Is this a warning for us?

[pink poodle]

I've built trails over the years under permits before the Strava days. Some of those trails still exist but with no permit attached. The land managers have indeed been using Strava and other online sources to nail illegal riding and to pursue the people that they assume have been working on the trails illegally. Things like tagging yourself at a location on Facebook and attaching photos and descriptions of you and your mates madly shredding are a fucking menace to people who want the trails kept out of the eyes of the public. Trust me, it's happening and people are being put in some shit positions all because it's broadcast on the internet for all to see. Don't get me wrong, I often share photos of me riding in awesome spots but I'm very careful to only do it in places that are not going to come back to haunt me.
As for Strava, the fact that it is very public for anyone to see is shit. I'm all for mapping your ride and enjoying the numbers but it needs to be far more private and Strava need to be more responsible and remove segments that broadcast trail locations to people that shouldn't be on them.

Exactly. Just because you think you have discovered ride nirvana doesn't mean you need to share it with everyone, especially if you didn't build it or maintain it. A lot of hard work goes into good trails and nobody wants to rock up and find it bulldozed.

 

[teK--]

As a man comfortable with the size of his penis, i predominantly use strava to keep track of the K's I've put into components on my bike. It's a good way of seeing how much life I get out of chains/tyres and reminding myself to service suspension/dropper.

.

This.

Easily track moving hours and Kms on all wear and tear parts rather than guess work.

 

[moorey]

People who say 'I just use strava to keep track of my distance' are either disingenuous or naive. :boink:
There are a million free apps that do all that, that you alone see unless you click to share it to social media. I'll share mine sometimes (well, used to)...mainly to brag if I'm at a cool location. Strava seems to change people and how they ride....not for the better, in my experience.

 

[hifiandmtb]

Strava doesn't track weather conditions which make a huge difference on wear & tear. Dumb reasoning.

Dozer's comments are 100% spot on. Muppets can't be trusted to keep segments private, keep the chat & information to a minimum.

Fucking pisses me off it does.

 

[johnny]

Lol at the anti-strava nazis. I track my fitness, riding ability, overall distance, penis size, blood pressure and political correctness with strava. I'm really happy to have it and sometimes have to remind myself that the ride is more than the results. That's simply a measure of how much I enjoy everything about the ride, I get to go home and continue my enjoyment of the effort by seeing how well I've risen to the challenge of beating myself...., in times, that is. Get out of the gutter.

I'm only in the running for one KOM but the dude holding it has very clearly cheated (ridge line sprint, keep off the brakes. Kris Charlton, you suck). Thus, KOMs are irrelevant to me, it's about improving technique and fitness to constantly improve. The ride will always be awesome regardless of all incidentals, but hey, if we can get even more enjoyment with e-trinkets, why the fark not?!

Broadcasting your naughties is clearly dumbness, no question about it. Over sharing is over-giving a shit what the world thinks and forgetting the intrinsic values of action. Agree with GDonehue, dickheads are dickheads, social media just makes it easier to work out who they are.

 

[pink poodle]

Do I need to share my pens measuring results with strava, or can I keep those private? I mean I'd like to shoot for a job and all...just the fear of not making top5 is too high.

 

[caad9]

There are a lot of folk out there who seem to blame Strava for the dickhead behaviour of some riders... actually I think you will find these folk were always dickheads and Strava just gave them a way to express that

Absolutely spot on

I've done an almost identical ride twice in the past few weeks, once my Garmin didn't work and I felt great. The other, my Garmin showed just how horrible my form is and I feel infinitely worse.

 

[PINT of Stella. mate!]

I was dismissive of Strava for years and still don't like the whole 'turning trails into racetracks' but after scoring a free Garmin watch, I started using it and I love it now.
Partly because I just really really love maps (no shit, my house is full of them) but mostly because it allowed me to write "Pat Is A Nob" in 25m high lettering on the sands at a local beach and have the evidence saved for all eternity

 

[Knuckles]

People who say 'I just use strava to keep track of my distance' are either disingenuous or naive. :boink:
There are a million free apps that do all that, that you alone see unless you click to share it to social media. I'll share mine sometimes (well, used to)...mainly to brag if I'm at a cool location. Strava seems to change people and how they ride....not for the better, in my experience.

This. I have an android phone, and just recently opened google fit for the first time in 12 months of having the phone. It has been latently recording all of my movements and deviding it into walking/running/riding. Because I don't have gps switched on, it just gives a general (eg: suburb) location. Managed to track all the data I need, without even lifting a finger, or sharing it with anyone other than uncle google. I'm sure there'd be an equivalent for icrApple too.

 

[bikesarefun]

Strava data has been instrumental in getting us meetings with a number of key state ministers. It's helpful in showing the scope of demand for trails, and has allowed us to validate a solid business case for trails with a BCR that makes government froth at the mouth.

 

[fragile]

This. I have an android phone, and just recently opened google fit for the first time in 12 months of having the phone. It has been latently recording all of my movements and deviding it into walking/running/riding. Because I don't have gps switched on, it just gives a general (eg: suburb) location. Managed to track all the data I need, without even lifting a finger, or sharing it with anyone other than uncle google. I'm sure there'd be an equivalent for icrApple too.

This is the big issue I see with the anti-strava-keep-private-trails-private voices that start shouting every few months somewhere or other. Whether you use strava or some other tracker, or no third party app at all, the gps data is going through your phone and of to the companies of big G or the little i. It seems that google at least, and probably apple too, are finding it easier to use heat maps from user gps data to keep up to date with new roads and such, the flow on being they also map trails. I've seen some of the approved trail networks, including the trail names pop up on google maps lately, and a few "unplanned" trails that I had a rough idea of where they were but had never ridden, can see clear as mud thanks to now appearing on the same maps.

If anybody wants to make the "(any app name you care to mention) shows where this trail is and will get closed" argument, be aware that they are contributing to the problem by taking a phone on the ride, app running or not. Either turn that shit of or leave it at home.

For the record though, I fully agree that if there isn't a sign at the trailhead saying "this is a bike track", then all reasonable steps should be taken to ensure that the trail is found only by looking (in the real world, by asking oneself "what's over there?" and then riding in that direction) or by being shown by someone "in the know".

And a thousand flat tires on anyone who takes the strava line, the track was routed that way for a reason numbnuts.

 

[johnny]

"Clear as mud" means that it's unclear and you can't make it out.


:madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin:eep:






I have nothing of value to add.

 

[moorey]

"Clear as mud" means that it's unclear and you can't make it out.


:madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin::madgrin:eep:






I have nothing of value to add.

Thats just nitpicking.

 

[madstace]

If anybody wants to make the "(any app name you care to mention) shows where this trail is and will get closed" argument, be aware that they are contributing to the problem by taking a phone on the ride, app running or not. Either turn that shit of or leave it at home.

I think this comment needs to tempered with a reminder that having a phone or GPS enabled device on you if you get lost could save your life. At least switch it off or cover it in tin foil until you need it :bounce:

And a thousand flat tires on anyone who takes the strava line, the track was routed that way for a reason numbnuts.

Do agree with this though. I've seen some lines that can only be explained by strava rage.