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Over the past week, nature flipped a switch. Suddenly, like migrating birds, the 100º weather had flown to the southern hemisphere, leaving behind clouds, cooler temperatures and even traces of precipitation. Basically, the perfect ingredients for successful dirt bike rides. All summer, I’d stuck to shorter, partially shaded rides, or banked on getting in my mileage before the heat of the day and now I felt comfortable taking off up my favorite dirt climbs.
I often wonder what would happen if I wasn’t able to use my legs any longer, so this video from Strava really struck me:
“Glenn’s first handcycle ride from the hospital parking lot is one of our most inspiring uploads of all time: “That was kind of the beginning for me. It allowed me to physically start to build up the strength that I didn’t have in order to become self-sufficient and push around my wheelchair and get stronger. It allowed me to tell the multisport community that had been there for me from the very beginning of my accident, ‘You know I’m getting through this and we are gonna overcome this and everything is going to be alright.’ And it set the wheels in motion to put me back on the path of being a competitive athlete again. Ten months to the day of the accident, I handcycled my first half marathon.””
Athletic accomplishments are far removed from the curated “selfie” life of many social media apps. You can’t fake the funk when it comes to your exercise data. Perhaps that’s what Strava is going for in their latest video?
Rides have highs and lows. Pain and excitement. Strava takes on these emotions with the Strive series. All of which are super short and concise, showcasing ride and dirt. Play the first one to view the whole series.
Strava wants you to commute to work everyday but if that’s asking too much at first, why not try it on May 10th, when the rest of the world is observing Global Bike to Work Day? This isn’t just some marketing ploy either. Strava uses that data for Metro, a pool of user-submitted information that help people, including city planners, understand how humans use their cycling infrastructure. This ultimately results in a better, safer city for you to ride your bike in.
Though, remember, don’t blow up the spot. Turn off your Strava when poaching! I mean, don’t poach! Or something…
Photo by Ashley Gruber
If anyone knows a year’s worth of documented rides, it’s Strava. Check out their Year in Ride post at Strava Stories!
It’s always great to see two brands you admire join forces, even if it’s for something as simple as a cycling cap. Cadence and Strava did just that, designing a cap that will pull a chord in both design geeks and diehard fanboys. Head over to Strava to pick one up.
Photos by Jered and Ashley Gruber
The Grubers were at the Tour this year, documenting the monumental event. They did an exceptional job capturing the people and places that make the Tour such a unique race. See the full story at Strava.
To the pizza shop! Or maybe the coffee shop? Kidding, of course. Here’s a nice video from Strava featuring some unique views from around the globe.
Rather than being limited to strictly Instagram, Strava now allows you to upload as many ride photos as you’d like, directly to your activity. This opens the doors for sharing your rides and browsing what others see during their daily routes. To commemorate this new feature, Strava has a great blog post up featuring some of their favorite photographers. Head to the Strava Blog to see more.
We live in a world where big brother is out to get you. The government wants to strap a helmet on your head, make you register your bike and throw you in prison anytime you disobey. Right? Wrong… The world, as a cyclist, isn’t that bad. Sure, there are hiccups once and while and maybe yes, the average US driver doesn’t like you, the cyclist, taking up their road but come on, we really have it pretty good overall.
Everyone got so pissy when Strava began “selling” your data that no one stopped to think about how important that data can be to improving your city’s cycling infrastructure. Yes, just think, maybe there’s a way to further separate you from those fat, lazy, stinky, smelly motorists that want all the road for themselves…
There is! But cities need essential data. Data that would cost the local government thousands of research funds. Or, they could just buy it from Strava. Seriously, they can have all my PRs, KOMs (oh wait) and routes, just improve my city too!
Wired Magazine wrote an exceptional piece on this very subject. I suggest you head over and read it.
Rapha‘s Strava challenges are always a lot of fun. Ever look to see what the competitors are riding? Personally, I always enjoy clicking on the leader’s stats and seeing where they rode and what kind of elevation they can hit on their home turf. For the Rapha Rising 2013, people came out of the woodwork:
“30,841 riders worldwide took to the hills and mountain roads as part of the eight-day Rapha Rising Challenge. The challenge, in conjunction with Strava, was to climb the combined height of the Alpe d’Huez, Peyresourde, Ventoux and Col de Sarenne. A total of 7, 235m was the target but, of course, many went above and beyond that figure.”
As far as I’m concerned, two of the greatest social media apps coming together is a good thing. Instagram has become a part of my life and like many cyclists out there, I like to document rides, roads and new routes, especially since I travel and ride in so many cities. Strava announced yesterday that Instagram is now integrated. Simply go to your settings and click “Connect with Instagram”.
This route in particular had some good shots in it. But it’s even better for dirt and trails!
Now, one thing that I’d like to see is more accurate geotagging, or showing you where on the map the photo was taken, which doesn’t work well for #latergram.
Oh, follow me on Instagram, too.
California really does have some of the most beautiful riding in the US. Here’s Strava‘s new commercial, “Shower”, featuring Tim Johnson, tackling Coleman Valley Rd up from HWY 1. Damn, I miss the Cali coast.
