What's going on with this Strava segment???

[Kermit power]

http://app.strava.com/segments/3695795

It's a very short stretch of road in Elephant & Castle. The fastest three riders are all at 76.5mph, and there's 12 over 40mph!

This is on a stretch of road where you'd not be able to average 76.5mph on a Superbike, never mind a pushbike!

[mchammer89]

Probably just the GPS messing up a bit, given that it's such a short segment it seems to be pretty likely.

[anonymous-user]

mchammer89 said:

Probably just the GPS messing up a bit, given that it's such a short segment it seems to be pretty likely.

I'd say this too, the majority of the fast times were all recorded using an iphone app so I'd say its a GPS issue. Stop panicking, you're still awesome!

[MadDad]

I have noticed some of the very reasonable times in my area have been set using iPhones, always a bit suspicious when a rider has a 20 mile ride at an average of 14-15 mph and a 22mph average up a 200 ft climb!

Worse still some of the segments in my area have been set using iPhone data, so there are pan flat sections of road showing as cat4 climbs!

[tigger1]

MadDad said:

I have noticed some of the very reasonable times in my area have been set using iPhones, always a bit suspicious when a rider has a 20 mile ride at an average of 14-15 mph and a 22mph average up a 200 ft climb!

Worse still some of the segments in my area have been set using iPhone data, so there are pan flat sections of road showing as cat4 climbs!

Isn't the elevation problem to do with strava mapping data, where it's relying just on the gps position of the phone, and then overlaying it's own elevation info'?

The dubious timings will be down to where the start / end of the segment were clocked via whatever recorded it.

[Magic919]

tigger1 said:

Isn't the elevation problem to do with strava mapping data, where it's relying just on the gps position of the phone, and then overlaying it's own elevation info'?

Sort out the apostrophes.

[TonyHetherington]

I use a Garmin 500 normally and have the iPhone going in my pocket (cyclemeter) just out of interest, and notching up a nice history of mileage.

I upload to Strava using my Garmin.

On Sunday I did a 65 mile ride, but 10 miles before the end the Garmin froze and I didn't know how to reset it. Since found out it's hold all 4 buttons! But anyway, I used the GPX file from my iPhone app to upload to strava instead. My friend that I rode with the entire way and used his Garmin 800 got 2 achievments on Strava. I got 24 !! No KOMs or anything, but still decent times (on a route neither of us have ever done before).

There is certainly something less accurate about iPhone usage for Strava, though not sure what can be done about it.

[donfisher]

I lost my local KOM to someone who had been pottering about for a couple of hours at an average of about 12mph but then on MY strecth suddenly clocked an impressive 88mph (Great Scott!) uphill. Recorded on an iPhone.

It's bloody irritating but I'm just claiming the moral KOM on this one as in the big scheme of things it really doesn't matter, or so I keep telling myself.

[mchammer89]

donfisher said:

as in the big scheme of things it really doesn't matter, or so I keep telling myself.

Well you're right there!

Commuter racing in central London is something I really don't understand.

[TonyHetherington]

donfisher said:

I lost my local KOM to someone who had been pottering about for a couple of hours at an average of about 12mph but then on MY strecth suddenly clocked an impressive 88mph (Great Scott!) uphill. Recorded on an iPhone.

It's bloody irritating but I'm just claiming the moral KOM on this one as in the big scheme of things it really doesn't matter, or so I keep telling myself.

You can "flag ride" and the admin team will remove his KOM from that segment.

[Kermit power]

mchammer89 said:

donfisher said:

as in the big scheme of things it really doesn't matter, or so I keep telling myself.

Well you're right there!

Commuter racing in central London is something I really don't understand.

I'm not fit or fast enough to race anyone, anywhere, but if you're doing the same route day in, day out, surrounded by traffic and encountering interminable sets of traffic lights, then so long as you're not endangering yourself or anyone else, where's the harm in doing anything you can to make it a bit more interesting?

As an example, at one point on my ride approaching Stockwell tube station on my way home are three sets of lights in close succession. Last night was the first time (in over 2 years of commuting) that I've made it through the third set on green, starting from the first set turning to green. Not much of an achievement in the grand scheme of things, but something which cheered up last night's commute from Central London.

[mchammer89]

Kermit power said:

mchammer89 said:

donfisher said:

as in the big scheme of things it really doesn't matter, or so I keep telling myself.

Well you're right there!

Commuter racing in central London is something I really don't understand.

I'm not fit or fast enough to race anyone, anywhere, but if you're doing the same route day in, day out, surrounded by traffic and encountering interminable sets of traffic lights, then so long as you're not endangering yourself or anyone else, where's the harm in doing anything you can to make it a bit more interesting?

Agreed, unfortunately not everyone has the "so long as you're not endangering yourself or anyone else" aspect of the idea.

[scubadude]

I've been using my iphone5 for Strava for a while without issue until last week, out of curiosity I turned it on to record a dash home from work (only 1.2miles) just to see how how far it was, everything worked fine till I looked at the "explore" feature alittle while later and noticed a segment down the hill from work almost to me door, I've ridden it about 5-6times and never recorded any time on this segment which seems very odd.

Maybe I'm not eligible because I live here :-)

[yellowjack]

Dudes, certified technophobe here, but I've been considering buying in to the Garmin 800/Strava thing.

This discussion is very much NOT selling me the benefits of joining Strava or the 'GPS Owners Club'. It seems to me that with all the false readings, and 'suspicious' data uploads, it could end up de-motivating me instead of having the desired (opposite) effect.

Also, could someone please tell me that they have a GPS unit that actually works? All I'm hearing is horror stories about sensors not pairing, units 'freezing' and failures of all kinds. I'm not the most 'tech-friendly' person, so sorting problems with software, or internal hardware issues will almost always result in either...

1. destruction of said gadget due to a ham-fisted attempt at self repair

or

2. the need to send gadget back to importer/manufacturer for repair, usually ending in conflict with some useless Bozo in a faceless customer services dept

At least if I've only shelled out c£30 for some basic Cateye computer, I can chuck it and start over. Come on, chaps! Sell it to me

[beanbag]

pablo said:

I'd say this too, the majority of the fast times were all recorded using an iphone app so I'd say its a GPS issue. Stop panicking, you're still awesome!

I noticed that myself using an iPhone. The tracking is terrible and previously using Cycletastic, it would fudge up all the time. I would have my iPhone attached to my bike using a Wahoo ANT+ sensor but pretty glad that's now gone.

I switched to a Garmin 500 and the tracking is always spot on, plus it's easier to read and the battery lasts donkeys!

[anonymous-user]

yellowjack said:

At least if I've only shelled out c£30 for some basic Cateye computer, I can chuck it and start over. Come on, chaps! Sell it to me

Garmin 200, unless you want to take training seriously or want a gps feature that finds you and puts your location on a map, the 200 is great. You can upload gpx files with routes on, just be careful to make loads of plottings on twisty roads or it gets confused (1 per km seems to work fine). Never had any issues with it freezing or general buggering up. The best bike related £100 I ever spent!

[TonyHetherington]

Sunday's freeze was the first time in 14 months - and I think it's because I was following a very long course, but otherwise my 500 has been a superb buy.

I'm having troubles with the Heart Rate and Cadence sensor at the moment, but I think they're blips and will get resolved eventually. The actual unit itself is brilliant.

500 is now a little cheaper too, of course, because the 510 has come out.


edit; and I bloody love Strava adds a whole new dimension to riding, and really helps to motivate me when riding alone.

Edited by TonyHetherington on Thursday 2nd May 10:47

[donfisher]

yellowjack said:

This discussion is very much NOT selling me the benefits of joining Strava or the 'GPS Owners Club'. It seems to me that with all the false readings, and 'suspicious' data uploads, it could end up de-motivating me instead of having the desired (opposite) effect.

Why? The gripes are about smartphones.

I moved from a wired computer run along with a smartphone to a Garmin Edge 200.

The 200 is basic and lacks the ability to go with a HRM or a cadence meter but the recording is spot on. I've had one ride where it just beeped at me and stopped recording (I just restarted it) but apart from that it has had no other issues in 6 months. It is waterproof and lasts all day. I got it when I bought another bike and the way it comes with two mounts and isn't dependent on wheel size means it's great for just swapping from bike to bike. I found one for about £85 wich is actually not that much more than getting a couple of decent wireless normal computers so it made a lot of sense.

The 500/800/510/810 are more advanced and offer a lot more features that I don't really require but others do. My friend loves his 800.

[beanbag]

pablo said:

yellowjack said:

At least if I've only shelled out c£30 for some basic Cateye computer, I can chuck it and start over. Come on, chaps! Sell it to me

Garmin 200, unless you want to take training seriously or want a gps feature that finds you and puts your location on a map, the 200 is great. You can upload gpx files with routes on, just be careful to make loads of plottings on twisty roads or it gets confused (1 per km seems to work fine). Never had any issues with it freezing or general buggering up. The best bike related £100 I ever spent!

I've got the 500 and it's superb, and like Tony said, it's been reduced now the 510 has been released.

It's a cracking bit of kit and unlike others, I've never had a problem with it freezing. I bought the premium model which includes the cadence / speed sensor and also the more comfortable HRM.

It all fits to the bike easily and tracks very accurately. The screen is fiddly to set-up but if you follow the instructions, you'll be fine.

The screen is also very easy to read in bright sunlight and with a multitude of readings, you'll be spoilt for choice. You can also split readings into pages. I've got one for my generic riding, another for my HRM and zone training, another for climbing with things like incline, vertical pace and altitude, and also one more for just day to day commuting. It's very flexible.

The only downside is the temperature gauge is a little ambitious but I think it's due to the sensor absorbing heat.

It also looks very flash

ETA, here's a route recorded using my Garmin 500: http://app.strava.com/activities/46471706

Another bit....Garmin Connect is better for stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/290709786

Edited by beanbag on Thursday 2nd May 11:01

[AyBee]

There are a few sections around Richmond Park which are the same, it's odd though because I recorded a 18:27 on there last weekend but looking at some of the segments, I was doing a huge speed (70mph+), but the speed data on the full lap didn't show any peaks anywhere near 70mph.

As a side note: I appear to be able to get the 500 for about £195 (with cadence/heartrate), is the 510 worth the extra (£70)? If so, I may end up spiralling into the 800 which seems to be only £100 more than the 500