Review of Strava Application for Android

Long gone are the days I used a cyclo computer to track my miles on the bike. Now I turn my phone on, tap start, throw it in the back of my cycling jersey and download the distance and map when I get home. Previously, I've tried the Google Tracks and MapMyRide.com Apps. Both work fine but I found both a little clumsy to download, access and view after the ride. Google Tracks requires you to go into a Google Docs spreadsheet and click a link. MapMyRide.com is O.K. but the website riddled with ads and sometimes hard to load and scroll around. 

Android Strava interface

So, I recently tried the new free Strava App for Android on suggestion from a friend. He'd being bugging me about the site for a while but until now it hadn't been available on my phone.  I went for a ride on a busy Lakefront Bike Path in Chicago and it seemed to work fine. As good as the other apps I'd tried. The interface was clean and it tracked my ride continuously. 

Social Racing - ranking for a Strava "segment"

The real surprise was when I examined the ride online when I got home. I had unwittingly been involved in a competitive social time trial. When I clicked on the “Climb” tab (a misnomer in Chicago) it showed that I'd got the 8^th best time for an eight mile stretch I'd ridden between Grant Park and Jackson Park - what the app calls a segment. Very cool. Strava gives cyclists jsut opportunity to map out a popular section of road and anyone logging into Strava can ride over it and compete for the fastest time. You can bet I'll be out there on a quieter day to see if I can climb up the rankings. If you have an Android phone go to Marketplace, download Strava and try it out for yourself. More info at their website.

Cycling in Chicago - Lake Shore Drive Review

Took my first Windy City expedition on the 20 mile stretch of bike path along the lake known as the Lake Shore Drive bike path. I anticipated it would be a casual ride, as most bike path rides are forced to be, and I made sure I got out nice and early at 7:00am. I was surprised that there are actually a few sections that you can put some effort out, especially if you have the wind in your face, which I did going in the northerly direction. Mostly runners are pretty good at staying to the right at that time of morning but is definitely already busy especially the Northern section. So it seems like it’s best to hit that section first and leave the South for the last half. I saw a dozen or so, presumably triathletes, who were brave enough to get on their aero bars. Anyways, it was a fun ride for someone who hadn’t ridden much and there weren’t as many major road crossing as I’d expected. If you can get out early it looks a good option for an early morning recovery ride or a change of pace from the road madness. Be interested to know how the local triathletes use this stretch.