Many readers will already be using Strava… but it just got better! 

If you have not experienced the wonders of Strava then I urge you to stop what you are doing… yes that means everything… go away and sign up and then come back as your riding experience has just got better. Whenever I try to describe Strava to someone who is not in the know I usually start by saying, “It’s like Facebook but for cyclists… and its better”. It’s a place for riders (and runners) to come together, share rides, routes, pain and glory all packaged in a user-friendly site. Strava increases its user friendliness by incorporating ‘plug and play’ style connectivity for a range of bike computers as well as having superb smartphone apps meaning everyone can be part of the action.

The bike-mad Mark Beaconsfield (@Lycra_Loony) came up with the idea of having LovingTheBike and #bikeschool Strava Clubs for riders everywhere to join and share in the glory of keeping the rubber side down. In my eyes this idea steps Mark up from bona fide cycle nut to gold standard nogging-box genius and will rightly so be entered into the LTB hall of fame!

Although part of the fun of Strava is competing against friends on local routes and roads with the leader boards and ‘segments’ it’s a great tool to measure you performance against others but above all share what you are doing and get some props for the hard work you put in!

With #30daysofbiking just around the corner and people signing up everyday to compete as part of Team #LovingTheBike there is no better time to join us on Strava to keep yourself motivated and put into perspective the amount of riding you can achieve in a month. It’s going to be a hard month and from experience, any way of staying motivated during #30daysofbiking is a bonus as it really is a commitment to your bike, your health and generally having fun.

So whether you are going to be part of Team #LovingTheBike or you just want to connect with bike riders from all over the world, join us on Strava and be part of LovingTheBike and #bikeschool.

Stevie

]]> http://lovingthebike.com/motivation/team-strava/feed 4 http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/cyclists-are-champions-2-0 http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/cyclists-are-champions-2-0#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:49:08 +0000 Darryl http://lovingthebike.com/?p=6131 Share/Bookmark

We’re a cycling website, so we focused this post on riders, but if you’re a runner or doing anything else that moves your body….You’re a Champion as well.

One of the first posts we ever put up on Loving the Bike was titled “Why I Think Every Cyclist is a Champion“.  I still totally feel that way, but there’s another angle I’d like to spin on this topic.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty dang proud of myself when I come back from a challenging or longish type ride.  Heck, coming back from any ride is reason enough to celebrate, even if it’s simply time on your indoor trainer or rollers.  It feels so good when my Family asks how my ride was and I zing back with a smile and “It was totally awesome”.  Knowing inside that it was a fantastic ride is reward enough…but it sure feels good to share that feeling with the ones I love.

These days there are so many other ways to share your post ride excitement.  Of course there’s Twitter, Facebook, and those types of social media but going to a place like Daily Mile and posting up the stats of a ride is something that can feel equally as nice.  Putting up your mileage and watching your weekly total grow can give a strange but rewarding feeling of accomplishment.  There’s just something about putting those numbers up in the cyberworld, that can feel so good.

Daily Mile is a very supportive and encouraging environment and odds are that when you punch up your ride, you’re going to hear back from someone who says congratulations and keep up the great work.  If you’re a little more competitive and like posting your statistics and seeing how you did compared to others in your area…..try using Strava.  You’ll need a GPS for this one, but when you upload your information it will show you how you did compared to other local riders on things like hill climbs.

But I’ll say it once again….in the end, we’re all Champions.  Anyone who takes time out of their day to crank the pedals using nothing but their own human energy is doing good things for themselves and the world around them.  Celebrate your accomplishments.  You are a Champion.

Photo c/o mvjantzen