prj71

When I used Strava as Stand Alone mobile app for activity tracking it would kill my battery and the phone would die after about 3 hours of riding. Thus it only makes sense if you do longer rides to have a dedicated bike computer with much longer battery life.

In the Garmin Connect mobile app in the menu there is a "Connections" and "Groups" option that allows you to connect with friends just like Strava and have the Social Media aspect.

prj71

Actually Garmin Connect does offer that.

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?fa...AbAqaWs22qHcn5

https://www.alphr.com/create-segment-garmin/

Koyote

Yawn.

No one (at least none of my riding friends) uses Garmin Connect like this. I also don't own a Garmin computer and don't even have the Connect app.

As has been noted by several people in this thread, Strava is a preferred choice precisely because it is so popular. And the cost is a trivial expense for many of us...A rounding error in my annual budget.

prj71

Try Ride with GPS to create routes. One of the best ones out there to use.

https://ridewithgps.com/?lang=en

prj71

Yeah. If you don't have Garmin Connect or Garmin Bike computer then this won't work for you. Pretty much everyone I ride with has a Garmin Edge though. The seem ubiquitous in the cycling community.

For the record...I exclusively use Strava myself for all of those features. I'm just not a premium user.

Eric F 

No one is telling you that you "need" anything to do with Strava. I'm certainly not trying to convince you to change how you're using it, or your opinion of it. If Strava's features aren't useful to you, don't use it. If you disagree with how Stava makes money, don't use it. Do, or do not. I don't care. I've shared some of the reasons why I find Strava valuable to me. Your reasons and my reasons don't have to be the same.

Okay...so, they've figured out a way to generate multiple revenue streams. So what? Sounds like effective business. It doesn't change my feelings that $80/year for the services they provide is worth it to me. I've used some of the "challenge" promotions, too.

prj71

Agreed. The premium features aren't for everyone!

PeteHski

I use a Garmin Edge, but I much prefer Strava for connecting with other riders. It's just better in that respect. I am connected to one of my riding friends via Garmin Connect, but AFAIK it doesn't share their rides with me. The only time I've used it was for the live tracking function, so I could see how far away my friend was during an event, which worked okay.

Reynolds 531 

...

seypat

Dang, I'm torn now after reading this thread. I was going to get a Strave membership and upgrade one of my bikes to electronic shifting. Now it appears I'll have to wait on the Strava membership so I can afford the group upgrade. Sometimes you have to make tough choices.

genejockey 

Every so often when I get a PR, I check my age group, and discover just how many of the old guys around here are faster than me. Then I check my weight group, and discover just how many of the fat guys around here are faster than me. Then I go back to measuring my performance against my performance, because there are too many old, fat, fast guys around here.

rsbob 

Excellent articles. Thanks for sharing

rsbob 

[QUOTE=Reynolds 531;22786312]...
QUOTE]

Too funny and too close to home. But at 165 lbs, not too fat yet!! Now when do I get to kiss the girl?

Eric F 

I feel ya, man. Oh, so much.

Eric F 

Just before you get arrested for sexual harassment.

msu2001la

Yes, any map/nav app will increase battery drain on a phone. This isn't specific to Strava.

I have a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt that I use for cycling, but there are lots of times where I still want to track more casual cycling mileage without it. I use our city's bike-share for commuting and running errands around town, for example. I like to track those rides, and carrying my Bolt around to do that seems silly when there's a Strava mobile app that can do it.

I also use the Strava app to track non-cycling stuff like running, kayaking, cross country and downhill skiing, etc. I went ice skating with my kid a few days ago and tracked our speed and distance with the Strava app (5.1 miles in an hour). Strava works on an Apple watch and makes this very simple.

prj71

Kewl. I have a Garmin Instinct watch for the non-cycling stuff, but for the same reason I have the Garmin Edge for the bike. I tried to use the Strava app for snow shoe hikes or hikes I did in the mountains and it killed my battery. Short jaunts it seems to work good.

Reynolds 531 

DC Rainmaker making Strava look really bad, just by shining a light on them. What a PR disaster.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/01/...g-country.html

Eric F 

Meh. “Disaster” seems like an over-statement.

prj71

Ooofta. What a bunch of drama.

Makes me glad I don't subscribe.

Reynolds 531 

I chose an adjective between "debacle" and "trainwreck".

Note how long this thread has been going on, in a vintage-oriented bicycle forum. Imagine what is happening on Triathlon Chat groups and Roadie Forums.

superdex

nothing. shrug

Koyote

Until DC Rainmaker learns to write more succinctly, I can't bother reading his stuff.

This. Strava will survive.

PeteHski

Yet in his summary he says that he uses Strava daily and thinks it’s good value for money.

The whole debate about regional prices etc is a bit tedious for something that costs 15p per day. It’s not worth the lost time in thinking about it.

Cramic

That DC Rainmaker fella has far too much time on his hands!

I am right in thinking all that’s happened here is a company has put its prices up, for the first time in years, and didn’t do the best job of letting the subscribers know?

The hand wringing seems a bit extreme.

And I don’t know how exactly Strava earns its revenue (ie. what component is made up of paid subscribers), but I think the product as a whole is well worth the price (I pay, don’t use a lot of the premium services) and here’s hoping the freeloaders appreciate that.