Lured into a lurid world, the virtual world of Stravaism, a place where digital cyclists live statistical lives, often oblivious to the glory of Mother Nature and the open road…
They train, not ride, but for what – a tailwind day and a KOM?
For a long old time I’d resisted the temptation to get drawn into this dark side of cycling, but just like any other drug or bad habit I fell into it due to peer pressure, or rather, a lack of choice when I was cornered in an informational dead-end.
For me, there is no need for Stravaholics Anonymous: I didn’t swallow the potion, just started it and then spat it straight back out when nobody was looking, just like I did with my first puff of a cigarette when I was a kid – I already knew there would be no second hit, no matter how hard the playground bullies and dealers tried to push more on me, building in me, they hoped, an addiction.
And so yes, I’m a registered Stravaholic, yet one who has never logged a ride or even attempted to – I beat it before it got a hold of me; my rides are still pure and vague, flexible and fun, and I see the world around me.
I smell the cow dung on the road and hear the birds tweet (not on an iPod or through twitter) and take it all in – without posting it all to Facebook.
I’ve seen enough addicts, guys and girls living out these strange existences where they rage against the machine, and then do their dirty washing in public, and to an extent I do get it – but I also have a real life, away from the screen.
OK, maybe not much of one, or so it may seem at times, but why the hell would I want to ruin my rides and my personal life by logging it all for the world to see?
Half way through writing a magazine article and I found myself in search of a little local ride info for an area out of my remit, and approached a “Facebook friend” – or rather a friend of a friend through chat – another place I was determined not to get dragged into (but now unwillingly am a fully paid up member).
There was a certain digital and clinically stagnated lean to the chat. It was all stats – Watts and KOM’s the whole way – not so much as a passing mention of the great scenery or the nice café stop.
I was pointed to his Strava page in order to see the rides (and had to sign up). Sure it was informative statistically, but I couldn’t help but think he was riding a whole different ride to me – it may as well have been a computerised challenge, it really was not about the ride, it was about the data and the figures.
Once click of a button and I’m now following half the cycling world – the other half, meantime, are probably out doing what they should be – sapping up the ride. I
t’s gotten to the point where 30% of my Facebook feed is filled with people logging their Strava activity – even minimal rides to work, as if most people are really interested too?
Needless to say I’ve slowly started blocking these feeds – it’s just way too much information.
Another 30% of my Facebook feed is filled with the Instaprinces; the guys (and gals) who like post endless crap pictures on themselves out on a mundane Starva pot hunt – you know them, the hand held up behind them, lovely view of the back of their helmet, a mates arse, and the road, all filtered over like moldy old dough… they’re as irritating as the habitual food snappers. Oh wait a minute, they are the food snappers too – more blocked feeds.
I’ve been riding and racing bikes for 35 years; I have a Garmin, an iPhone and have had computers on my bike since they had a big cable and a click dial to count down the miles, but I‘ve never wanted to inflict my stats on anybody else, and I know when people are bored of my holiday snaps.
In fact I’ve had the Garmin for 8 years now, and it’s never been out of the house, and I’ve never set an app rolling to “map my ride” either.
Half of my life is spent in front of an evil little computer screen, it’s how I make my living – when I get on my bike the last thing I want to do is drag that already blurred grey line further out.
What goes on the road stays on the road.
I wish, for their own sakes, that Stravaholics and Instaprinces would go naked sometime, suck in the air and feel the ride, and go home with a grin – forget the stats and “sharing”.
They might see a whole different side to cycling.
You don’t know what they’ll find to hook you with next, but resist it. Go get a life guys, while you still can – you might even like it!
Bones506
Roar Guru
Have a look at Beach Road in Melbourne - I have no idea how many segments there are but it has to be just about the most on any road in Australia I would hazard to guess. Strava is an excellent tool.
liquor box
Guest
someone spraypainted start and finish lines on the V1 bike lane on the Goldcoast-Brisbane freeway! At least you would know why they took off for a km. Sometimes you will see strava for pro cyclists and they are amazing.
Tim Renowden
Expert
I had been resisting Strava for a while - I joined last week. I've been tracking my rides and runs with a Garmin for about 18 months, to log my mileage mainly. The Garmin platform doesn't have any of the social features of Strava, and it doesn't have the KoM/segment/trophy elements. I was finding it completely baffling being out on rides, and at random points people would just hit the afterburners for a kilometre or so. Someone pointed out it must be a Strava segment. I found (and still do) this to be deeply weird. There are just so many segments - I tracked my ride to work this week as an experiment using the mobile app, and earned about 16 'trophies' in 9km, which is crazy! So on the one hand I think the extra data is great for monitoring your training and performance. On the other hand I completely agree that the intense and gratuitous 'gamification' of cycling/running that Strava creates can be distracting and even destructive to the experience. There are a couple of segments on my commute that I really want to smash, though...
Tlux
Guest
Touche
Iain
Guest
Tlux, do you think people want to know what you don't want to know about what Steve Thomas doesn't want to know about what other people think he wants to know about?
Cam Larkin
Roar Guru
Poorly thought out article. I compete in triathlon and currently prepping for Ironman Melbourne 2014 (as well as a few half IMs); I gave a garmin and HRM as well as using Strava. I don't post it to my FB.
delbeato
Roar Guru
I use Strava for similar reasons. It's a fantastic way to track your form. I ride everywhere with my Garmin, to track the number of km I'm doing. I don't necessarily stare at it, I can just leave it alone to record the ride. In fact, it's really only worth looking at when you're giving a segment a nudge. In truth, it's only the odd ride that I will take a close look at once I've uploaded it onto Strava. It's particularly useful for racing - in crits, I can see whether I was able to lift my speed for the final few laps, or when I broke away. Or whether a race just felt fast, or really was. It's just a tool - it's up to you how you use it.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Each to their own. I race bikes and I race and train to HR and power zones. The accuracy of the data and the zones I sit in are absolutely critical to being able to know where I am in a race and what I can do - ie can I attack off the front, do I need to sit in, am I just about to go into the red etc Strava is an excellent, point and click system, that lets me track my training performance over rides I regularly do and see how I improve on my times. Training peaks is the other system but its interface is extremely hard to use. Strava is an excellent motivator as well - It pushes people much of the time on rides. As an example - I had a very tough day in the saddle yesterday. I went from St Kilda out into the Nongs and climbed 1:20 and the wall. The ride out is not that nice but the Nongs are very beautiful - I always make sure I try and enjoy the views. I was dying on the bike. I couldn't get my HR above 90% (a sign I am fatigued) and when I tried to push harder on the pedals but teh legs just felt like lead. I get home and upload my ride and see I have had 16 PRs and 1 of those was my fastest time up the 1:20. That gives me good motivation to keep on riding hard even when I am buggered. Strava, like everything has a place for riders. use it or dont.
Mossy
Guest
The only reason I use Strava is to track my ride, especially the hills and total elevation. I don't have a garmin etc, so this works well for me. Have no interest in any KOM but with the couple of people I follow, I'm interested in where they ride, but that's about it. As with most things, people can be overly competitive and take things too far, but that doesn't mean everyone is the same. Each to their own I say
Tlux
Guest
Whatever mate. You go on about not wanting to know about other people's ride data. Ever thought about readers of this article? Do you think people want to know about what you don't want to know about? Strava is great. I'm total beginner cyclist, no where near KOM on any route, and I still enjoy seeing my progress from 1,800th to 1,740 on the Story Bridge. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].