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Strava segments I have no hope in achieving

Old 09-19-21, 02:49 PM
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spelger
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Strava segments I have no hope in achieving

Why do riders make Strava segment names that i have no hope in achieving? its bad enough not making the descriptive times but man these results just crush me.

here are a few near me that come to mind...

https://www.strava.com/segments/6084934
https://www.strava.com/segments/17203570
https://www.strava.com/segments/629023
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Old 09-19-21, 03:15 PM
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I don’t really understand. You are upset that other people are faster than you?
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Old 09-19-21, 03:18 PM
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Just get a high powered electric bike. You'll be crushing those KOMs.
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Old 09-19-21, 03:28 PM
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There is a 1.45 mile segment on a level bike path next to a 45 mph road. Reigning Strava time? 53 seconds! Not even going to beat that one in my car.
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Old 09-19-21, 03:45 PM
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i feel really sorry for people who compare themselves to others and allow electronic software to dictate how they should live.
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Old 09-19-21, 03:58 PM
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Pedal harder.
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Old 09-19-21, 04:05 PM
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I think cycling was more enjoyable and cyclists were happier before Strava was invented.
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Old 09-19-21, 04:09 PM
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I actually quit Strava because I didn't like seeing how poorly I compared to others.
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Old 09-19-21, 05:27 PM
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I actually like seeing how fast people can be. I see it as inspiration.
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Old 09-19-21, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by spelger
Why do riders make Strava segment names that i have no hope in achieving? its bad enough not making the descriptive times but man these results just crush me.

here are a few near me that come to mind...

https://www.strava.com/segments/6084934
https://www.strava.com/segments/17203570
https://www.strava.com/segments/629023
Then don’t ever do your local fundraiser fun 5k run. There will be a dozen or more folks breaking 16min for it. That is if you think bike segment times are rough.

Thus is life in all sports which are hobbies, almost always somebody faster.
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Old 09-19-21, 06:19 PM
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that's interesting, I'm not sure how many segments near me have a time in the name. Usually the names are descriptive. I guess those people made them up for themselves.
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Old 09-20-21, 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by tyrion
I actually quit Strava because I didn't like seeing how poorly I compared to others.
Same here. I want to remain a legend in my own mind!
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Old 09-20-21, 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by tyrion
I actually quit Strava because I didn't like seeing how poorly I compared to others.
Then you're doing it wrong.

Where I live, with SO MANY cyclists, including world class cyclists, I never had any illusion that I'd ever be the fastest on any segment on Strava, and I generally ignore the fastest times, because they are so far beyond my abilities that the only way I'd beat them is with the bike in the trunk of my car. I use Strava to compare to my own times. And at 63, I'm still beating old times on segments I've ridden hundreds of time, so it feels pretty good. Maybe when I get older, and PRs don't come my way anymore, I'll stop using it,.
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Old 09-20-21, 01:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
I don’t really understand. You are upset that other people are faster than you?
upset? i certainly don't lose any sleep over it.

Originally Posted by wolfchild
i feel really sorry for people who compare themselves to others and allow electronic software to dictate how they should live.
really? comparing against other people is just part of competition. do you never compete? it is sort of human nature to compete. and software dictating how i should live is a far stretch.

Originally Posted by burnthesheep
Then don’t ever do your local fundraiser fun 5k run. There will be a dozen or more folks breaking 16min for it. That is if you think bike segment times are rough.

Thus is life in all sports which are hobbies, almost always somebody faster.
is 16 mins good? i don't run...funny thing about running, i get winded very quickly, but i can ride for quite some time. different muscle bits i assume.


i still like strava and some of the segment names are downright funny like this that goes though a seedy section of town...
https://www.strava.com/segments/9803862
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Old 09-20-21, 01:35 PM
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Originally Posted by spelger
upset? i certainly don't lose any sleep over it.


really? comparing against other people is just part of competition. do you never compete? it is sort of human nature to compete. and software dictating how i should live is a far stretch.


is 16 mins good? i don't run...funny thing about running, i get winded very quickly, but i can ride for quite some time. different muscle bits i assume.


i still like strava and some of the segment names are downright funny like this that goes though a seedy section of town...
https://www.strava.com/segments/9803862
To break 16min for a 5k you've got to be able to run 5:15 per mile for 3.1mi. So yeah, that's pretty good. Go try to run a single mile faster than even just 6:00.

Also you need to consider certain hills or roads will attract more talent than others.
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Old 09-20-21, 02:53 PM
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Originally Posted by burnthesheep
To break 16min for a 5k you've got to be able to run 5:15 per mile for 3.1mi. So yeah, that's pretty good. Go try to run a single mile faster than even just 6:00.

Also you need to consider certain hills or roads will attract more talent than others.
i had to run a mile back when i was in the air force once a year. i don't recall what the max allowed time was but i always came in with at least 2 minutes to spare. for air force guys i think it was a pretty low bar. i think the bar might be too high for me now.
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Old 09-21-21, 07:11 AM
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None of us mere mortals will ever make a dent in those climbs ridden by pros, retired pros like Cookie Man and serious amateurs. I'd be satisfied if I finished those in less than 30 minutes. I'm not much of a climber.

I only compare my Strava times with a few friends who are around the same age and comparable in fitness, speed, etc. Mostly I compare with my own previous times. Anything else is unrealistic.

I've had a few top tens, second on a couple of segments, but I've lost most of those as some fast group rides have blown through. Realistically, a guy my age should never have a KOM or even a top ten on any Strava segment ridden by enough people. If a 63 year old has a KOM or top ten, it means either nobody rides that segment, or, if it's a popular segment, I'm doped to the gills.
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