It used to be that serious dives into Strava data were reserved for off-the-bike time when you could plow through the numbers and see exactly how you did against all your nemeses. Now, Strava has changed all that with Live Segments for Android and iOS. With Live Segments all the performance details of a segment are delivered while you’re on the bike and riding the segment.
How does it work? First off you need to be a Strava premium member ($59 per year). Then you need to go in and “star” all your favorite segments on the web or your phone. After the segments are starred then each time you ride one, Strava will give you the KOM and the fastest ride of the people you follow and compare your ride to theirs in real time showing you exactly where you are. Strava will count in the number of feet to the start of the segment and then count you out to the end of the segment (so you can kill yourself just like in a spring for the line).
This works on the phone fine, but if you don’t what your phone out on your bars (and really, who does) then the best option is a Garmin Edge 520. With the Edge 520 paired with your smartphone via Bluetooth, all the counting down, counting out, and live segment results will show up right on your Garmin display, making every single training ride a do or die race to the line. And, if you don’t like the results, you can immediately turn around and hit it again.
It really looked like Trek – Segafredo’s Peter Stetina was on his way to his first pro tour win (really?) until stage 3’s last kilometer in the Amgen Tour of California when Etixx-Quickstep’s Julian Alaphilippe (the guy who lost the GC tour in 2015 to Peter Sagan by three seconds) turned on the afterburners and blasted to the line for the win.
“Today was really hard, everyone waiting the last climb for the big fight, so I was a little bit nervous we arrived here [at the final climb]”, said Alaphilippe. “I wanted to wait until the last moment because I don’t know my condition after the break, so I’m really, really happy to win today.”
It’s all on the video. Follow the jump for stage and GC results.
Wonder if Nor Cal’s Evan Huffman is done thinking about how he could have done the Amgen Tour of California stage 2 sprint differently? After staying off the front in a break for the back half of the 92 mile race, it was down to Huffman and Cannondale Pro Cycling’s Ben King. At 200 meters (with the peloton breathing down the necks) Huffman went first and hit it like a mad man. King was able to hang on and blast around Huffman five meters from the line to take the stage.
“I knew Evan was a pretty quick sprinter. He smoked me in both of the King of the Mountain sprints, so I was hesitant to let it come down to a sprint,” said King. “I couldn’t drop him on the climb, so in the end we both fully committed to make the breakaway stick to the finish, and in the end, Evan let out the sprint, and I was able to come around him in the finish.”
For the official word from the Amgen Tour of California, please follow the jump.
We’d like to think a little progress has been made in the last 150 years when it comes to bicycle saddles, but we know there are thousands of the cool kids who would argue with us. We’re guessing Brooks latest rerelease (in celebration of their 150th anniversary) is aimed right at their tattooed, mustachioed bums (yes, we said butt mustache).
The models available are the classic best-seller B17, its touring counterpart the Flyer, the B67 for city bikes, the B33 forheavy duty, and the Swallow for racing, all coming delivered in Special Edition packaging.
The saddles will be available online at www.brooksengland.com or at Brooks dealers around the world. Get ’em while you can because we’re sure they’ll be gone in a minute.
After a day spent rocketing through the rolling hills of San Diego, California’s East County with a seven-man breakaway off the front, the Amgen Tour of California peloton finally had enough and with 25k to go they chomped down on the kids up front. Methodically chewing their way down Mission Valley they finally ended Jelly Belly rider Jacob Rathe’s chances of a stage win inside of 5k to go. Then, in a move that surprised no one, Tinkoff lined it up perfectly for World Champion Peter Sagan to blast off for the line edging Canondale’s Wouter Wippert to take Stage 1 and slip back into the Amgen winner’s jersey.
“I’m very happy to be here again, to catch a first victory here, in the first stage. Thank you to all my teammates. Today was a good day,” said Sagan of his 14th Amgen Tour of California career victory (the race’s all-time record holder for stage wins). “I came here the first time in 2010…it was a very nice race, very good organization, very nice hotels, food… Also, the level of the race is very good, and it’s also very good for preparation because it’s good weather. Now it’s the Giro and Tour of California. And I prefer to come here to train and prepare. And also I like California for the fans, and I’ve won a lot of stages here, and I’m very happy always to return here.”
On Sunday, May 15, 2016 some of the greatest cyclists in the world (who aren’t currently riding the Giro d’ Italia) will be lining up on the shores of San Diego Harbor to kick off the Amgen Tour of California. Among those names are of course Sagan, Wiggins, Cavendish, Degenkolb, Kristoff and Alaphilippe.
“In an Olympic year, it is especially exciting to welcome so many elite competitors and Olympic gold hopefuls to the golden state,” said Kristin Klein, president of the race and executive vice president of AEG Sports. “The Amgen Tour of California is filled with talent this year, and as we kick off a new decade of California racing, fans will be treated to the most exciting edition yet.”
For the official word from the Tour of California (and the complete 2016 race roster), please follow the jump.
On Tuesday May 10, 2016 Strava held their first ever Global Bike to Work Day. Members who signed up recorded 79,879 cycling commute activities in 180 countries that day.
Strava commuters logged a total of 835,094 miles on Global Bike to Work Day, averaging 10.45 miles per ride. . . In total, 71,107 hours were spent commuting on the day, with the average commute time per rider being 53 minutes and 41 seconds.
These rides produced a total carbon offset of 514.51 tons. Just think if everyone rode to work every day? To see what it looked like, click here for an animated bike to work Strava heat map. To see how the countries ranked, follow the jump.
As hardmen and women by the hundreds struggled across the finished line on Sunday afternoon, April 24, 2016, it was obvious that the 5th Annual Belgian Waffle Ride was the toughest yet. With 146 miles of body pounding, mind bending terrain (including 41 miles of dirt and 13,000 feet of climbing) it is no wonder that this year’s event was won by Jelly Belly’s Josh Berry, a professional cyclist with experience from some real Belgian classics.
“I’d heard about the BWR, but it was even better than I expected,” said Berry, professional cyclist for team Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis. “These events are for the riders, and it’s great to have challenging rides where just finishing is an accomplishment. Not everyone can go race in Europe, and this gives people in North America a taste of something hard, but available to everyone. The mix of dirt and hills really suited me and made for a super fun day out there. I hope to be back next year.”
On the women’s side international cyclo-cross star, Amanda “Panda” Nauman (pictured above) dominated the field to beat defending women’s champion Rhonda Quick by just over 12 minutes.
For more details from the ride (and complete waffle results), please follow the jump.
On the morning of May 1st, 32,000 cyclists from every state in the nation and dozens of countries around the world will come together in lower Manhattan in support of Bike New York’s free bike education programs. From there, they will ride 40 miles through the five boroughs of New York City on car-free streets, which will include the FDR Drive, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and the Queensboro and Verrazano-Narrows Bridges.
Sound like something you’re into? Follow the jump for all the details.
It’s not going to help us anytime soon, but if you’re a global cycling hipster and you’re planning rides in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Denver, London, Melbourne, Milan, NYC, Paris, SF, Sao Paulo, or Sydney in the near future, then Strava’s new local guides have you covered. . . at least for helping with a list of the top 10 best rides.
Strava Local combines your favorite routes and destinations with similar activities from our millions of athletes, then distills that data to reveal the best running and cycling adventures in the world.
To check them all out (and we think you should), please click the link.
On Sunday, May 15, 2016 some of the greatest cyclists in the world (who aren’t currently riding the Giro d’ Italia) will be lining up on the shores of San Diego Harbor to kick off the Amgen Tour of California. Among those names are of course Sagan, Wiggins, Cavendish, Degenkolb, Kristoff and Alaphilippe.
