# Strava Scandal hits L A Times Front Page



## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Above the fold!

Fitness app Strava faces an uproar over an elite cycling user linked to doping - LA Times


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

I love the irony.

You see a news story about doping and competition....and in all seriousness without a lick of sarcasm the header photo from the story is from the Tour of California...whose title sponsor became the billion dollar pharma it is when it created EPO.


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

Marc said:


> The header photo from the story is from the Tour of California.


I hate how many news stories do this. Now those teams and riders in the photo are linked to doping even though they had nothing to do with the person in question.


----------



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Marc said:


> I love the irony.
> You see a news story about doping and competition....and in all seriousness without a lick of sarcasm the header photo from the story is from the Tour of California...whose title sponsor [Amgen] became the billion dollar pharma it is when *it created EPO.*


i've waxed hematopoietically about this, and am always amazed that very few seem to notice.


----------



## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

Simple solution: let the KOMs expire every so often. Keep them in a virtual hall of fame or whatever, but clear the record books every 3-5 years to clean things up. Strava is just for fun anyways.


----------



## El Scorcho (Dec 14, 2005)

I don't believe there is any way that I could possibly care less about this article or someone else's KOM.


----------



## bradkay (Nov 5, 2013)

I decided that Strava was a joke when an ex-girlfriend told me that she was QOM on a section around here that is one mile of 2% grade. Really?


----------



## Lelandjt (Sep 11, 2008)

El Scorcho said:


> I don't believe there is any way that I could possibly care less about this article or someone else's KOM.


I can't tell if you're being ironic. One way of caring less would be to have not opened this thread. Another way would have been to not post in it. You care enough to tell us you don't care. Forum people are weird.


----------



## tlg (May 11, 2011)

ddave12000 said:


> Simple solution: let the KOMs expire every so often. Keep them in a virtual hall of fame or whatever, but clear the record books every 3-5 years to clean things up. Strava is just for fun anyways.


That would be a good idea.
In a way they already have this. When you look at a segment, you can filter by "This Year". They should make that the default. So all KOM's you see are annual. Then if you want to see the All Time KOM you have to go filter for that.

A clean slate every year would renew interest in KOM's for the average Joe.


----------



## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Just have the regular list and omit the KOM/QOM. It would reduce some of the excitement that drives people to excess. At the same time a regular cyclist can still use the program for their own cycling information.


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

bradkay said:


> I decided that Strava was a joke when an ex-girlfriend told me that she was QOM on a section around here that is one mile of 2% grade. Really?


Yup. You live in flatland and that happens. Strava always calls the top slot KOM or QOM even if there's minimal or no climbing.

Knowing about it isn't that odd either. You win one and you get an email and a popup on the Strava site. I have a few "KOMs" that are on my commute route that lack any meaningful climbing. Then again out here, long sustained mountain climbing doesn't exist.


----------



## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Marc said:


> Yup. You live in flatland and that happens. Strava always calls the top slot KOM or QOM even if there's minimal or no climbing.


Downhill segments too. I know a few guys that target downhill segments. 

What KOM really means is #1 for the segment. It really should be called KOS (King of the Segment)


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

ddave12000 said:


> Simple solution: let the KOMs expire every so often. Keep them in a virtual hall of fame or whatever, but clear the record books every 3-5 years to clean things up. Strava is just for fun anyways.


They did that with their yearly KOMs the other year. January 1st was called "hella annoying day". That about the time when I stopped posting rides to strava or looking at it.


----------



## threebikes (Feb 1, 2009)

What's strava?


----------



## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

The only reason I started the thread is because I got a kick out of our beloved hobby (Hobby??? Ack!!! Not that word!!!) finding its way onto the front page of the local paper...in a disparaging light, as usual. Of course, I also get a kick out of the idea of amateurs grimly shooting up in alleyways. "I'm gonna, _gonna_ get that 2% KOM." I was hoping a couple of you would get a chuckle, too.


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

wgscott said:


> i've waxed hematopoietically about this, and am always amazed that very few seem to notice.


Most people don't associate Amgen with cheating because their products are lifesavers, and no less valuable because athletes happen to cheat with them.


----------



## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

deviousalex said:


> They did that with their yearly KOMs the other year. January 1st was called "hella annoying day". That about the time when I stopped posting rides to strava or looking at it.


Not really. The first part of the year they highlight the KOMs in the new year. All the existing KOMs stay in place though. I meant actually clear all records completely.


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

ddave12000 said:


> Not really. The first part of the year they highlight the KOMs in the new year. All the existing KOMs stay in place though. I meant actually clear all records completely.


That's gonna start a fire in the community. People want to hold onto their old records and times, it's part of why masters people are doping. People don't want to see themselves as being slow and removing a Strava record is part of that.


----------



## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

deviousalex said:


> That's gonna start a fire in the community. People want to hold onto their old records and times, it's part of why masters people are doping. People don't want to see themselves as being slow and removing a Strava record is part of that.


understandable, but since Strava is merely for fun and not official record keeping, what could people do about it? I actually think it would be fun to have a clean slate and set "new" records.


----------



## zephxiii (Nov 22, 2013)

I agree with the leader board resetting every year. It would keep things more interesting and fun. I'm glad they added the "This Year" but it should be the primary leader board. 

Also, out in the woods a trail could change so that it will never be as fast as it once was years ago, thus u end up with leader board results that aren't comparable to current day times.


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

ddave12000 said:


> understandable, but since Strava is merely for fun and not official record keeping, what could people do about it? I actually think it would be fun to have a clean slate and set "new" records.


Go to competing apps with segments that don't go away? Strava is a company struggling to become profitable (or a unicorn for that matter), the alst thing they want to do is piss off their customers and make them leave.


----------



## tlg (May 11, 2011)

deviousalex said:


> Go to competing apps with segments that don't go away? Strava is a company struggling to become profitable (or a unicorn for that matter), the alst thing they want to do is piss off their customers and make them leave.


I think it would cause less people to leave if you gave more people a chance. Only a small percent of Strava users (the elite riders, pro's and cheaters) have the KOM's. The average Joe doesn't have a chance anymore. They're the ones who are going to leave.


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Historically the opposite has been true. People want important records to compare themselves to. It matters less that these records are attainable. Average Joe is happier to come within "x.xx" of the standing record of the local hot-shoe or pro than holding a record themselves that doesn't mean anything to anyone else.


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

davidka said:


> Historically the opposite has been true. People want important records to compare themselves to. It matters less that these records are attainable. Average Joe is happier to come within "x.xx" of the standing record of the local hot-shoe or pro than holding a record themselves that doesn't mean anything to anyone else.


I've logged into Strava for the first time in a while and now I see they have weight classes as a premium feature. I guess they tuned into that notion so people can now compare themselves to other people who they deem to be similar to that. I guess the skinnies can also "weight dope" by lying about their wait and saying how they have the KOM on the 200+lb category.


----------



## craiger_ny (Jun 24, 2014)

threebikes said:


> What's strava?


It's like the Farmville of bicycling and people actually get upset over it.


----------



## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

davidka said:


> Historically the opposite has been true. People want important records to compare themselves to. It matters less that these records are attainable. Average Joe is happier to come within "x.xx" of the standing record of the local hot-shoe or pro than holding a record themselves that doesn't mean anything to anyone else.


I'm not suggesting the all time records go away, maybe premium members can see the all time records and compare their efforts this way.


----------

