Chaco

I couldn't believe my eyes today -- I actually got a real KOM on Strava today.
Unfortunately, it must be one of the silliest segments in Strava. It's 200 feet long, with an elevation drop of 40 feet. My time for the segment was 4 seconds, and I hit 42.7 mph
I'm tied for first with -- get this -- 28 other people.
There are about 75 riders tied for 2nd, at 5 seconds each.
That means to be a clear winner, I'd have to do the segment in 3 seconds, or around 50 miles an hour. Something tells me that ain't gonna happen soon.

mtalinm

if Strava had a 250+ weight class it would be a lot easier, but there are tons of guys in the low 200s messing up the curve

Crash_N_Carry

Just do what some others do: either get in your car and record the segment or use digitalEPO to modify your file before uploading to Strava.

Joking aside I wouldn't say you'd need to hit 50MPH. Just hit 43MPH and you should hold the title for a while.

It's entirely do-able especially for us Clydes believe it or not! In downhill segments I regularly beat out my sister and brother-in-law since I have more "forward momentum". I've got almost 80lbs on my brother-in-law, and although on the straights he whips my butt six ways from Sunday on his carbon Cervelo bike, time and time again I blast past him on the descents. My fastest downhill run near Harvard, MA (the town, not the college) was around 44MPH and that was when I had Specialized Armadillo tires on my bike. I'm willing to bet I could hit at least 45MPH on the same hill I did 44MPH at with the gatorskins I have on the bike now.

jsigone

Nice job on the fast part of 3 witches.

what about power uphill segments, some can be reached!!! feel the leg BURN!!!

https://app.strava.com/segments/4413247

https://app.strava.com/segments/3867220

https://app.strava.com/segments/4130604

TrojanHorse

I didn't even look past that first one- you're in second place! All hail the queen!

Chaco

I looked at thos segments. If I were 6'4" and 30 years younger, maybe. Otherwise, you have nothing to fear from me! I can power up a hill that lasts 100 yds or so, but then I'm toast.

MattInFla

I live in Florida. What are these "hills" you speak of?

IBOHUNT

As the kids theses days say...

Oh snap! No he didn't...

Chaco

Haha. We get people on our weekend group rides all the time from FL, AX, TX, and other flat states. They think a coastal ride in San Diego means no hills. A 30 mile ride here, even purely on the coast, will involve around 1000 feet of climbing.

ill.clyde

I did this about three years ago ... was out on a trip, staying in LaJolla, decided I'd rent a bike and ride up to Cardiff or Encinitas ... then I encountered the hills at Torrey Pines ...

IBOHUNT

Motivation...
Find some segments that you think might be achievable or you could get into the top 10 or 5 on and go after them.
There was a point in time that I thought I'd never get a KOM.

That said, IMHO you have to look at KOM's with a grain of salt. I have some and I know for a fact, being the slowest guy in a group that I regularly ride with, that a KOM isn't all it's cracked up to be... I can get dropped with amazing regularity yet have KOMs. Something ain't right.

IBOHUNT

at 33'/mi that is flat

CommuteCommando

This could be included in a physics text book as an example of Terminal Velocity.

I was amazed after on ride to see that I had made the leader board on a brutal hill, going up, but then . . .https://www.strava.com/segments/1118294 (at the time I was 8th out of eight. Now that more have ridden it, I am off the bottom-22 out of 23-WOOHOO!)

jsigone

Hail to her in her car with MTB strapped to the back of it

TrojanHorse

If they beat you they're cheating! It happens to me all the time too.

IBOHUNT

Channeling Jack Roush I see?

JerrySTL

I've been the KOM on a few climbs. Most of the time I've created my own segment where others haven't ridden yet. I tend to lose my KOM pretty quickly once the word gets out. Here's one of my favorites. At about the 0.15 mile mark there's a series of 170° switchbacks on a narrow bike path. Even going up hill it's difficult to not fly off into the grass.

https://app.strava.com/segments/2159043

However I once got a KOM and didn't even realize it until after I'd uploaded my Garmin.

Chaco

For regular riders, yes. But on the Clyde Grade Scale, that is a 3.3% grade!

Chaco

Brutal doesn't begin to describe that hill - average 12% grade, with max grade up to 42%? Is that right, or is the Strava graph off a bit? I could do a 30% grade for maybe five feet.

CommuteCommando

My guess is that it's more like 9% average. That 42% isn't even close.

EDIT WOW- I just used Google Earth to calculate it and came up with 15% average (which is pretty close to Max since it is a steady climb, say 16-17 Max. Now that I am about 5 lb lighter than that attempt I should try again to put a little more distance between me and le lanterne rouge)

But how is this for a KOM?

(Took a screenshot before cropping it. No fair drafting the Metrolink, and those ties were brutal )

Chaco

Haha, I did that once too. Left my Garmin on at UCC Cyclery when I stowed my bike in the car. When I uploaded the trip, I saw the medal count was around 75. The 55 mph trip down Torrey Pines made it pretty clear what had happened.

IBOHUNT

Didn't know the math or physics was different for Clydes .
Also glad I didn't know this back a hundred or so lbs ago! I'd never had made it more than 3 miles form the house

blackvans1234

I have one downhill segment that I got KOM (mind you, i'm low 190's these days - started out at 205).

I have two KOM's that made me happy, one has up's and downs over 2 miles, the other two are more time trial-ish


https://www.strava.com/athletes/2654951/segments/leader

jsigone

same way here, I'd have to stay in a 5mile radius to ride to avoid any elevation changes. Where's the fun in that!!

PhotoJoe 

I get the KON's on just about every ride I do.