My partner got me using Strava because he was using it and I liked the idea of being able to compare my time to other riders.
Before I was using the ibiker app but I found myself in a lull with cycling and being able to compare yourself to other riders appealed to me.
So why do I like Strava so much? Well...
Easy to use- as someone who is interested in new technology and usability. I love the orange and black interface. It is very clear and basic and cuts the rubbish out that you don't need. I like the fact that the activity summary is displayed clearly and that you can see how many 'trophies' you or others have achieved. When you scroll further down you have your all time and year to date targets which are nice to look back on.
Look at all my trophies...
A competitive edge
I have fully enjoyed achieving personal bests and being in the top ten but also being able to collect a Queen of the Mountain (QOM) or two or three... As someone who is used to coming last and being the slowest, it is nice to be the best for once. :)
The need for speed
Again being increasingly interested in my progress, the speed graph has come very useful. It has made me want to improve my average speed. It wouldn't be as good as using a proper speedo but it does the job for me. A note also that the Speed and Elevation charts are clear and easy to understand (I haven't paid for premium so have not seen the Suffer Score, Heart Rate and Power Zone Analysis sections).
Seeing the Pro's...
I am very nosy and I have looked up pro cyclists to see if they are on Strava. The Strava QOM on The Woman's Tour really opened up the idea of looking to see how the pro's performed.
Having a cheeky look to see how
Dani King rode on The Women's Tour
Website backup
The website has the same slick design that the app does and is easy to navigate. The privacy option is vitally important and to be able to map your own route is useful as well.
What I think Strava could improve on...
Again my opinion but two things I could think straight off the top of my head is that I think the Challenges could be more 'novice friendly'. With a full time job and at the level I am the challenges I feel are unrealistic. Addtionally I would love to buy Strava cycling kit but they are just too pricey (although others may think the price is reasonable for a decent set of cycling kit).
Another app which deserves a nod is mapmyride. I don't personally use it but my partner does and he has planned many routes on the app. He brought a phone holder for his bike and it has been very useful as a Sat Nav for the route.
So this winds up why I enjoy Strava, it is certainly a fantastic little app and you get so much considering it is free. I feel it is the leader in the market in comparison to similar apps out there.
Do you like Strava? Is there any other cycling related apps you would recommend?
You can find Strava here on there website.
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