I don’t think I’m compatible with Strava – I’ve tried it and I didn’t like it.
It’s not Strava’s fault – this is very much a me problem.
As much as I’ve denied it over the years, I know I’m a competitive person. I’m not sure I want to be, but I am.
That means when I flirted briefly with bagging KOMs and flexing my annoyingly competitive side, I had less fun on my bike.
Now, I’m well aware Strava is more than just a leaderboard and offers all sorts of benefits aside from seeing how you stack up against others, but I found that specific element hard to look past.
Every ride I did with the app ticking away in the background became a race, leaving me and my ego either over-inflated or completely crushed – and it was generally the latter.
“It’s not you, it’s me”, I told myself, as I deleted my profile. “We’re just not compatible. Maybe we never were.”
Scores on the doors
I first dabbled with Strava when riding my mountain bike on local trails I know well. I’d do a lap, see how my time stacked up on the leaderboard then get chipping away at it.
I started racing when I was 11, and even tried my hand at World Cup downhill in my 20s (and failed, I should note), so to say I’m keen on the stopwatch is something of an understatement.
And this was when Strava was new and very much in its infancy, when you could see exactly how you stacked up against all your fellow users.
It was exciting and really tapped into my competitive spirit. Racing without all the kerfuffle – this could be for me.
I’d lay down what I thought was a solid run and excitedly open the app, only to be instantly disappointed.
Then I’d try again and again and again. Sometimes the effort would pay off and I’d be right at the business end of things. But more often than not, I’d be left disappointed.
An unhealthy obsession?
What the hell was wrong with me? Maybe I was just rubbish at bikes…
I’d roll home feeling dejected before repeating the process at the next possible opportunity.
How could I shave another half a second off here or there? Where could I pedal more or get off the brakes sooner? I started to obsess.
After attempting to better my times again and again, I soon realised I was becoming more focused on the app and less on my riding, all the while having less fun in the process.
Strava had teased my competitive nature out and it was getting in the way of enjoyment on the bike.
I thought about it for a while and felt dirty. What was I doing? Why did I care so much? Did having a time and leaderboard position really add anything to my experience when out on the trail?
No – of course it didn’t.
Maybe I can’t handle the truth or the feeling of disappointment – I tried clocking some times on popular road climbs and that’s a whole other level of humbling. Maybe my competitive nature is too much for me to handle.
Or maybe there’s more to it?
I know I don’t like that people are willing to cut corners and skip tricky sections of track just to set faster times.
That is a step too far. And I don’t like the fact people will do that even if it means they wreck trails in the process. That’s a joke.
It's not you, it's me
In the end, some days on the bike are simply better than others. But for me, what it boils down to is a feeling, rather than a time.
I don’t need written confirmation in black and white. If I do, I’ll head back to the races and deal with whatever the result may be, knowing everyone is racing fair and square without corner-cutting.
I know there are a whole host of benefits Strava can deliver, but being as simple as I am – despite my competitive nature – I just don’t think it’s worth it for me.
I’m keen on keeping my riding as pure and stress-free as possible and honestly don’t want to deal with yet another app in my life.
I’m sorry Strava, but we’re over. It really is me, not you.
