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Getting away from STRAVA? Options? Thoughts?

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Getting away from STRAVA? Options? Thoughts?

Old 06-28-20, 11:17 PM
  #26  
canklecat
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If you are logging your rides directly to Strava... don't. Besides being glitchy and no longer compatible with sensors, it's too easy to delete a log and have no backup.

However I just started paying for the premium version of Strava. The price seemed reasonable. I wanted the extra data. And I quit drinking beer so I had some spare change. A month of Strava cost what I paid for only one or two craft beers at the local microbrewery.

I've always used another app to record rides. I only use Strava to upload those completed rides or activities. The original log is on my phone and/or computer via Wahoo Fitness or Cyclemeter, using my phones; or on my bike computer and its app.

Of all the apps I've used to record activities, Wahoo Fitness has been the least troublesome. It's had a few problems, usually for a week or so after any update, but usually straightened out quickly. In almost five years I may have lost one or two logs on Wahoo Fitness. And it's free.

Cyclemeter was good but it's necessary to maintain an active paid subscription to get full access to our own older logs. That's annoying. I can understand needing to pay to continue accessing the full app features. But letting my subscription lapse also locked out my access to a year's logs. So I switched to Wahoo Fitness, which is free. (Cyclemeter may have changed its policy since that incident -- I think that was in 2017 or 2018, which I mostly used an older iPhone 4s). Good app, lots of customizable features.

My cheapie XOSS computer and app have been okay, usually identical to Wahoo Fitness on my phone. But there's no way to download ride logs from the computer to my PC. Some users have been able to use the USB charging port as a data port, but it's glitchy. So while I do use the computer to monitor my heart rate, speed, time, etc., I always use Wahoo Fitness on my phone as a backup. So if Strava goes away or changes its business model to something I dislike, I still have my logs for another format.
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Old 06-29-20, 01:30 AM
  #27  
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I like the segments and social aspects of Strava. The Fitness etc aspects are interesting but I don't take them seriously since I go by how I feel, not what an app tells me - but I also don't really understand the Fitness and Freshness aspects, admittedly. For example, my training and recovery number is currently 130 but goes down 3 if I don't ride. If I chased increasing those points I'd burn out wanting to see percentage improvements all the time. It also seems to reward longer rides regardless of how intense shorter rides are - so more about calories and prolonged heart rate figures than what HIIT can do. Anyway, not too fussed, I mainly just like the obvious bits of the app.

All my rides are uploaded via Garmin Connect so my History is not reliant upon Strava and if it went bust tomorrow I'd not be all that bothered. Still, while it is around, the cost is small so I am happy to have it.
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Old 06-29-20, 05:00 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by OUGrad05
Anyone else giving some thought to dumping Strava, at the very least dumping their premium sub? I dropped it in November, they gave me 60 days free a month ago. So I'm a month in and thinking I may not renew. I don't have a problem with them wanting to make money, that's obviously the point of being in business. However, they went through a period where they basically ignored cyclists and users and didn't do much to improve the platform. Now they swear they're making changes and going to improve the platform and yet several basic changes that have been requested by numerous people still haven't been done.
I LOVE that I can find other riders, I love segments, and I love the fact that many friends use it and we can follow each others rides with maps and segments. I don't like the fact that they're very slow to update the product, I can't track all my workouts in it effectively, they still don't have the ability to know that if you're riding a trainer its a different bike than your road bike (a request that dozens if not hundreds have made on their forums for 2+ years and yet nothing).

Are there some good alternatives? I subscribe to training peaks for tracking overall fitness and it's superb in that regard, but the social aspect is missing.

What are you guys doing, what are your thoughts?
I did it years ago. I don't care what others ride. I don't care about competitive anything. I'm probably antisocial.

I just want to have fun while riding and keep a tracklog of my own to be able to find and re-ride previous rides, so I use Garmin connect (for autoupload funcitonality) and then export everything to MyTourBook (I don't want to rely on the cloud).
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Old 06-29-20, 07:56 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by spelger
OP is just looking for options. I like Strava and have been a user for only about 1.5 years. Sort of like the social aspect of it. Mostly like the segment stuff even though I know where I will stack up, occasionally I am surprised at what I find when I used to look. But as someone else said, renting software just seems wrong.
To answer OP's question well, s/he needs to specify what s/he wants in a fitness tracking app. Different people use Strava for different things - Garmin connect will track just as much info, but without the social element. Other apps do the fitness assessment stuff. And so on.
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Old 06-29-20, 08:25 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
This is the answer, but you seem to sweat it more than I do. I keep track of things mostly out of curiosity - it's an easy way for me to track wear on things like tires so that I can make a more informed decision the next time I buy. Maintenance is usually done as-needed (noisy chain or brakes, etc) or I'll set reminders on my calendar (checking sealant levels, etc). If I'm swapping something out, but I intend to swap it back in at some point, I'll just make note of the cumulative mileage to date in the notes section when I create the "new" component.
I do the exact same thing. Mrs. NoWhammies thinks I'm a little OCD, but I find it interesting to know how many KMs I'm getting out of a set of tyres or brake pads. I also track the charge of my Di2 so I have more of a visual representation of when the battery is going to give up the ghost.

Originally Posted by AlgarveCycling
All my rides are uploaded via Garmin Connect so my History is not reliant upon Strava and if it went bust tomorrow I'd not be all that bothered. Still, while it is around, the cost is small so I am happy to have it.
Same here. I have been doing write ups for my rides in GC for years now and I'm too lazy to switch it up and move over to Strava. Plus as you (or someone else?) mentioned, the only bit missing with GC is the social aspect. And I'm ok with missing that.
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Old 06-29-20, 08:42 AM
  #31  
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I use Golden Cheetah as well, although I haven't updated it in quite awhile. My data is also on Training Peaks which from a training and fitness perspective I find better than Strava. I was unaware of the android bugs related to sensors and ride distance. I run everything through my Wahoo during the ride and it sync's to Strava after the fact. Those Android bugs are a great example of what you wouldn't expect from a company like Strava if they took their customers and their product seriously.

I do like the easy to read power segment breakouts that Strava offers but ultimately can live without that info in Strava given TP, GC and intervals.icu which all provide various takes on power data.

Some folks in the thread seem a bit hostile to the idea of not wanting to use Strava. It's a discussion thread, looking for and discussing various ideas, don't take it personally or get bent out of shape over it.
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Old 06-29-20, 08:43 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by NoWhammies
I do the exact same thing. Mrs. NoWhammies thinks I'm a little OCD, but I find it interesting to know how many KMs I'm getting out of a set of tyres or brake pads. I also track the charge of my Di2 so I have more of a visual representation of when the battery is going to give up the ghost.
I think that I've been tracking components for a year or so. I'll probably continue to track tires - I've been trying different brands/models and want to have an idea of how they last - but I don't think that I'll keep it up with anything else; I don't think that the wear will vary enough that it'll be an important factor when they need replacing.
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Old 06-29-20, 08:51 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
I think that I've been tracking components for a year or so. I'll probably continue to track tires - I've been trying different brands/models and want to have an idea of how they last - but I don't think that I'll keep it up with anything else; I don't think that the wear will vary enough that it'll be an important factor when they need replacing.
I track the mileage of tires and chains, but my monthly mileage is so regular that I just use a calendar,
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Old 06-29-20, 01:20 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Andy Somnifac
If it's software that's standalone, running on your own resources, and consuming no external resources, sure. I'm looking at you Adobe.

But this is far closer to an ongoing service. It provides the platform for bringing all that data together and quantifying it. Definitely not possible in the traditional standalone software paradigm.
you do have a valid point about hardware, it is theirs and they should be compensated. i know some have said $5 is not much but i think it is too much actually. i recently subscribed as an elite customer of CycleMeter. it is $10/year. far better in price but missing the other aspects that Strava has.

one day someone is going to put it all together and compete with all.
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Old 06-29-20, 01:23 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by OUGrad05
Anyone else giving some thought to dumping Strava, at the very least dumping their premium sub? I dropped it in November, they gave me 60 days free a month ago. So I'm a month in and thinking I may not renew. I don't have a problem with them wanting to make money, that's obviously the point of being in business. However, they went through a period where they basically ignored cyclists and users and didn't do much to improve the platform. Now they swear they're making changes and going to improve the platform and yet several basic changes that have been requested by numerous people still haven't been done.
I LOVE that I can find other riders, I love segments, and I love the fact that many friends use it and we can follow each others rides with maps and segments. I don't like the fact that they're very slow to update the product, I can't track all my workouts in it effectively, they still don't have the ability to know that if you're riding a trainer its a different bike than your road bike (a request that dozens if not hundreds have made on their forums for 2+ years and yet nothing).

Are there some good alternatives? I subscribe to training peaks for tracking overall fitness and it's superb in that regard, but the social aspect is missing.

What are you guys doing, what are your thoughts?
Originally Posted by drewguy
To answer OP's question well, s/he needs to specify what s/he wants in a fitness tracking app. Different people use Strava for different things - Garmin connect will track just as much info, but without the social element. Other apps do the fitness assessment stuff. And so on.
i think he did.
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Old 06-29-20, 06:21 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by noodle soup
I track the mileage of tires and chains, but my monthly mileage is so regular that I just use a calendar,
And back a bit to the topic, the hassle with gear tracking on Strava (or anywhere for that matter) is when you swap your bike on and off of a trainer.. where chains (and other stuff) have wear but tires (and other stuff) does not. Software (such as Strava) has the should-be promise of offering a better and more elegant solution (eg. setting preferences for "Virtual Rides" where user can select which components still register wear, while others are turned off).
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Old 06-29-20, 06:28 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
And back a bit to the topic, the hassle with gear tracking on Strava (or anywhere for that matter) is when you swap your bike on and off of a trainer.. where chains (and other stuff) have wear but tires (and other stuff) does not. Software (such as Strava) has the should-be promise of offering a better and more elegant solution (eg. setting preferences for "Virtual Rides" where user can select which components still register wear, while others are turned off).
Go ride your bike in the real world, and don't worry about Fantasy Land.
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Old 06-29-20, 06:40 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by noodle soup
Go ride your bike in the real world, and don't worry about Fantasy Land.
Not everyone gets to live in super friendly AZ year round climates :-)
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Old 06-29-20, 06:54 PM
  #39  
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I downgraded to the free version as of the end of my current subscription, which will end at the end of the year. I will probably delete my account then.
I don't really care about segments or the social aspect, and Garmin Connect gives me all of the training data (more accurately) for free. If I want to measure drivetrain wear, I break out the chain checker and digital caliper. Otherwise, I just overhaul my bikes twice a year.
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Old 06-29-20, 07:34 PM
  #40  
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I guess I just don't understand the obsession with precise tracking of gear mileage.

Are people really swapping brake pads at mile 2872 because that's how long their previous set lasted? Or riding with a squealing chain because it's not scheduled to be lubed for another 87 miles? The gear tracking that Strava provides is an easy way of having ballpark figures on some of your consumables, and that's about it. And that mileage is just a proxy, anyway - your brake pads don't care about mileage, they care about how hard you stop, how frequently you stop, the kinds of conditions that you ride in, etc - and there's always going to be a good deal of variability in those conditions that determine wear more than mileage alone. Besides, most maintenance needs are brought to your attention through other means.

The practical value of precisely tracking equipment mileage is so low that I would be upset if Strava put resources in to that before something of more value like implementing TBT instructions with their (rapidly improving) route planning or figuring out how to bring back reliable app pairing for BT HRMs, PMs, etc.
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Old 06-29-20, 07:50 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
I guess I just don't understand the obsession with precise tracking of gear mileage.
For me, it's idle curiosity. When I snap a shifter cable because I'm too irresponsible to replace it regularly, I can at least look back and see that, yeah, I should have changed it a couple thousand miles ago...
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Old 06-30-20, 06:15 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by GuitarBob
For me, it's idle curiosity. When I snap a shifter cable because I'm too irresponsible to replace it regularly, I can at least look back and see that, yeah, I should have changed it a couple thousand miles ago...
????
But then you would have wasted being able to use it for a couple of thousand miles.

You could just...I don't know...look at it from time to time and see if there's any fraying. The first time I broke a cable my shifting had gotten progressively worse. The second time my shifting got worse I checked the cable, and voila!
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Old 07-01-20, 10:54 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
I guess I just don't understand the obsession with precise tracking of gear mileage.

Are people really swapping brake pads at mile 2872 because that's how long their previous set lasted? Or riding with a squealing chain because it's not scheduled to be lubed for another 87 miles? The gear tracking that Strava provides is an easy way of having ballpark figures on some of your consumables, and that's about it. And that mileage is just a proxy, anyway - your brake pads don't care about mileage, they care about how hard you stop, how frequently you stop, the kinds of conditions that you ride in, etc - and there's always going to be a good deal of variability in those conditions that determine wear more than mileage alone. Besides, most maintenance needs are brought to your attention through other means.

The practical value of precisely tracking equipment mileage is so low that I would be upset if Strava put resources in to that before something of more value like implementing TBT instructions with their (rapidly improving) route planning or figuring out how to bring back reliable app pairing for BT HRMs, PMs, etc.
I use free Strava to track mileage for chain rotations - currently I rotate chains every ~500 miles (500 miles on, 1000 miles off) so they wear evenly - when I consider them to be well worn, I replace all three chains and the cassette as a set. The last set lasted ~12,000 miles. I buy tires as sets of three, as the rear tire wears ~2x faster than the front. I replace the rear when the threads start showing, and replace the set when it's time to replace the second rear. I track tire mileage out of curiosity. I got ~3850 miles out of my last rear.
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Old 07-01-20, 12:30 PM
  #44  
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Go ride your bike in the real world, and don't worry about Fantasy Land.

If that's what you want to do with your bike, awesome. Do it.

But don't yuck someone else's yum.
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Old 07-01-20, 01:53 PM
  #45  
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I plain like Strava, and it gives me a place to upload everything despite some runs being recorded on a Garmin, runs and rides on Polar, some on Zwift and so on.

The social aspect, adding pictures is brilliant, the training aspects are about as good as others, and, of course, segments are the ideal way to motivate yourself to really turn yourself inside out trying to do your best.

Staying a subscriber, the mix of features is simply the best all in one package deal.

Last edited by Branko D; 07-01-20 at 02:19 PM.
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Old 07-01-20, 05:56 PM
  #46  
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Is there an app that you can see the ride someone else did and if you like it and would like to do it just click on, upload route and start?
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Old 07-01-20, 06:44 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by dr_max
Is there an app that you can see the ride someone else did and if you like it and would like to do it just click on, upload route and start?
Strava will do that. You can open up any activity and click "Create Route." I'm sure others like RWGPS do the same.
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Old 07-04-20, 05:20 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by DrIsotope
Strava will do that. You can open up any activity and click "Create Route." I'm sure others like RWGPS do the same.
yes,just realized they are Im proving on the route planner since they started their membership
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