Let's talk about Strava…

[@SagasuRunning]

EDIT: Well, I re-subbed after about a week because of three things. 1). Too many CTAs and emails to resub, was worst that the AI, 2). I wanted my training log back (even though i have it elsewhere, after nearly 10 years of seeing Strava's UI it's how I think about it now), 3). I actually needed splits in my activity detail 9I have them in Apple workouts, but I like to compare them and when I make notes on my workouts I like to use the Strava times). However, the AI is still off...

[@japalocoturbo]

Since we ranting, 1 - Why add quick edit to new activity but not leave the gear edit visible straight up instead of having to go to advanced edit, I feel like it's one of the first things people would actually wanna edit. 2 - I don't get why the website have different info than the app. Wanted to quickly check one of my PR pace on the website but it only show you time and what activity you did it, instead of having some where, like in the app, your top 3 times in that distance with time and pace and activity. 3 - AI i just opted out as soon as it launched seemed really dumb. That's my 2 cents.

[@jeffreyschulz8773]

@@japalocoturbo I agree with you, especially number 1, I always set my shoes so quick edit is a waste of time. I also sometimes accidentally overwrite the title with a letter due to my fat fingers and can’t see how to cancel the change so have to close the app and reopen it, very frustrating.

[@SagasuRunning]

The "quick edit" thing is very poorly implemented. Putting myself in the product manager's seat, writing the feature request...they must be seeing low edit of activities from users, or some important subset of user. One could guess many users don't know they can edit an activity or add notes/meta data....so the PM conceives of a "auto quick edit" feature. However said feature isn't tested with more advanced users who now have to double or triple tap to do the same action that used to be on one tap. So now the feature punishes advance users who were using the "edit activity" function after every run to prioritize less advanced users who probably still don't add any detail to their runs. That right there says a lot about the product team and how they go about adding features. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@peterliljebladh]

The quick edit function is fucking annoying.

[@peterliljebladh]

By adding the function of messaging they probably think they're going to put Facebook out of bussiness.

[@SagasuRunning]

@ 🤣

[@MidLifeRunner]

A staple to midlife are the rants. Always welcomed. Nailed it. I would just like to not get notified every time someone else comments on a post that I commented on .

[@Chungdol]

Yeah thats really... weird, especally if you also activated email... then everything just goes BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Love your content mate, also your memes on strava are always worth a giggle

[@SagasuRunning]

I almost incorporated sit down cuts in honor of you! I even shot a few but with my shooting setup the angles are all off.

[@SagasuRunning]

Email notifications ALWAYS off by default. Same with any sound an app makes. Lastly about toast type notifications...ugh.

[@MidLifeRunner]

@@SagasuRunning I’m honored 😂

[@eirabee]

This was an incredibly niche rant. 10/10 can relate. Ahahaha.

[@SagasuRunning]

I did warn you in the intro...🤣 (I'm sure we all have niche Strava rants though).

[@pseudoty]

I stopped using Strava this summer after my last major race. Now I only use Strava for keeping track of my shoe mileage.

[@SagasuRunning]

Shoe mileage is one of the main things I track in Strava. I have spreadsheets for certain shoes, which is manual, so I don't use it for all runs.

[@2too]

Shoe milages you track in garmin too. Add how many shoes you like. And bikes too.

[@SagasuRunning]

I haven’t use Garmin Connect in years and have no plans to go back. Nice to know they added those features.

[@luizbertoncini]

Garmin connect makes strava redundant, i'm sure Coros has something similar, no idea why anyone would pay for strava .

[@metalsadman]

Yep coros have, I also think Runna is better than strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

It will be interesting to see if Runna goes the social running route large scale, not just among your chosen group. If any major race partners with Runna as the official "virtual race" app... that will be clear they are. Going to be interesting to see what they do.

[@SagasuRunning]

Data-wise yes (if not much better), social-wise (beyond your group) no...

[@colinmcc8564]

I used to have a Garmin (and back then most people used to have Garmin) but now that I have a Coros watch I am glad I didn't invest in an app that is GPS watch exclusive. Strava is immune to someone changing watch companies and in that way is more inclusive. That said I am definitely within a Strava bubble.

[@SagasuRunning]

@colinmcc8564 Yes, and Strava knows this, which is why they’re development is so scattered and undirected.

[@Mr80Miles]

For such an expensive product you’d think they’d have a “do not notify me everytime someone comments on a post that I have also commented on”!

[@sepg5084]

I haven't paid for Strava. Strava for me is just for metrics, that's it. A tools is only as good as how the user would use it.

[@SagasuRunning]

Lol...oh man...yes... so much yes. Strava product team...please add this feature request to Jira ASAP!

[@SagasuRunning]

But Strava metrics are almost all behind the paywall...even then they substandard to any running watch app.

[@Mr80Miles]

@ yes, impress your strava friends by running reps several seconds faster than you actually have!

[@Burps___]

Strava app >>>> Settings >>>> Push Notifications >>>> Turn off "Notify me when someone comments on an activity I commented on". 🙂 You're welcome.

[@ucatani]

Definitely food for thought. The way I see it, for most users, Strava is a social media app first, a fitness tracker second, specially in the free version, where you're lacking more specific metrics. Maybe I'm crazy, but how many people would keep using Strava if the social media component was removed, along with the kudos button and etc? Isn't narcisism and self-appraisal the driving force between this product? And isn't the gamification and UX designed accordingly? This is not to say that I don't like the feeling of a robot telling me that I'm a great runner, but the whole approach behind that app is to hook people. I like the map route function and find some of the metrics of the paid version useful, though.

[@SagasuRunning]

I remember a study a while back (done by GCN or maybe TrainerRoad, some cycling network) that asked followers about the kudos button and if it as removed would they stick around. I remember it was OVERWHELMINGLY negative and most people said they would stop using Strava. Having a social layer to running, combined with metrics, is fascinating. Joe Rubio talks a lot about this on Running Warehouse's excellent podcast "Mr. Rubio used to run." on how it can be bad for many runners...how it makes every run be something you need to show off for Strava... easy days are intervals, etc...or athletes looking at a pro's workout and trying to copy it. The same pressure of other social networks is here but with the added level of pushing too much too fast. I'm curious if any of the new class of training apps are going to move into this space (run social, beyond just a group of friends) at all.

[@adamfeerst2575]

Issues that you didn’t talk about: 1. Non-GPS (at least with my Polar): Strava shows the elapsed time, not the stopwatch time. If I take a break midway, or don’t “end” it right away after “stopping,” a 60 min treadmill or spin turns into … 2. Groups: As an admin, there’s no way to vett prospective members like with FB. 3. Bikes: In addition to selecting a bike, I’d like to track tire mileage (km) like with shoes. 4. I’d like to be able to advertise my local races. Strava is more targeted than Meta. 5. I’d like to be able to track switching shoes mid run. This is a fairly minor request.

[@SagasuRunning]

Oh yes… I feel some of these; 1. I have good start/stop and pause workout discipline after years on Strava due to this issue. 3. YES! Overall bike mileage (lifetimes/yearly) AND tire mileage (front and rear). When I was cycling I needed this so and. I kept track of it in spreadsheets. It was particularly important for differentiating my training and racing wheelsets. 4. One thing I’m happy to see Strava avoid all these years is spam and advertising in my feed. I get your need as an organizer… but as a runner I don’t want to see it in my feed. 5. Yes! Warming up in trainers and doing to reps in flats or spikes then a cool down in trainers in one workout. That way I don’t need three separate workouts!

[@adamfeerst2575]

@ 4. They already have advertising with their challenges. I’m just talking about races, fairly low-keyed, only sports related. I get your concern. However, I’d rather give money to them than to Zuck.

[@SagasuRunning]

@adamfeerst2575 challenges are from Strava promoting Strava functionality… it’s different (but still would like those turned off too). One of the nice things about Strava’s feed is there is little to no spam. Once they door is open it will get out of control like every other feed based network. 🙅🏼‍♂️

[@rumblerumble2276]

Thanks for the video. I thought I was the only one frustrated with Strava. The UX is so bad that every time I use it, I’m bumbling about trying to figure out how to find something.

[@SagasuRunning]

Right? Some important things are SO buried or intentionally obfuscated it's crazy. I'm glad I am not alone.

[@Dendeman1775]

You can easily opt out of the AI beta on premium account. When viewing an activity, click on the AI comment -> More -> Feedback -> Leave Beta

[@Frooglemo2142]

I did this too but the app still seems sluggish like it's still there just not visible. But hey at least it gets rid of the AI noise

[@SagasuRunning]

Yup..it's at 4:00 in the video...

[@SagasuRunning]

That should not be the case. Is the activity details still hitting the AI then, but the "leave beta" just hides it from the user? SO effectively Strava is still training their AI with ALL users data, even if they "leave beta"? If this is the case...this is class action lawsuit territory if someone like DC Rainmaker data-mines it.

[@zaviwaher9536]

@@SagasuRunning Playing with it(what a piece of garbage btw), I do not think the inference is ran once you disable it. Seems much faster. The way LLMs are improved.. you need human feedback. They have enough data probably more than enough of just runs/rides etc.. what they need is text that describes it. That is the hard part and this is why it sucks so bad. Basically they need to hire/contract piles of people who know what they are doing to to write these blurbs then fine-tune on that. That is hard/impossible and expensive. The target here is an adaptive coach that can give you feedback and damn I would pay double to have that. What I love about strava are segments, seeing what my club members are doing(oddly motivating!), heat maps are an absolute killer feature if you are into trail running or mountain biking, even road cycling I discovered so many interesting places using them.

[@SagasuRunning]

@zaviwaher9536 Agree on the training path. I wonder if there solve is to mine the language users put in to their runs (which also explains why the quick edit feature is also front and center) for that “training”. Why hire people when you can use your community to do the same job, albeit much less precise. This would also explain why the AI parrots back wha you right, often word for word. Agree on Strava’s heat maps…absolute killer features, now with over 10 years of data, that will be hard for anyone else to replicate now. I too have discovered many new routes and such from them.

[@Burps___]

I have met two individual running friends, that are not part of the two runnings clubs that I belong to, through Strava direct messaging. Simply reached out to each of them as they run the same routes as me in the same park. Instant friends. Now I've introduced them to one another and they are friends also. Love what Strava did there. 💜

[@SagasuRunning]

That is the ideal use case of said feature(s). One thet the designers likely pitched for the feature. That being said your experience, while great, is likely rare on the platform. But yes…. Glad the platform could help you in that way.

[@alb.1911]

I stopped using Strava when at the beginning of the year I moved from Cycling to Running. The only useful and differentiating feature is the "Segments" and make no sense with running where the pace reference is enough. I used Strava from a long time and I even participated in a sponsored video/activity "Ride with Us" (the short film still in KZbin). I believe the monthly subscription price is too high, I am using the Adidas, Nike and Apple Watch apps instead.

[@SagasuRunning]

It's funny... as I said in the video, I come from cycling and my first account was a cycling only account.. but from around 2017 I barely used Strava for anything as the majority of my cycling training as indoor on a trainer in TrainerRoad, Peaks or Zwift. I only really tracked outdoor rides for distance and time. I starred really using and caring about Strava when I quit cycling for good in 2019. There wasn't anything like TrainerRoad for running (at the time). Peaks UX/UI and app is straight out of 2004 and I always wanted to avoid...and at the time I was still in the Garmin ecosystem and intently disliked Garmin Connect. it wasn't until I got my first Coros that I saw light at the end of the tunnel at what could be. Apple Watch/Workouts has also made massive improvements in the past two full numbered OS updates.

[@Gabriel85Mihai]

I agree mostly but the DM is a friendly useful feature. Running and runners are part of a world community and its nice to be able to ask questions or congratulate people that I dont know personally or live in different places.

[@SagasuRunning]

So you use it for that? DO you get replies from runners you don't know?

[@Gabriel85Mihai]

@@SagasuRunning yes I did, and I would gladly respond if other runners have questions. If you respond here because it helps your channel grow and make money, should not judge if and how, runners and people in general communicate and interact.

[@bartekzielinski1645]

​@@Gabriel85Mihai I agree 🫶

[@Burps___]

@@SagasuRunning Yep, all the time.

[@SagasuRunning]

@@Gabriel85Mihai I also respond in Strava comments and Instagram DMs…. But I don’t need another channel of communication as a channel OR as a runner. There just be though.

[@brianreiter5572]

Yeah it parrots back what you wrote consuming a fairly obscene amount of energy in a data center somewhere. It is also multi language so that I have put in comments in French and gotten the parroted response in English. Other algorithmic coaching not based on an LLM are also pretty bad such as Garmin Firstbeat features.

[@brianreiter5572]

There are also some features that only work on the web app and some that only work on the mobile app.

[@SagasuRunning]

Wait... so their base LLM is multilingual...but they are currently just pushing in English? Yikes.... Also, the week or so I saw the AI it never seemed to learn about me, remember any past efforts (beyond the matched runs) or get any more relevant to me. It also had zero context of me and my running. it just seemed like it was learning at the org level and not at the user level. ChatGPT has proven it can do basic coaching, with context to the user. Many GPTs available that do it well already.

[@SagasuRunning]

This blows my mind this is even still a thing with Strava. Not having fully feature parity between the primary user touch point (the app) and the browser based version is completley unacceptable in 2024/25.

[@brianreiter5572]

I would guess they are doing API calls to OpenAI or something to get results. It seems unlikely that they have trained their own advanced LLM but finetuning GPT 3.5 to generate semi-coherent results seems doable.

[@brianreiter5572]

Off the top of my head I am pretty sure you cannot create a segment from the mobile app.

[@jeffreyschulz8773]

I would love to be able to add laps in my runs. I would also like to be able to compare my runs in different shoes, so I can get an idea which shoes I perform better in. Your correct the shoes list is too basic, sorting of shoes in the list would be good, or being able to group shoes by their use.

[@SagasuRunning]

Two SOLID features. Strava product team if you are reading this create tickets for both of those in Jira ASAP.

[@oxey_]

A watch can do that, if you're serious enough about running to have multiple pairs of shoes consider investing in a watch as well

[@241baka]

If they were a geotagging company they would be able to see that I did not run a 2:00 kilometre but rather my GPS signal bugged out.

[@SagasuRunning]

Well, no actually. That would require oversight of and a way to maintain the leaderboards...which Strava completely gave up on 5-8 years ago it seems.

[@Isnack96]

I'm happy with the free version. One thing that is weird is that I don't have a default shoe for running so the app just adds my oldest shoe to every activity, even though they have been retired for years now. 🤷‍♂

[@SagasuRunning]

Interesting bug there. I have never used a default shoe for anything so my default is nothing... but I can infere why it would default to oldest (bug searching is something I've done quite a bit in my career in UX).

[@JakeMueller-je1vv]

DM's were the best feature update in the last 5 years. This is not a edge-lord feature. It was heavily requested. I've been on so many group rides where I've met cool folks, then their account automatically shows on my ride post, I can send them a request and DM to meet up again. Sure, a lot of clubs post on third parties, but having a centralized location is way better.

[@SagasuRunning]

Maybe this is a cycling thing. My background is cycling and Strava was always seen and used a little different by cyclists than runners. I don't know any runners using it like this, but do know three cyclists (plus your comment) that do. Odd.

[@JonPhillipssea206]

Excellent analysis. I’m one of those runners that only came to Strava during the pandemic for virtual races. I’ve never subscribed to it and I really cannot understand why anyone would pay money for it. That’s not a knock against those that do, but for me it’s never been remotely necessary to pay for Strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

Interesting. You’re one of the core users Strava seems to prioritize as well. Really interesting comment. 🤔

[@marcoarsilvaa]

Strava Paywall features only matter if you dont use a Garmin, Suunto, Coros, Polar … people just use Strava because it joins this brands in the same world

[@SagasuRunning]

Agree... the analytics used to be a key feature for Strava...but all running watch have caught up and surpassed Strava's UI.

[@nathankendal]

Safe to say with the new api protocol you won’t be analysing ‘your’ data in another platform in the near future! Totally agree with your comments on the platform and UI/UX.

[@SagasuRunning]

Good thing the data you publish to Strava is generally from a 3rd party (except for those running with their phones) so even though Strava claims your data as its own once it touches their platform…. You can still export your own data to wherever from your watch app…. Or just stay in the watch app… Strava just can’t help themselves.

[@OdanUrr87]

Ha, I can relate on the Garmin side, as I have a few pet peeves of my own, like Garmin not allowing me to edit my runs with more accurate information, or sometimes getting the effort wrong. They don't have any AI implementation as far as I can tell. The monthly challenges/badges feature in the Connect app is a nice gaming-like addition to keep you active (e.g.: getting a badge for running on Global Running Day, doing an activity on Halloween, etc.).

[@SagasuRunning]

Just wait... know Garmin...AI something is coming and it will be even more clunky that Strava...

[@mikhailpentz24]

Agreed and we'll put. I've been sing Strava free for years, I hardly open Garmin connect unless i want to see specific data on laps which Strava free just doesn't do. For everything else it's my go to.

[@SagasuRunning]

In my first day of "free account experience" I just found the one paid feature I used regularly was laps in Strava. However, this means I just have to use my watch's laps/segements, which rounds the numbers different than Strava did so they never agreed (I'm talking about short reps like 200s). Once I get used to it...it's better for me.

[@kalemregier]

I just started using the free version of Strava in the last two weeks. I like the segments feature and the maps/routes are making me want to subscribe. Still not sure it’s worth the cost. If you aren’t using Strava for analytics what are you using? To a neophyte it seems robust. I’m curious what else you’d value/prefer.

[@SagasuRunning]

Strava's mapping functions are great. If you are in a new city and want to find popular routes it's great for that. I keep my data in the app for my watch and analyze it there. I stopped paying attention to Strava's metrics years ago as I find them very off (and useless) compared to what I can see in the rare data in my watch's app.

[@kalemregier]

@@SagasuRunningthank you.

[@icejam-xq5hj]

Is there an alternative to Strava other than Garmin and Adidas Running?

[@ucatani]

Coros (this one won't sync with a lot of devices) and Nike Run Club, as well as the native Fitness App for Apple Watch users.

[@SagasuRunning]

On the data layer....any run watch app and many other 3rd party apps in the app stores. On the social level, nothing like Strava at all, not at that global scale with that user base.

[@c8t9yt]

I personally don't have a watch so I just run with my phone and I find Strava to be a great place to track my runs, especially my pace and how fast I complete each kilometer. I also love that it's a way to share your progress with others. A part that I often get frustrated with is how the comment section works because it just gets quite messy sometime when all my friends are trying to reply to each other. I am thankful that the app is free to use, however I do agree on how it should be more streamlined. Overall great video, thank you for sharing your experiences!!

[@SagasuRunning]

I really dislike running with anything in my hands… so a running watch or smart watch is a must for me. Still I can get my analytics many other places. Agree though… the “social” features of the Strava app are basic at best and haven’t really been updated since 2018… what was broken then is still broken now. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@andypham1636]

used to do that until I got my watch. always had to keep my phone on in order to record, + couldn't record on races because you can only race with proper uniforms, nothing else. nowadays, with my watch, I can record with that, + have my phone off. Also, I can record even during races.

[@andypham1636]

if you want to reply to someone when its not clear, tag them by typing @(full name or otherwise their starva username)

[@MrAliWest]

Hello Sagasu, I really appreciate your videos, and I wish you to keep giving us so much great content. Nice video as always. I sometimes see myself being "tunnel-visionned" by Strava's PR, Local Legends thing, and at some point I ended up injured because I wanted to "show off" how fast and dedicated I was during my trainings. This is when I realized that even though the app is great, the "social media" thing had an effect on me. Now I do my best to stick to the plan, no more show-off, and yeah. I feel like it's way better. Another thing is the "if it's not on Strava, it doesn't exist" thing. Yesyerday for example I had a really good intervals session, but my watch died right at the end, and I was SO PISSED OFF because "damn, I won't be able to post it on Strava" 😑 . I still need to find a way to not let this thing go too much in my head.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ego is the enemy for sure...it's hard to balance for all of us on Strava. Totally agree!

[@khervinjaycolita]

it's basically the result when the majority of the people involved in developing this app is not actually using the app. Especially when the top guys doesn't even break a sweat daily and their egos are bigger than their paychecks... if the just listen to the users ang gather the necessary data feedback from the society, it will not lead to this situation.

[@SagasuRunning]

As hard as I'm being on Strava...I actually don't agree fully. I think the the problem is two fold. Strava employees use the app TOO MUCH. It's called "dog fooding" in the space, only using the company you work for product and missing loosing sight of the greater market and trends/user needs. If you watched any of the Camp Stava stuff you'll see that Strava, as a company, seems to be a bit too inward focused and rah-rah-rah only internal anything. Then you have some over eager product managers that maybe have a good core idea but then run it through the internal metrics filter and turn that good core idea into some inflated mess of an idea with a bunch of "growth metrics and revenue goals" attached to it that aren't based in reality. Both problems build on one another and are the only things that can explain the past 6 years of missed opportunities and poor feature implementation Strava has had...

[@JonWissler]

Been a premium subscriber the past few years. Very Happy overall. I've never experienced what you do regarding "slow" processing. The only thing I would call as unnecessary at this point with Beta is the new default you see after saving; it seems to be intended to abbreviate how you edit the info; I just find myself hitting the expanded version. The other just seems unnecessary.

[@SagasuRunning]

"Quick edit" is a feature that is obviously created by a product manager in order to show users (who never edit their activities or didn't even know you could) you can add notes to an activity. However, it wasn't tested with core or advanced users, who edit everyone of their activities, so now it forces those users into 3-4 taps instead of 1-2, thus punishing the users who actually use the feature because it wasn't tested enough. About sums up Strava's product design methodology right there.

[@toryrobinson8904]

I've only been on Strava for about a year. I was happy with Runkeeper but then I bought a fitness watch so I didn't have to run with my phone anymore. I wasn't happy to see group challenges only being available to subscribers (including a free trial) after August. I created a challenge in January that really helped keep me motivated and active until it ended in October, despite dealing with pain in my knees and not being able to run since May.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya, there are features behind the paywall that used to be core to the experience. I feel like a few of them are moved behind the paywall so that people give and subscribe eventually.

[@TimGrose]

I was almost obsessive with chasing segments and for a while would even try and fit in one CR attempt even on easy days. I probably might still if now lot harder to beat them. Strava never really have worked out how to do segments as well as they could with things no extrapolation and not being able to filter out bike rides or even car trips. If you flag stuff only get 10 goes before they block you for a day. AI have to admit I do look at. It mostly says something sensible but as I write an essay for my activity titles it has a lot to go on. Editing data like dodgy HR nobody really does and yet Polar had a nice tool back in the 90s. That all said nothing else comes close I am always on it ! I have my paid for account and a few others mainly for my 2nd watch. The paid for one seems fine if just want to record runs and see what friends are up to.

[@SagasuRunning]

I think I remember seeing you chase segments on your channel years ago. We will see if the free account gives me the features I want without the noise. I do value being able to be very transparent with my run data on this channel and there are NO other options out there to do that.

[@oneschance]

I actually like DM’s in Strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

You are the edge case user then. The one they are basically building the feature for. Enjoy it.

[@andypham1636]

same, but don't use it often

[@rrob7495]

Definitely Strava is more for the social and networking aspect. Basically just use it to see upcoming non-official race events and looking out for notices of non-secure routes. Also helps to come up with training ideas from other's workout descriptions and routes. For proper tracking, data, planning and analysis I stick to the device offered platforms. Find them to be so much better. As a current Garmin user I spend way more time in Garmin Connect than Strava. Not being on Premium Strava it's also extremely noticeable how their in your face ads have ramped up big time throughout the year. It's reaching chase me away levels. The new quick edit I also find to be a horrendous UX. Currently Strava being device agnostic is the only reason for keeping it active.

[@SagasuRunning]

See...the core Strava "social layer" has not really changed or been updated since about 2018. The same issues that were around back then are STILL there. If anything it's even more clunky given all of the "features" Strava has bolted on to the product since (both their acquisitions AND "cool features" like AI). So much could be done streamline the core UX and create users flows for core personas (i.e. social, data nerd, segement hunter, etc) but instead they jsut keep bolting on more half baked features... Watch apps and platforms have caught up and greatly surpassed Strava for data, by alot. The device agnostic aspect is mattering less and less especially as Strava shuts down it's API more and more. Any watch platform will let you access your data on multiple devices and in the browser.

[@adamfeerst2575]

There are a couple of local (Denver) groups that do all of their comm on Strava: Citius RC, Aurora Road Runners

[@SagasuRunning]

Did they move from 3rd party platforms? Are there any Strava employees as members in take groups?

[@adamfeerst2575]

@@SagasuRunning ARR is new. I think they’ve only existed on Strava. I don’t know about Citius, but it’s also relatively new. I only know about it via Strava.

[@keithmoorechannel]

I currently use Strava as my source of truth training log (for more than 10 years). You mentioned you use another app. I want to move my data out of Strava. Can you suggest an alternative?

[@SagasuRunning]

My data live in Apple Workouts/Health as I run with a Apple Watch Ultra 2. I want all my health data in one place so that is my source of truth, has been for about 3 years, since I move back to Apple Watch fully. Obviously, this is no public data...sadly, Strava is still the only real option to share/broadcast run data publically.

[@FtL_CS]

Out of curiosity, which fitness watch do you use for tracking?

[@SagasuRunning]

Apple Watch Ultra 2.

[@richgarfield7739]

GPS voice prompts would be great. (If this is already available, please share!)

[@SagasuRunning]

I can't even imagine how poorly Strava would implement this. Apple watch will does this in the workouts app with past courses and workouts (think maps style, turn left here). I believe some top end Garmins will do this too too if you drift off the route you are on.

[@ryangonzaga2874]

Used strava just to keep track of my overall mileage (imported my Dailymile data to strava back in 2017). I wanna know if i’ve hit 40,100 kms as that’s my main running goal.

[@SagasuRunning]

What is the significance of 41,500km?

[@ryangonzaga2874]

Earth’s circumference. It would mean that I’ve ran around the world (figuratively). Been running since 2010 and it’s almost 15yrs since I started tracking my mileage. I don’t plan to stop though even after I reach that distance. When I reached 20,050kms, it was a big event for me and my friend even made a poster for that when I actually got over that distance. 😅

[@SagasuRunning]

Nice. Cool little story and goal. 👍🏻

[@supo_sk]

I have never before thought about them as map company, but you are absolutely right- Their maps, heatmaps, all that segmets data are amazing. But ... the way have terrible is all other experiences ... have many steps to change shoes, ... also i have never used DMs, but i hate that i cant chage commet/ edit or now i cant share any link url. It is like super unfriendly to users.

[@SagasuRunning]

@@supo_sk the UI/UX of the actual app is low priority for the organization. Which is why it is so neglected. 100000% on being about to edit a comment…. I mean. 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@flipperzero9662]

A feature not available, but need to be, is editing imported workout data. If my coros watch records my run incorrectly, but I know approximately my pace and distance, I should be able to edit that instead of deleting the data entirely and then manually entering it in after the fact. That is so fuckin dumb that I'm canceling my subscription based on that almost entirely. Also, $12 month cost, if you pay per month pricing, is absurd. I can literally buy a garmin or coros watch on a payment plan and pay less per month. That will give me a device and access to their service...why would I even want strava in this case??

[@SagasuRunning]

There is a way to do that, but only on the website, not in the app. Hit the "+" button in the upper right corner, go to "file" in the left nav... "Works for multiple .tcx, .fit or .gpx files 25MB or smaller. Choose up to 15 files." I learned this years ago when Garmin Connect went down for months (due to ransomware on Garmin's end) and had to upload files manually after every run. Otherwise...I feel your frustration.

[@culturedcritters]

Given all the running clubs attached to the platform I think they could leverage connections between those groups and potential members which I think those groups and members might enjoy. I also think they need to work on the visual communication for the maps where things may be there but just aren't communicated well to users who enjoy having that tool.

[@SagasuRunning]

I actually find the mapping quite good, maybe their best feature, including the UI. But I agree they could do alot more with groups and connections. Again, if they were truly a social platform they would… but they aren’t.

[@michaelalbrecht3395]

I’m on the paid subscription with strava but I think there heading in the wrong direction especially when you have to pay to see if you’re the local legend or pay to create maps I’m thinking of going back to the free version

[@SagasuRunning]

From a business POV I get it...from a user POV it is hostile at best.

[@lucitribal]

I use Garmin connect for training data. Strava is more of a way to connect with other runners/cyclists and check segment pbs for me

[@SagasuRunning]

That is its unique feature compared to a watch’s app, which will do analytics better.

[@andypham1636]

exactly

[@yiann1sk]

Nice video and insights. Where you track your stuff? Apple App?

[@SagasuRunning]

Apple Workouts/health is my dataset... But I use spreadsheets and visualizations from those to see anything I'm interested in.

[@anatoly.ivanov]

@@SagasuRunning - Ha, interesting. Why Apple Workouts and not WorkOutDoors (since you’re using the Apple Ultra)? How do you automate exporting the data out of Apple Health? Maybe a subject for a video? Your “tracking the running data” stack? 😀

[@SagasuRunning]

I’m nearly 100% in the Apple ecosystem and want my data in it. I wear an Apple Watch daily as well, outside of running with it, and also use it for sleep tracking and general bio markers (RHR, body temp, sleep, etc). So I want ALL of my data in one place from one source. That’s Apple Health. I have no issue publishing it to any app I want to use… though I mostly now keep it in Apple Health/Fitness. WOO has one of the worst UIs imaginable… as a designer I just can’t.

[@KingPickler]

One time I put in a manual activity for a 2 mile time trial and Strava added a almost billion mile run that happened in negative time

[@SagasuRunning]

I broke both the sound barrier and space/time obviously. I hope Strava at least gave you "local legend" for that. 🤙🏻

[@henya2409]

I wanna list/filter my runs based upon the shoe(s) I used, it would be such an obvious option, yet not available.

[@SagasuRunning]

Yes...this is the type of "low hanging fruit" I was talking about.

[@marcusnye1975]

You can turn off AI. Simply click on leave feedback on the full AI description pop up on your activity. There is a leave beta option.

[@SagasuRunning]

Yup...Thats in the video (I found it after I recorded)...but that is VERY buried in a place few will find it.

[@goepfert1992]

As a cyclist I think that is super funny when I cycle my a** of for 1 hour at 20km/h against 25km/h wind and the IA goes like: That was a nice light ride man, try to put mor effort next time 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@gearoiddom]

I think we will know more than the robots for some time to come 😂

[@SagasuRunning]

Haha...I feel your pain (been there and done that too, minus the AI). Ha!

[@khanhduong486]

I agree, so i don’t have any expectations from this app. Just updated activities and showed up with friends 😊

[@SagasuRunning]

That is the best way to use Strava. Have zero expectations about it. That way you (mostly) can't be annoyed, angered or disappointed by it. Sad, but true.

[@michaelhuntington29]

Agreed, I turned the ai off after it quoted my own description. Remember it's generative ai, its not thinking or analytical.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya, generative AI doesn't understand context...which is a BIG need for an implementation like this. Both context in the broader sense of running...but also specific tot he athlete. Without that, it has no real value.

[@PerryScanlon]

I wish the significant segments could be fixed and actually show up on the map.

[@SagasuRunning]

That would be nice...

[@elvay6847]

I did a 20 mile mountain run with 11000ft of gain and broke the so-called Athlete Intelligence. It simply said "Oops - something went wrong." I was very entertained! Not too intelligent after all. I guess it's not used to non-spandex clad athletes doing hard things. I digress. Strava is a 'progressive' company, so expect the company to eventually break everything that it touches.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya, running workouts and types at the edges of the main data their AI is getting seem to really confuse it. Welcome to the club of runners that don't fit "the mold" of a Strava user... nothing really works for you.

[@BoardsDarkglasses]

I'm also a very long term user of Strava (approx 2013.) and I have to say I still love it. I tend to see a lot of disappointment from other users whenever they bring out new features (e.g. the quick edit option) and I have to say I basically never relate with them. I also really enjoy the AI Beta, pathetic as it might seem I enjoy the positive little affirmations after my runs. I find it reads the title pretty well and it's just a nice little feature to have. Strangely I don't find it slows down my app usage by any perceivable amount (Android user, FWIW)

[@SagasuRunning]

Oh...the "quick edit" feature...ugh. Why do I now need three taps for what used to be one. Personally, I don't need the affirmations...but I know many do. I would like to see a big picture view of how a workout fits into a larger block. Stuff I should be able to train the AI for my view... The slow servers could be being an international user hitting servers in the US. I doubt the AI is processing on board the device.

[@TheraPi]

Athlete AI is a good feature which should get a chance. What I dislike at Strava is constant changing of pricing, limitations, etc.

[@SagasuRunning]

Sure, it deserves a chance. It should have been an opt in and not blasted to everyone in a half baked way. I'm an AI as another tool fan, but it is debatable if it was "needed" on Strava when they have a million other things that should come first.

[@fergusdenoon1255]

Wothout Strava I'd never have known there were so many people out there in my little city who can run faster than Usain Bolt.

[@SagasuRunning]

Haha... I left my rant out on the leaderboards, that would have been an hour long video. There is a 1.74k run segment that I run nearly daily. The current top of the leaderboard is 26secs (from 2018), the top 100 are all under 1min. 🤦🏼‍♂️ Strava has all but given up policing the leaderboards...unless there is a pro cyclist or runner who complains about it on their socials....then something is done about it. I've been in cities where the local community keep key segments "clean" with real times and it's a beautiful thing. Sadly even if a local community wants to start doing that they have no want of clearing the hundreds of false times first. Strava needs a total leaderboard reset at this point...

[@TimGrose]

@@SagasuRunning some days I spend ages flagging rides or car trips recorded as runs. I have about 5 accounts as you only get 10 flags per day per account. Kind of surprised they haven’t banned me for trying to do their job ! As you say, I like to think the leaderboards round my way are good. Well anybody running faster than me must be suspicions right :)

[@prusak26]

I do a lo of hiking in Scottish mountains. Strava AI hasn't got a clue if my hike was on a well established, i.e. easy walking trail, or over grassy pathless terrain, or over the worst bog known to human kind. It sees distance and elevation gain, but doesn't seem to be able to tell, whether the elevation was gained steadily and gradually, or if you'd done a few miles on a flat, and then a super steep scramble - the AI says the same thing regardless. Yet the live elevation gain is still nowhere to be seen. The heatmaps and route planning are invaluable though.

[@SagasuRunning]

To be fair to Strava AI...I picture ALL hikes, off trail, in the Scottish mountains to be in the worst bog imaginable OR sheet rock and nothing in between. Scotland is beautiful but brutal. Maybe Strava AI needs geography training (likely). Totally agree on heatmaps though...killer feature that.

[@prusak26]

@SagasuRunning that's it mate. AI should be able to go through ALL the internet, books, hike reports, all of it. Then match your route to the data gathered, and then tell you, if you just took in the views, or sphewed your lungs out, and nearly drowned in mud. Unless it's this kind of level, I know better then it what my hike felt like and what it was worth. But heatmsps... I can't express strongly enough how those, combined with some research, can tell you how tough your hike will be, what sort of terrain you'll encounter. Combined with prior route planning and downloading it to your device (and undestanding of the isohyets, and what they represent in real life/terrain) you have a foolproof navigation tool, that's better than any map and compass of the old. To look after your freeking phone, should go without saying🤣🤣

[@SagasuRunning]

Agree on the AI and it learning context… seems obvious but Strava’s LLM doesn’t seem to have that type of context. I also adore heat maps for running in new cities and trails. Helps me know what’s popular or a common route in a new place. Plus I love my personal heat map. Killer feature that no one else has. Super valuable for civic planning too (which is the GeoData side of their business).

[@tkwasik]

I don't relly see point of having strava - all metrics and stats are in garming app and my watch so why would anyone double it up by paying for strava - to me its a place for influencers and people who needs extra motivation given by meaningless kudos - and honestly it become funny when you go for a coffe after group run and everyone is smashing those stupid kudos - strava is like Facebook but for 5 years old - mind i have free strava acc because of peer pressure but honesty dont see the point of even checking it 😅

[@SagasuRunning]

I mean...I can't disagree. As a "influencer/Shoetuber (however you concept what I do here)" who DOES want to put his running data out there publically, to back up what I discuss on the channel, I have no other option...unless I create a page on my website that I can manually update (which i did consider a while back).

[@HansMonasso]

No slow Strava here and that on an iPhone more than 5 years old. Never any slugishness and although the AI is a little stupid it does see Intervals and sees the different zones. Using it on a daily basis.

[@SagasuRunning]

It could be me hitting US servers from abroad as non of the processing is happening on the device.

[@HansMonasso]

@@SagasuRunning was my first thought because here is scrolling through activities super fast. In Holland we have fast internet on 5G and on fiber.

[@c_sporty7183]

I starred using strava in the 2010's sometime. Stopped using and deleted the app once they started charging. We have wearables now that do much more. I see no need to pay for it.

[@SagasuRunning]

I bet there were ALOT of users like you back in 2020. I wonder how brutal that analytics report was then.

[@VagnerCassola]

I know AIs that can give good tips to improve training. Strava's AI really needs to improve a lot. However, I find the analysis of average pace and effort interesting (but, I agree, it should be optional). By the way, I found the dark mode horrible.

[@SagasuRunning]

Yes, I get the feature and I know why its there. I actually played around with using ChatGPT for something similar over the summer (ultimately stopped using it though as the value wasn't there). It's more the prioritization and implementation of the feature. "Surprising" the user with something like this suddenly in the UI is not delight...it is frustration.

[@SplinterBreak]

Overall a lot of the Strava changes have been annoying me recently. The only one I don't agree with you on is the messaging feature, and that's only because I've managed to find and get in contact with people that I met on a run though the detection of people that you ran with if I didn't get contact details on the run. But otherwise it's useless, it's not the main contact touchstone.

[@SagasuRunning]

So you can digitally stalk people you run by? 🤣 You can also do that the old school way on Strava. Find the person you passed on comment on their run. I've had a few people find me (pre the Sagasu channel) that way. Often back in NYC actually.

[@oxirosmusic]

I’m a developer and interviewed for strava 3 months ago. I learnt a few interesting things like their UI on phones is back end driven LOL also lots of DEI hires , it’s only gonna get worse

[@SagasuRunning]

🤦🏼‍♂️

[@superstrada6847]

Agree. I will never pay for a Strava account. Any athlete who is at all knowledgeable about training would avoid Strava a for anything other than giving a kudos to a friend. Pay for TrainingPeaks etc., but do not pay for Strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

Peak is a great tool, far more powerful than anything Strava has (even without a coach/plan)...but the UI/UX is stuck in 2008 and painful to use. I used Peaks alot in my cycling days...never again (if I can help it). Though for working with coaches, especially remotely, it's THE tool.

[@letitbleep2683]

It's unbelievable that they won't add gear sorting options :)

[@SagasuRunning]

The definition of "low hanging fruit".

[@aidanoc19]

As a now middle aged weekend warrior of an athlete, long since I could even say I was sub elite, most of Strava's subscription features feel utterly irrelevant to me. The free version does everything I need well.

[@SagasuRunning]

I'm going to see if that suits me as well. At least all the "new" features will come to my account last. We shall see how it woks for me.

[@nondescript]

I opted out right after launch. I think you clicked on give feedback or something and there was a “leave beta” button. I can’t tell since I’m no longer a part of it.

[@SagasuRunning]

4:00 in the video is the very buried opt-out flow.

[@nondescript]

@ at 4 minutes you mention that you have to/are considering unsubscribing from strava as the only way to get rid of it? You can leave the beta without unsubscribing. EDIT: I was not watching video, and the mention you give is on screen only. I see. I tend to use KZbin videos like a podcast. Apologies.

[@SagasuRunning]

@nondescript I do often too… which is why I often call things out in screen… but I found that opt-out after I had recoded and was editing so I had no voice over of it. Apologies.

[@Virgili96]

Strava have AI behind a paywall? I was about to purchase a subscription for the first time, but you just saved me a lot of money and hassle. If there’s another app without the AI, I’ll be the first to sign up!

[@SagasuRunning]

Yup...their AI is a "premium feature"... 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@nickarndt7637]

Thank goodness I saw your note about how to disable the "Athlete Intelligence." I was becoming so sick of seeing that nonsense after every run. "Feedback" and "Strava" are NOT synonymous. LOL.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya...it's a in the most obfuscated place the product team could hide it. Definitely by design.

[@nickarndt7637]

@@SagasuRunning LOL. I think Strava is punishing me for this comment. Out of nowhere, I've gotten about a bazillion notifications in the last 20 minutes that my "friends" (AKA pro runners that I follow) have completed activities. Time to turn off all Strava notifications. Thanks, Strava!

[@SagasuRunning]

@ Strava knows. 😎

[@andypham1636]

I never used it anyway

[@Moshie71]

Left paid strava in 2018 (no value for money) stopped using free strava just after the pandemic. I now flip between garmin & pen/paper. The lies we tell ourselves are amazing (“If it’s not on strava, it didn’t happen”)… 👀 I remember cancelling a run because I ran out of battery (for strava), now I just run using only my trainers (no headphones, music,phone, or apps), so liberating. Don’t be fooled kids.

[@SagasuRunning]

I like my run data but it’s a passive thing for me unless I’m trying to hit marks in a workout. I never run with headphones or a phone…. I can’t fathom doing that either, even on a treadmill… I need to hear my footfalls and my breathing.

[@falconusername]

For the ski and mountain community, they also bought and eventually deleted Fatmap. Without porting the features from it. It is sad, but also frustrating. Back in March 24 I wanted to buy a Fatmap membership for the premium features, it was only possible through the Strava membership. I took the year long membership. Now they deleted Fatmap, and they don’t want to refund the last half of my membership. Never will I give them my money ever.

[@SagasuRunning]

Yup...I was a FatMap user for hiking and looking for trail running... gone. Hey, we got the fly-through built into Strava maps though...I mean that was cool the first 1 or 2 times and they useless after that... 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@mattbarrett6186]

In my mind Strava is lost as a business, it doesn’t really know what it wants to be and therefore delivers confusing contradictory updates. Am a just an aggregator of data, am I a social platform, am I an analytics platform? Am I catering to cyclists or runners or other sport? Well as long as people are paying subscription I’ll throw a lot of mud against the wall and see what sticks, while annoying everyone. I rarely use Strava, just to push my data so others can see my runs, and every other platform I use is just better

[@SagasuRunning]

They are a geodata and mapping company...everything else is secondary. Which is where ALL of your questions are spot on.

[@mebdev]

When I saw the quick edit feature I thought, great - one less click to add my shoes... wrong! 😠 My Pace 3, by contrast, recently got an update and it now asks me to select which shoes I did a run in at the end of the run, directly on my watch. Such a simple thing but it's brilliant - a real user experience win, and I expect Garmin will copy it soon (if they have any sense). Now if that data was synced to Strava... 'Chefs kiss' - but no, we get Ai which tells us 'well done on your recovery run' when doing intervals 🙄

[@SagasuRunning]

Quick edit makes what was one tap into at least three… I wrote a long comment critiquing the implementation in the comments here… COROS definitely has a strong UX lead on their ecosystem… it’s all well done. You get recovery intervals too? 🤣

[@mouse_9333]

Hearing this guy complain is so funny. I do hope they improve the app though

[@SagasuRunning]

Ha! As long as they improve the product (which i have LOW expectations for)...

[@ap80shg]

Strava has only EVER been good/OK at sharing fitness training socially. That is all

[@SagasuRunning]

And even that they are failing at as they let that side of the platform wither…

[@therangersinger]

Dont worry Garmin will take half of my intervals and place them in the recovery category as well 😂. I never understood that.

[@SagasuRunning]

You obviously aren't interval'ing hard enough. Garmin is passively aggressively letting you know. 🤣

[@ian9552]

Yep, I find the current AI offering on Strava annoying too. I'm hoping it will improve with time but until then I'll just ignore it. In defence of Strava they do appear to be slightly more user focussed than in the past. It wasn't a high bar, but it feels like they are trying to improve. I stick with Strava because I haven't found anything better, but if a serious competitor emerges, my loyalty is not infinite.

[@SagasuRunning]

"It wasn't a high bar.." is the understatement of the year. I guess going from 0 to 1 is an improvement... but they have a long way to go.

[@Ezechel.Trifan]

I disagree with being weak on the social front. Sure I’d like to edit comments and reply to comments, but other than that I don’t have much to complain about, now that they introduced feed management via follow options yesterday. If it wasn’t for social engagement, people wouldn’t care enough to give Strava their run data. And Strava knows that. I personally found neighbors I now run regularly with via Strava. I would not have found them any other way. Plus I found a couple of actual running clubs in the city, beyond the neighborhood aspect of it. I’d still be a solo runner if it wasn’t for Strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

I actually agree with you. However, the social functions in Strava compared to ANY other app with a social layer, not even a messaging or social media app, is beyond basic in 2024.

[@Lachlan_McDougall]

Doesn’t Strava track your fastest 400m? Wonder why it doesn’t track track workouts properly

[@SagasuRunning]

It doesn't go below 400s, so 200s you are in the dark. It' also struggled with track distances, even with a watch in track mode.

[@aletheia3]

I cancelled my subscription earlier this month. I was paying for it but only needed the free stuff.

[@SagasuRunning]

It is definitely a simpler experience… though the “subscribe” CTAs are annoying.

[@stedoesstuff]

I also wanted to get rid of the ridiculous “AI” nonsense and I found an option to “leave beta” which did the trick. I never knowingly joined a beta!

[@SagasuRunning]

Exactly... "beta features" should be an opt-in and there should be a global account option to opt-in/out on your settings.

[@jasondelarosa5457]

I liked them before the subscription model. All the features that were nice are now behind a paywall.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya… that subscription choice that made must have been brutal as far as drop off of users. They certainly didn’t win any fans from that one.

[@Jeetacademykl]

As you mentioned, the new ai feature to follow the trend is so crap but it is also easy to deactivate : click on the ai - then on SAY MORE - then on GIVE FEEDBACK - then scroll down till you see LEAVE THE BETA . and bie bie shity Ai .

[@SagasuRunning]

4:00 in the video…

[@jakeva9802]

Creating a solution for a problem that never existed

[@SagasuRunning]

Classic product design teams being pushed by the c-suite and marketing.

[@jakeva9802]

@ well said!

[@kevinlewis390]

LOL, I have used DMs A LOT, like a whole lot. It's a convenient way to get ahold of someone if you don't already have their phone number and met them through riding.

[@SagasuRunning]

Comments on their activity always worked in the past for me. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Though, I've maybe needed to do that twice in 10 years. I'm glad DMs have a point for you. I have them turned off still.

[@kevinlewis390]

@@SagasuRunning Hilarious, you project your own feelings about a feature, in Stava, upon the entire community and then on me when I refute your claim. Secondly, DMs are private and not public, so the purpose, and use case, is completely different from comments.

[@SagasuRunning]

It’s not just me. You may have a use case for the feature, which is great. But know zero people in my running circles who use it or even have the feature on. Also when the feature was released it was widely panned. These are runners here in Taipei, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, NYC, LA and Austin… 🤷🏼‍♂️ It’s not a bad feature, if you need it. It’s more that are 1,000 other improvements and requests the dev team could have been focused on before this one.

[@kevinlewis390]

@@SagasuRunning You still don't get it. Your quote "Who wanted DMs in Strava? No one wants DMs in Strava. Any running groups I've ever been associated with..." That's, definitionally, projection (If I don't want it then the 100+ million other users couldn't possibly want it either). You don't want DMs in Strava, that's fine, but say that.

[@SagasuRunning]

@kevinlewis390 I don’t want them… nor did (does) anyone else I know in running.

[@MichaelHowarthUK]

Agree wholeheartedly, the AI is just shoe-horned in to no real effect. It's not telling me anything I don't already know, it just gets in the way. If I could disable it, I would. Im not sure I'll be renewing my paid sub if it stays this way.

[@SagasuRunning]

4:00 has instructions to disable it… it’s hidden by design…

[@MichaelHowarthUK]

@@SagasuRunning Ahh got it, thank you. I was listening to the audio as I was working and missed the prompt you put on the video. To clarify for others who may read this - click the "say more" button on the AI text against your activity, that's where you'll find the "Give Feedback" and "leave beta" options.

[@leeplayswithfriends]

User: 'We don't want your fluff that are locked behind your subscription! I just need X feature, do better!!!!' Strava: 'We heard you loud and clear. Now we are putting premium X feature (which is just our regular feature but we don't talk about that) together with all our other subscription perks.'

[@SagasuRunning]

💯 🤣 😤 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@matthejl4054]

It’s the enshitification of the internet. Like why does my PRs need to be paywalled lmao

[@SagasuRunning]

It's not your data...Strava has made it very clear that one your upload data to their platform it is now their data and you have no rights to it. See their recent API changes...

[@Luix]

Garmin in was a geo mapping company

[@SagasuRunning]

Garmin made GPS hardware and made GPS mainstream, in cars and boats first then sports like cycling and running. They never really did anything with the geodata. They just presented it to the user in their devices. Early on some of their car devices tried to do Google Map or Waze type stuff but they quickly learned that was not the software business they wanted to be in so they partnered with 3rd parties to add that layer. Garmin was (and still is) a hardware company first. Strava built an ecosystem with geodata at its core where they added in analytics and insights, to the athlete AND the city (who whoever wanted to work with them and their dataset). Very different business.

[@Luix]

@@SagasuRunning phone keyboard, sorry

[@therunophil]

I find the "notifications" quite annoying where Strava will "encourage" me after every run. I had consciously decided for the Garmin ecosystem because of the analytics without monthly fees and never regretted it. Sorry Strava, what I would really use is redundant for me and no reason to pay a monthly fee.

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya, as for running analytics, running watches all offer FAR superior UIs and metrics + analyzation. That social layer Strava has is sticky, even as wonky as it is.

[@cgazlan]

the emails in the others folder too...

[@SagasuRunning]

Email notifications always off... ALWAYS!

[@KC_Runz]

I hate to be that guy.... But if you don't like the AI just don't read it? 🤷🏻‍♂️ I get that it's not exactly useful but it's just a bit of fun, hardly something to get bent out of shape over, just my opinion...

[@SagasuRunning]

The UI is already cluttered and the app slow (especially the activity detail page)... why, as a user, do I need to deal with another feature I don't want? Yes, I can ignore it (and I tried) but why do I have too? As I've said it should be a clear opt out at the account level for this. Not a hidden opt-out on a screen that doesn't make any sense.

[@dannyzander8398]

Strava still not having any sort of multisport feature is absurd

[@SagasuRunning]

I didn’t even think about that. Not even something like Hyrox… triathlon, which has been around forever and likely some of the core users for the product…. Good call.

[@Boost00130]

Strava lost me when the "Fitness and Freshness" became useless. I went from a Fitness score of 113 down to 11, but I am running just as much, just as far and just as fast as I was 18 months ago.

[@SagasuRunning]

As someone who has traditionally been a marathoner or half marathoner…. To now focusing on middle distance track distances… according to Strava I’m basically no longer running and my fitness is non existent. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@kerry_runs]

I don’t mind the AI, hopefully it continues to improve over time.

[@SagasuRunning]

We shall see. It is best to have VERY low expectations...

[@cdcaterham]

Totally agree.... the stupid AI feedback is just depressing and demoralising especially when you are putting in effort!

[@SagasuRunning]

Very much so...especially when it parrots back your own words.

[@stevenlennie]

100% agree about the AI. One of the worst implementations of an “AI feature” I’ve seen from any business. For the money there is just no genuine innovation from Strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

💯

[@MyFatAdaptedLife]

I resisted Strava for many years, not being much of a social media person. I signed up for the free trial last year and decided to buck-up for the full subscription. For me, it's the accountability. I wouldn't miss it if I decided to end my subscription. I can give or take the new AI feature. It does nothing for me. I think it's programmed to blow smoke up your hoohah regardless of how your workout went. Finally, my ultimate biggest gripe is the large amount of catfishing on this app. I lost count of how many messages I get from accounts pretending to be women to try to lure you into some sort of scheme. I turned off DMs unless it's from somebody I know.

[@SagasuRunning]

Accountability is big for many and Strava definitely was built around this early on. It's a "sticky" feature for sure. Catfishing, in Strava. I'm not surprised but I've never seen it here in Taiwan (even on a US account)... but yes, I get those messages in many places. Anyway, I jsut disabled DMs! Ugh.

[@chrishall3008]

Strava is so inaccurate, I can't use the data after each run because it makes no sense, it's so bad. I use Garmin connect, it's not 100% accurate, but it's so much better. Screw strava.

[@SagasuRunning]

Strava does reinterpret data imported form any device. It’s odd how it doesn’t match often. Some of that is rounding, but some of it is just changing it.

[@josephgonzalez_]

I agree Chris. Strava’s AI is hopeless. It offers no insight beyond what you can see for yourself in the graphs and data. On the whole, though, I think Strava has moved on quite a lot since I joined it also in 2016. Ultimately I see it as a social media app specifically for sport which exchanges primarily map and performance data instead of predominantly text and videos/pictures.

[@SagasuRunning]

That is the promise of Strava and one of the opportunities...but the Strava product teams seems dead set on focusing on anything BUT that and letting those text/data social features (which are unique) wither. Strava has changed alot since 2016. The feature set is more robust (albeit scattered) for sure... but the mapping has been the thing that has improved the most. Which makes sense given their business. I am VERY impressed with Strava mapping implementation. It's gone through some key refinements but might be best in class for apps in their space.