A couple months ago I got an email from a friend asking me to be his “friend” on Strava.  I accepted, but at the time I didn’t have a cycling computer.  I honestly thought it was a “map my ride” type thing.  Those have always been cool for discovering new rides and looking at climbs, but I never got hooked.

Dreams of riding Montana’s back roads led me to getting a Garmin Edge 705.  I started using Garmin Connect.  It was fun, but I noticed there weren’t a ton of rides mapped out in my area.  It was solid and I enjoyed tracking my rides, but it didn’t hook me.

I created a profile on Strava and started uploading a couple rides.  Automatically a local climb popped up as did the fastest times.  I asked some folks to be my “friend” and started uploading every day.  Then I started being friends with some pro riders.  You could see their training rides and races, it was addicting.  Facebook for cyclists.  It categorizes climbs, tracks your weekly mileage, elevation gain, and provides an activity stream of your friends.  I’ve never been an “early adopter” but I can be a chronic “over-user.”  I’m still listening to The Postal Service.

I have lots of friends now who are taking a step back from social media and trying to focus on face to face interaction.  I’m all for this.  However, checking out what cycling friends are doing and comparing rides and efforts is as enjoyable as face creeping an old girl friend. #stravamadness