anyone use Strava Premium?

[AngryScientist]

is it worth the fee?

i'm starting to train with HR and Power now, and I'm wondering if anyone pays for the premium service, and how you like it?

[MattTuck]

is it worth the fee?

i'm starting to train with HR and Power now, and I'm wondering if anyone pays for the premium service, and how you like it?

I don't train with power, but I like having the suffer score (which I believe is a premium feature).

If you want, PM me, and I'll give you my login info, and you can poke around on my account, even upload one of your rides and see what you can do with it, etc.

[thegunner]

alternatively, you could go with golden peaks and look at TSS (training stress score)

[wallymann]

Its OK, but falls far short of a real power measurement tool.

IMO if'n yer gunna do it, then DO IT - get a powermeter.

[thegunner]

Its OK, but falls far short of a real power measurement tool.

IMO if'n yer gunna do it, then DO IT - get a powermeter.

i think - it calculates it based on your power data... (it only guesses if your uploaded files don't have power)

[zmudshark]

I use it, but just to steal segments from Lance ;)

I got mine as a gift from a generous Canadian former forum member, so not sure on the cost, but it's pretty cool. There are more features for premium members. I find it more satisfying to see I rank 10th in my age group on a segment rather than 232nd overall.

I wonder if Paceline could work out a membership discount?

[AngryScientist]

Its OK, but falls far short of a real power measurement tool.

IMO if'n yer gunna do it, then DO IT - get a powermeter.

i'm confused, i have a powermeter.

i am looking for the premium software as a better way to analyze the power data i upload to it.

[Jaq]

The upgrade package is 60 bucks per year or 6 bucks per month. Try it for a month and see how you like it. There's a group that some of the folks across the hall have set up. Don't know if there's a paceline group. Personally, I doubt I'd ever upgrade - I'm a horrible manager of my own time, and having a mound of data to fool with is just one more internet-related thing I don't need in my life.

One of the things I do like about Strava, however, it is that I can use data from my flip-phone, albeit indirectly. My flip has "all sports" gps, which logs into a Trimble Outdoors account. I GPS my rides (it uploads automatically) and then save them as a .gpx file. Then I upload the .gpx into Strava et viola: ride data. That saves me the expense of having to have a Garmin or iPhone & associated apps. But Trimble is 7 bucks a month, so there's that...

[shovelhd]

i'm confused, i have a powermeter.

i am looking for the premium software as a better way to analyze the power data i upload to it.

As far as training analysis goes, Strava is at the bottom of the barrel. It can't even present power meter watts correctly.

If you're going to spend money on training analysis, spend it on training analysis software, not a Fred Meter.

Training Peaks WKO+ is the gold standard that just about every coach worth their fee uses. To use it effectively, you would need to understand the concepts well. A more user friendly package is Training Peaks. It distills all the data down to more understandable parts. There is a free version that you can use to see if it works for you.

I use Golden Cheetah 2.1. It is free and does everything I need. My coach uses WKO+, and I am able to zip up the .fit files and he loads them into WKO+ for analysis. This works out fine for both of us. Golden Cheetah runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

[Tandem Rider]

Training Peaks. Training Peaks WKO+ if you really like to crunch and know what why you are crunching.

I use the regular Training Peaks and it gives me all the data I know how to handle and have the time to utilise. For a regular guy like me, Andy and Hunter's book is required reading to be able to use and understand what is going on, YMMV.

[ofcounsel]

I have a Premium account. I don't use the power meter features. But I do use like to keep track of my "suffer" score, along with working out in specific heart rate zones. I also like being able to download the GPX files onto my Garmin from other users' MTB routes where I haven't ridden before. Plus, I just really dig Strava, so I don't mind kicking 60 bucks their way.

It's probably not worth it for everyone, but it is to me.

[bingomck]

I don't yet, but am thinking about it in the next few months. Good to hear about Training Peaks stuff too.

[FlashUNC]

The upgrade package is 60 bucks per year or 6 bucks per month. Try it for a month and see how you like it. There's a group that some of the folks across the hall have set up. Don't know if there's a paceline group. Personally, I doubt I'd ever upgrade - I'm a horrible manager of my own time, and having a mound of data to fool with is just one more internet-related thing I don't need in my life.

One of the things I do like about Strava, however, it is that I can use data from my flip-phone, albeit indirectly. My flip has "all sports" gps, which logs into a Trimble Outdoors account. I GPS my rides (it uploads automatically) and then save them as a .gpx file. Then I upload the .gpx into Strava et viola: ride data. That saves me the expense of having to have a Garmin or iPhone & associated apps. But Trimble is 7 bucks a month, so there's that...

There is a Pace line Group. We're a bunch of slackers.

Well, I'm a slacker. Other people ride more.

[wallymann]

i'm confused, i have a powermeter.

i am looking for the premium software as a better way to analyze the power data i upload to it.

I can do way more analysis of power files with golden cheetah than strava premium.

[GuyGadois]

There is a Pace line Group. We're a bunch of slackers.

Well, I'm a slacker. Other people ride more.

http://app.strava.com/clubs/paceline-forum

[slidey]

As far as training analysis goes, Strava is at the bottom of the barrel. It can't even present power meter watts correctly.

If you're going to spend money on training analysis, spend it on training analysis software, not a Fred Meter.

Training Peaks WKO+ is the gold standard that just about every coach worth their fee uses. To use it effectively, you would need to understand the concepts well. A more user friendly package is Training Peaks. It distills all the data down to more understandable parts. There is a free version that you can use to see if it works for you.

I use Golden Cheetah 2.1. It is free and does everything I need. My coach uses WKO+, and I am able to zip up the .fit files and he loads them into WKO+ for analysis. This works out fine for both of us. Golden Cheetah runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

+1

Strava is more of a social platform, and not even remotely close to anything to do with training let alone training with power. If you want to really start training with power then grab a copy of this book (http://www.amazon.com/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-Hunter/dp/1934030554), and do as above.

[AngryScientist]

As far as training analysis goes, Strava is at the bottom of the barrel. It can't even present power meter watts correctly.

If you're going to spend money on training analysis, spend it on training analysis software, not a Fred Meter.

Training Peaks WKO+ is the gold standard that just about every coach worth their fee uses. To use it effectively, you would need to understand the concepts well. A more user friendly package is Training Peaks. It distills all the data down to more understandable parts. There is a free version that you can use to see if it works for you.

I use Golden Cheetah 2.1. It is free and does everything I need. My coach uses WKO+, and I am able to zip up the .fit files and he loads them into WKO+ for analysis. This works out fine for both of us. Golden Cheetah runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

this sounds like very good advice, thank you.

[Lewis Moon]

For a cheep bastid like me who can't afford a power meter (I actually mispelled it "poser meter" the first time around; my Freudian slip is showing), is there a good software package that; can upload from my Garmin, allows me to graph physical data from different rides over time and has a spreadsheet function where I can pick and choose what I want to graph. I'd also like to be able to break out segmants of a ride and be able to look at the stats for just that segment. I could probably do that with the "lap" function, but a lot of times I want to do the break out a posteriori.

PS: The quip about power meters was just a funny mistake and not meant to poke fun. I'd own one if the cheapest good used one didn't cost more than my bike.:eek: ...and yes, I can spell poseur.

[shovelhd]

You don't need a power meter to use training analysis software, but you must have an HRM. If you don't have either, then all that's left is Strava and their estimation/comparison schtick.

[shovelhd]

this sounds like very good advice, thank you.

You are very welcome. Thanks for all you do for this forum.

Training and Racing with a Power Meter Second Edition is one of the best power meter training books available. It will wow you with data that can be overwhelming. There are watt weenies that like to analyze every single data point, but that is not necessary. There are really only about a half dozen metrics that I find valuable, and track over time. As long as you have a good grasp of those, you'll be fine.

[laupsi]

allow me to sound arrogant, just this once. okay, again!

PM's are a great tool if you're under the tutelage of a coach who is providing training "cycles" based on your progress and is using the wattage number to keep you going.

If you ride/train w/out a coach and are serious then you should know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. you should know your max output, (gearing wise) and how riding at this level affects your HR/Stamina and therefore ride outcome. you know if you're improving on the bike based on "feel" and how you're progressing through various gear ratios and intervals.

While the PM tells where that wattage may lie it's only a number and is not telling you anything else. in and of itself you see, by the number, you are riding better by pushing more wattage.

through personal experience and through training others I am convinced the "serious cyclist" knows what he/she needs to do to get stronger. this has little to do w/training w/a PM. albeit the "first timer" will find the PM very usefull and telling but once through the "training mill" this person will then find the PM obsolete.

NOTE, I do have a PM, I have trained w/it and have come to the conclusion after years of preparing for spring's first race I don't really need one to be ready. after the season starts I use it, (along w/my HR monitor) simply to gauge if I am over training.