Originally Posted by
wktmeow
At least in a time trial all competitors have to face roughly the same conditions. Even the most finely tuned KOM pacing strategy can be beat by waiting for a really favorable wind. I wouldn't call that a more pure form of racing. Time trials are fun, but I still consider mass start racing much more interesting in the sense that winning depends on both strategy and fitness, and the strongest rider isnt always the most likely to win. Maybe I'm biased because I'm very rarely the strongest rider in any given field.
Just like in racing, the strongest rider doesn't always have the Strava KOM for the exact reason you listed. I've lost a few KOM's to "slower" riders surfing 35 mph tailwinds. I don't get upset when it happens, as that's just the nature of the game and it must have been stupid amounts of fun for that rider.
Now, if that rider earnestly started rubbing it in my face...I'd do everything in my power (wattage joke lol) to go out in "perfect" conditions to make the time absolutely unreasonable. That hasn't happened yet though. It seems like almost nobody wants an invisible asterisk next to their name at the top.
Every back-and-forth I've had in Strava has been lighthearted and fun. Even with riders I've never met. Just a group of people all looking for those precious seconds.