, but they appear again pretty soon, so it's a constant battle that Strava face to keep the data even vaguely clean.)

Some stay for longer, for example: https://www.strava.com/segments/1306535/leaderboard?filter=overall

66.5kph round part of a roundabout and then over the bridge. Uh-hu. (One of the #7s in that list is legitimate though.)

[TigaSefi]

...There are people who will happily mislead others to move up the rankings.

Yes, that's Strava all over.

Cycling segment records with average speeds >50kph, running segment records with average speeds >25kph, etc.

(They tend to only last a few days before they get removed, but they appear again pretty soon, so it's a constant battle that Strava face to keep the data even vaguely clean.)

Some stay for longer, for example: https://www.strava.com/segments/1306535/leaderboard?filter=overall

66.5kph round part of a roundabout and then over the bridge. Uh-hu. (One of the #7s in that list is legitimate though.)

Well..... if it is dry and you got tailwind across the bridge and if you take a massive wide line into the apex, you might be able to do it..... And oh yeah no cars, no ambulances, no rickshaws etc....

[jochta]

...There are people who will happily mislead others to move up the rankings.

Yes, that's Strava all over.

Cycling segment records with average speeds >50kph, running segment records with average speeds >25kph, etc.

(They tend to only last a few days before they get removed, but they appear again pretty soon, so it's a constant battle that Strava face to keep the data even vaguely clean.)

Some stay for longer, for example: https://www.strava.com/segments/1306535/leaderboard?filter=overall

66.5kph round part of a roundabout and then over the bridge. Uh-hu. (One of the #7s in that list is legitimate though.)

Segments of 200m are utterly pointless, especially in urban areas, as the start/end points are hugely influenced by the vagaries of the GPS location accuracy, especially if a mobile device is being used. I wish Strava would just delete anything <1km and prevent their creation.

[teethgrinder]

That's what will make Strava a dubious medium for records. Its function is to motivate the current users, not to intimidate them.

Stava is social media. Its user base is quite specific, composed primarily of runners and cyclists. It's still social media though, whose primary function is basically "Everyone look at me! Aren't I great?"

Instagram: social media for camera phone users who post selfies or pics of the great places they've been, people they've met, even stuff they've eaten, etc.
Strava: social media for Garmin* users who post GPX tracks of the places they've been, speeds and distances they've achieved, altitudes climbed, etc.

* - Other GPS devices are available.

Strava isn't just for Garmin, it's just that Garmin are probably the most dominant for GPSs.
Garmin are trying to promote their Garmin Connect, presumably to pull the rug out from Strava, but I think Strava probably has too much of a stronghold now. KOMing is now common terminology.

[menthel]

That's what will make Strava a dubious medium for records. Its function is to motivate the current users, not to intimidate them.

Stava is social media. Its user base is quite specific, composed primarily of runners and cyclists. It's still social media though, whose primary function is basically "Everyone look at me! Aren't I great?"

Instagram: social media for camera phone users who post selfies or pics of the great places they've been, people they've met, even stuff they've eaten, etc.
Strava: social media for Garmin* users who post GPX tracks of the places they've been, speeds and distances they've achieved, altitudes climbed, etc.

* - Other GPS devices are available.

Strava isn't just for Garmin, it's just that Garmin are probably the most dominant for GPSs.
Garmin are trying to promote their Garmin Connect, presumably to pull the rug out from Strava, but I think Strava probably has too much of a stronghold now. KOMing is now common terminology.

They tried and failed- Garmin had their own segments but then just caved in and allowed strava integration into the edge range. They knew they did too little, too late. I gave up on the "competitive" element of Strava a long time ago. The recording of cycling and effort side is very good, though as can be the social side.

[wajcgac]

Strava have new "yearly" KOM/QOM's now, probably for this very reason.

They did this from Jan 1st 2015 but surprisingly didn't repeat it for 2016

[jochta]

Strava have new "yearly" KOM/QOM's now, probably for this very reason.

They did this from Jan 1st 2015 but surprisingly didn't repeat it for 2016

Probably because after the first few weeks of the year it was utterly pointless? And in those first few weeks you got hundreds of meaningless top 10 for 2015 awards as you were amongst the first few to cycle that segment in that year.

[Somnolent]

Age and weight are self-reported stats. There are people who will happily mislead others to move up the rankings.

Not the only self-reported information:
One of Mrs Somnolent's QOMs was stolen by somebody who thought to move up the rankings by misleading others about his gender ! 

[Greenbank]

I don't think Strava has much of a clue of what to do with itself now. It's been successful for the founders and early employees (which is part of the problem with SV startups, there's little longevity).

It seems to be following a rather typical Silicon Valley startup trajectory:-
1) Come up with a novel idea and build a site for it, plus an app, etc
2) Get some funding and grow as fast as you can
3) Get quite big, get more funding, founders and early employees are pretty much now set for life
4) Try and work out where to get more income from as membership alone isn't going to meet expectations. Adverts? (boo), Selling data? (boo), etc.
5) Panic add more and more Social Media related features
6) Await buyout from large SM company (Facebook/Google/etc) or, if that doesn't come, a smaller buyout from a tech company (Garmin, etc) for a much cheaper price

The SM companies buy companies for their user numbers. The tech companies buy them for easier integrations. One of these is good for the end users.

It's said that you know when an app/site/etc has 'jumped the shark' when it implements some form of 'chat' or 'messenger' feature.

Other than the 'fly-bys' stuff, I haven't seen anything innovative from Strava for ages. It's Garmin integration is very poor and shows hardly any of the useful stats for running or swimming (compared to Garmin Connect at least). Their response to suggestions from their userbase is almost non-existent.

[TimC]

Not sure what any of this has to do with Bruce, but, in the expectation that the Strava tangent will get moved...

Strava is actually doing rather well. It has captured the imagination of cyclists and runners worldwide, though it's most prevalent in the English-speaking world just now. It is, as Greenbank says, a social medium and it does need to earn a living from its efforts, but it has no significant competitors having seen off Garmin's pathetic attempt, and wiped the floor with anything Under Armour can come up with. Like Hoover, it's become ubiquitous in its field and it continues to develop. Those YACF members still flogging along with manually updating MCL might care to note that Strava now includes annual goals and progress charts, and the analysis modes continue to increase.

Strava does have to monetise its business, and it's been a bit shy about that, but I put that down to the fact that its owners are actually exercise enthusiasts who aren't out to screw their customers. Compare and contrast with Facebook... However, the fact that almost every other online exercise platform now interfaces with Strava, and that the company is now sponsoring cycle racing (such as The Women's Tour), means that the Pro subscription-based service is becoming more attractive. I anticipate that it will get more features, and more separation from the free service, though I think that will always be a useful offering. Advertising will come - on the free service, as is common on phone apps - and it won't be long before other exercise data gatherers (such as Garmin) will pay for Strava to provide their data engines.

As for Bruce, how's he doing?

[red marley]

As for Bruce, how's he doing?

I've posted an update on the OYTT visualization thread.

[jochta]

BTW VeloViewer and StravistiX make Strava data much more useful and interesting IMO.

[TimC]

BTW VeloViewer and StravistiX make Strava data much more useful and interesting IMO.

I've not used Stravistics, but I'm a pro member of Veloviewer, which is a stats-nerd's nirvana!

[Citizenfish]

Strava does have to monetise its business, and it's been a bit shy about that, but I put that down to the fact that its owners are actually exercise enthusiasts who aren't out to screw their customers. Compare and contrast with Facebook... However, the fact that almost every other online exercise platform now interfaces with Strava, and that the company is now sponsoring cycle racing (such as The Women's Tour), means that the Pro subscription-based service is becoming more attractive. I anticipate that it will get more features, and more separation from the free service, though I think that will always be a useful offering. Advertising will come - on the free service, as is common on phone apps - and it won't be long before other exercise data gatherers (such as Garmin) will pay for Strava to provide their data engines.

They are already. They are selling their data to local authorities and transport bodies who are interested in recreational/commuting traffic patterns. They probably now have a superb elevation data set as well as they can process all of the barometric data they receive from GPS units against DEM data to arrive at close to true heights for roads and trails. Finally they will start selling your personal data to advertisers who want to know more about you. I suspect we will not see intrusive ads on Strava as your data is worth more to them than your ad clicks.

[TimC]

Indeed - the Strava Labs collective commuter heatmaps have featured here before, and I'm aware that more than a couple of cities are starting to frame their cycling policy discussions with them in mind.

[Exit Stage Left]

There's a guy in the Woodland Trust who's a keen Strava user, and he's now in charge of a large tract of land behind Rivington Pike near Bolton, and he's using Strava to assess MTB use.

[Ivo]

I do 'blame' Strava partially for the recent increase in brevet entries in the Netherlands. Last year there was only a handful of riders doing a 200 in mid winter. This year we offered a brevet in january and immediately 76 entries, about half of them new. Quite a lot of them are on Strava. I think that the Strava influence is twofold:
-People have seen that it is possible to do a 200 in january even if you're not a pro;
-It keeps you nicely towards to top of the charts on one of the Strava classifications.
I'd rate this as a positive influence.