Ebikes taking Strava times

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Ebikes taking Strava times
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flag theolderigetthefasteriwas
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 3:06 Quote
Why not, why should my time climbing a segment on my enduro bike be compared against an XC bike? There are different rider weight categories, why not bikes. And what about downhill segments, should my time on a full blown DH rig down a rowdy AF track be compared to an XC bikes time? My point is a platform like Strava is always going to produce false comparisons, so don't get too worked up about it.
flag theolderigetthefasteriwas
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 3:29 Quote
This is an argument against Strava as a whole. Traditional racing vs. social media "vitual racing" is a valid discussion, but it's outside the scope of the current discussion, which is premised on people using - and, presumably, enjoying - Strava.[/Quote]

Umm not quite an argument against Strava as a whole, more a comment on the use of Strava. But yeah, not strictly on topic, also not a milllion miles away...
flag blazekelly
O+ FL
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 5:23 Quote
theolderigetthefasteriwas wrote:
Why not, why should my time climbing a segment on my enduro bike be compared against an XC bike? There are different rider weight categories, why not bikes. And what about downhill segments, should my time on a full blown DH rig down a rowdy AF track be compared to an XC bikes time? My point is a platform like Strava is always going to produce false comparisons, so don't get too worked up about it.

Dont think of it as your enduro bike time is being compared to an xc bike time. You dont get a KOM for beating the fastest person, you get the KOM for setting the fastest time on a particular trail segment. However you achieve that time is up to your own accord.
flag shredjekyll
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 5:44 Quote
theolderigetthefasteriwas wrote:
Why not, why should my time climbing a segment on my enduro bike be compared against an XC bike? There are different rider weight categories, why not bikes. And what about downhill segments, should my time on a full blown DH rig down a rowdy AF track be compared to an XC bikes time? My point is a platform like Strava is always going to produce false comparisons, so don't get too worked up about it.

For the "why not"... Because at least comparing your climbing time on enduro vs xc bike you know its still just human muscle producing the results.
flag gnarnaimo
O+ FL
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 8:51 Quote
I know a few local ebikers who always record their rides as normal bike rides and are well aware of the ebike category. They claim they prefer using the regular bike category as they have all the segments (when they could just be making ebike segments themselves).
I have taken to constantly reporting their rides and am starting to feel like a Strava moderator lol
flag HaggeredShins
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 9:07 Quote
gnarnaimo wrote:
I know a few local ebikers who always record their rides as normal bike rides and are well aware of the ebike category. They claim they prefer using the regular bike category as they have all the segments (when they could just be making ebike segments themselves).
I have taken to constantly reporting their rides and am starting to feel like a Strava moderator lol

I road up on a couple e-dudes here at my frequented trails having this same conversation about ride type. Kind of rubbed me the wrong way, but whatever people need to stroke their ego is fine, its not fooling anyone. I used to enjoy doing some runs for the day's best segments before they paywalled the leaderboards; couldn't be assed to care now that I can't see the data, probably for the better.

There's always going to be cheaters. When I lived on the east coast there were a handful of nearby road segments that were KOM'd, to include overtaking one of the couple KOMs I've ever posted, by--I shit you not, on the user's profile and ride log--a Honda Ruckus.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 10:53 Quote
shredjekyll wrote:
theolderigetthefasteriwas wrote:
Why not, why should my time climbing a segment on my enduro bike be compared against an XC bike? There are different rider weight categories, why not bikes. And what about downhill segments, should my time on a full blown DH rig down a rowdy AF track be compared to an XC bikes time? My point is a platform like Strava is always going to produce false comparisons, so don't get too worked up about it.

For the "why not"... Because at least comparing your climbing time on enduro vs xc bike you know its still just human muscle producing the results.

Exactly. It's always possible to go down a rabbit hole of leveling the playing field. We could keep doing it until we standardize the length of the riders' hair, as that impacts the ability to thermoregulate. Incidentally, the statement that "there are different rider weight categories, why not bikes" is not correct. There are not weight categories on Strava, which is the scope of our discussion. There is a filter for weight, but few people use it and few people care. There may be "Clydesdale" categories at some races, but these are not the top categories and are essentially novelty or fringe categories that carry less prestige than age-group categories. To put it bluntly, no one cares about these categories, so they don't merit discussion.

Mountain biking has always been open to almost any equipment without non-human propulsion. That standard is widely agreed upon and is the basis by which our sport has always compared riders to one another. Technical innovation has always been a part of our sport, so equipment has always played into it. Either we accept a little of that or we require people to use standardized bikes. Even then, we couldn't control for trail conditions or weather conditions. The endpoint of the pursuit of a perfectly level playing field is for riders to compete in a laboratory and that's not mountain biking.
flag asmtb
O+
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 10:58 Quote
there is a ebike setting on Strava.... But its all about how I do, dont care about anyone else
flag R-M-R
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 11:22 Quote
asmtb wrote:
its all about how I do, dont care about anyone else

That's fine, but that's a discussion of whether Strava leaderboards have any merit at all, which is outside the scope of this conversation on how to manage the different user types on existing leaderboards.
flag nematon785
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 13:33 Quote
Just log out. At first its odd, but before you know it you dont care anymore.
flag eshew
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 13:49 Quote
Biking speed should be measured in smiles per hour.
flag asmtb
O+
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 19:13 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
asmtb wrote:
its all about how I do, dont care about anyone else

That's fine, but that's a discussion of whether Strava leaderboards have any merit at all, which is outside the scope of this conversation on how to manage the different user types on existing leaderboards.

No it doesnt, i know a person who uses the ebike setting on his dirtbike.... Few people love to cheat and some people just dont care....
flag gnarnaimo
O+ FL
Posted: Oct 10, 2020 at 19:14 Quote
eshew wrote:
Biking speed should be measured in smiles per hour.

Agreed. That being said, as a racer, I love competing against a clock and beating my previous times or beating the other fast guys in town makes me smile.
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