thehammerdog

I starting using Strava about a month ago the free version and like it a lot. I was using my I-phone which is great until it rains plus it did not have a HR monitor. I now am using my old school Garmin 305 wrist watch gizmo and luv it. I may go to the premium membership level but not really sure what the perks are. What has been your experience?

Leinster

I bring my iphone in a ziploc bag. I'd have my phone with me on the ride anyway, (emergency calls etc) so might as well have it make itself useful along the way.

I ride "by feel," so don't feel the need to have a HRM, cadence meter etc. If I ever do, I'll probably get a Garmin 310xt. I may end up getting that anyway for triathlons next year.

Other than that, I like Strava for comparing my efforts on climbs around my area, seeing how I've done vs other riders I don't know, but also seeing how I've done vs myself. And elevation/ride profile data is something I've never had on my bike rides before, so that's definitely a bonus.

I <3 Robots

Take Strava for what it is. I got friends so wrapped up in Strava. Seems like thats all they are riding for. Funniest part is when they do post up a "KOM"...they always crop out where the segment is.

Who knows what's legit on there anymore.

JerrySTL

I use Strava and pay for the premium version. I also upload my Edge 705 and Forerunner 305 stuff to Garmin Connect.

Leinster

I ride with one group who are all Strava'd up, but they use it for encouragement. Lots of kudos thumbups getting thrown around after a big ride; there are a couple of guys who take it waaaaay too seriously (one, I'm convinced, goes KOM-hunting; his name's on several very out-of-the-way top 10s). On the other extreme, the guys I ride with at work aren't on Strava, but are constantly asking me how we did when we get back from a ride ("get yer own damn smartphone, dude!").

Gargazsul

I tried Strava free, Cyclemeter and Endomondo on my iPhone. The Cyclemeter and Endomondo were great (I didn't use Starve too long, only one or two times so I have no experience about that app). I've purchased a Garmin 500. I think the iPhone apps and the iPhone were not so accurate as a device like Garmin. Now I use Garmin Connect and Endomondo Pro sites parallel. Both can manage Garmin devices.

diggy488

I use the free version of Strava and love it. I'll come home after a ride and compare my stats for a good 30min. Very encouraging to see personal records being broken.

thehammerdog

i never heard of the two you mentioned is one superior to the other?. i like strava also for the ability to find people and chat give kudos and compare rides.

bengreen79

I've been using it but I'm getting bored with it. Looking at my commute map day after day seems pretty pointless. I'm doing a 90+ miler Saturday but I don't really want to Strava that and end up with a dead phone in case I need it.

pghbikedude

I love Strava. I use it all of the time but I have a Garmin 910xt then upload to Strava when I'm done. I used to use the phone app and some of my friends do. My one buddy smashed his phone after it fell off the bike trying to do a Strava sprint. lol

I think it's better to have a device made for the bike and put the cell phone in the saddle bag.

bridic

I think I have tried all the apps for android and I settled on runtastic road bike pro. It does everything I need (Time, speed, Distance, Elevation and Calories). Plus I am able to create maps on Runstastic, online, and down load the maps to the phone...which you can also do with Strava premium. So basically, i would give them all a try and go with the one you like the best.

coppercook62

I use garmin connect. I used strava for a while but really not my cup of tea.

Homebrew01

No interest in it. If I'm racing then I train for racing. If I'm riding, then I ride. Got pretty tired of riding with a couple of guys that talked about it all day. Then they get a group to TTT to try and "win" a segment.

TNumber5

I use Strava. It is very satisfying to see my progress as I get stronger especially when this happens.

bgilchrist

I use Endomondo. I like it because it is multi sport. I can designate my rides as transport or sport/training. I can also track cross country skiing.


I use Alpine Replay for downhill skiing.

Gramercy

I use map my ride, and created a few courses that some people in the city follow. Some routes in my area have insane average speeds on strava that seem like people were riding routes on motorcycles. I don't trust the numbers on that site.

Leinster

Id never look at my phone during a Strava run. That kind of thing is what I have my Cateye Mity for.

To Ben Green's point re battery, you shouldn't have a problem getting a 90 miler out of a fully charged iPhone. Mine quit on me after 30+ miles last Friday, but only after a day of much phone use, no charging, and having to use google maps for a lot of the new (to me) route home.

Gargazsul

It surprised me that most of you use Strava instead of Endomondo. I thought that Endomondo is popular in US. I use the Endomondo site parallel with the Garmin site (as I wrote previously) because on the Endomondo I can easily see my progress. More personal bests which show my progress. The iPhone app of the Endomondo is not so accurate or maybe the iPhone because sometimes recorded intersting things... I ride more than 100km/h, the same hill wasn't the same high, etc. therefore I purchased a Garmin 500 with HRM and cadence.

bleui

I use Strava only to check the miles on my bike parts, and seems like my chain needs replacing

TrojanHorse

Strava has some ridiculous features... there are some kids in my town that spend their days pursuing KOMs on the local mup for instance, but it has some really awesome features too. I definitely like seeing the activity of people I'm "following". It never fails to motivate me to get off my duff and ride, and that's probably the best feature of all.

I love segments. Love 'em! I used other ride tracking software before strava but it was whole-ride. My average speed for the whole ride was X. Did I do better than last time? Who knows. It's great to see personal improvement, and it's great to get a big thumbs up from friends when you do well. Some of the premium features are interesting - the suffer score is a little amusing, the power tracking is decent and it'll show you your intensity on each segment, which is also cool and not available anywhere else as far as I know. Sorting leader boards by club/age/weight is kind of cool too, and I do like tracking my parts & maintenance on their bike page. I have been suggesting for over a year that they add periodic maintenance categories, but apparently they're deaf. How hard would it be to add "lube chain" as a category? Oh well.

Chaco

I thought I recognized those segments! Wow, you're a lot faster than I am! Even so, this shows why you can't get too obsessed about Strava in our neck of the woods. Your speed of 17.1 on 56 Bike Path to Intuit Eastbound lands you in 549th place out of 2,049 riders. Me, I'm in 732 place, with 16.5 mph. Unless you're an active racer around here, or set up segments in your driveway, a KOM is practically impossible.

bengreen79

Maybe I'll give it a try. There will be a couple others on the ride, too so I should be able to get access to a phone if I kill mine.

erief0g

I'm the odd man out. I started using fitnesspal for a calorie counter around the fourth of july ( i weighed 250lbs naked without a drip of water). I then found "runkeeper" which I used for when I walked the dogs. I really liked that runkeeper and myfitnesspal worked together and upon completion of an activity with the runkeeper app it automatically ported the data to my fitnesspal. That allowed me to exercise and then it would automatically add some calories to what I could eat for the day and still continue to lose my 2lbs a week. After a month or so of walking everyday I sold my truck and bought my bike. Now I continue to use the runkeeper app as it has settings for all sorts of activities including cycling. The app follows just like strava from what I can tell where you have a detailed map of your route, you have tracked elevation change, it splits your miles up and gives you average speed for each one, allows you to make routes and label them. You can also share with your friends if they wish.

edit: as a side, since I started fitness pal on the fourth of july I went from 250lbs to 229lbs. I would say it's a great app if you are trying to lose a few pounds but not jump on one of those fad diets that for some can be detrimental to health.

giantcfr1

My group all use strava so when we plan rides online we can all access the recommended courses at ease. As we have so many courses to ride strava has enhanced our experience

VA_Esquire

I use strava free just to track my miles and compare against others in the area, even though I don't race. Slowly becoming a CAT 7.