Strava Palaver

[martin@onbike]

Had a nice ride today....really windy, but warm. As usual, I tracked my ride on both Strava and Sports Tracker, so I can compare to all my other rides, and add pics etc.

Got home and uploaded from my phone to PC and had my tea. A bit later, my email pinged to let me know someone had commented on my ride. This is the conversation that followed:


Apparently he wouldn't have minded if I was an Octogenarian Uniped.- Good to know.

I've been using Strava for about a year with no issues at all, but I must have beaten one of his "scores" and wound him up.
The fact is, I still rarely come in the top 50 on most named segments against these super fit lads (and lasses) and it's on my profile that I'm using an Electric assisted bicycle.

I get the feeling that he thinks I'm sat on my bike with a throttle open doing no exercise at all, messing up his proper athletic achievements.
I cycled hard today in that wind on my 19kg bike...climbed some fairly steep hills on "Off", "Eco" and "Tour"settings did some pretty technical sections off road and even fell off (all be it at about 1mph). I'm not competing against anyone, just monitoring my own rides.

I've heard mention of a way to use Strava with an Ebike without upsetting the Luddites, but can't for the life of me find it, though I'm probably looking right at it.
Anyone point me in the right direction please?
Anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[EddiePJ]

I had notification earlier on that you had been out again. I'll have to pop and check now.

Go into edit, open the first window down, which probably says ride. E-Bike ride is at the very bottom of the drop down list.

The ride will still show, but your stats won't be added.

I've one ride which had been reported as dangerous, which it was, and took place when I was in Switzerland. I took a wrong turn and ended up very nearly going over the edge of the mountain. It then went from bad to worse, and I came very close to abandoning the bike on the mountain, after first removing the battery and display.
I never thought anything else about it until a few weeks ago, when the ride was flagged.

I've had a couple of lads comment in the past, but all was good, and being local, we now follow and share each others rides.

I've actually gone off using both apps. I was starting to find that the app rules how you ride and what you do. It's so nice leaving it all behind, and just getting on the bike and enjoying a ride for what it is.

 

[tillson]

I can understand why other Strava users get upset when someone ruins a section by using an electric bike. The spirit of the Strava section feature is to allow users to compete using leg power alone. Yes, equipment will make a difference, but electric assist completely ruins the game.

I'm within a couple of seconds of achieving KOM on several Strava sections and it's hard work. For many people this is their motivation for riding / training hard and I'd be very pi$$ed if an electric bike user raised the bar higher. Some people get their enjoyment from this type of activity, others enjoy riding their electric bike to a pond where they can observe wading birds through binoculars, but don't trash the Strava section en-route!

There is an electric bike setting within Strava and this eliminates your times. I think it's under setting - equipment - add bike - electric bike. I have my cheating invalid's bike set up in there.