Everything you need to know about Strava

Download the Strava app from the app store to your smartphone. It will give you some information about yourself, including age, weight, and primary sport, and you’re away! You can record your activities using your smartphone, Apple Watch, or handlebar computer (Garmin or Wahoo, for example). When you upload your first activity, you will be given all of the stats from your ride or run, including your average speed, max speed, distance travelled, power output and calories burned, which is why being honest with your personal questions is very important! If you want even more accurate readings, connect a heart rate monitor to your smartphone or handlebar device, this will show you exactly how hard you’ve worked, and how many more drinks you’ve earned at the pool bar that evening.

Our most significant use of Strava is its routes feature, which is free to use with any account.  Each of our Beach Clubs has its account, with a selection of routes which have all been mapped out by our bike guides. A mixture of mountain bike and road routes are available, and you will find most of the information you need in the route's title. If that’s not enough, feel free to comment on our main Neilson cycling club page or any of our dedicated resort cycling pages, and one of our bike team will happily give you more details on specific routes. The routes will be ready and will be waiting for you upon arrival. You will also see segments on the routes and activities to add a little healthy competition.

All the basic features you will need are free with Strava, which allows you to upload your activities, check your statistics, and connect with friends. If you’re looking for a more personal experience and to squeeze everything out of your sport, check out Strava Premium. With personalised training plans, coaching, advanced performance analysis and live feedback, Strava Premium is the accessory for every aspiring athlete. However, if you are just looking to follow a few local routes, then fear not, no card details required.

If you’ve registered for Strava using your computer, download the smartphone app to get everything you can from the platform. The smartphone app will let you record and upload activities, follow routes, analyse segments you’ve ridden, find friends to follow, let you search for clubs to join (the Neilson cycling club should be your first stop!), and set yourself distance and climbing challenges for the month or year. The desktop site can be used for a slightly deeper analysis of your rides, runs or any activity you have logged, and it also gives you the ability to use the route builder function. Great for those looking to go slightly further afield or to somewhere we’re yet to discover!

Using a cycle computer such as a Garmin will give you a more accurate reading on statistics than recording using your phone. A worthwhile investment for any keen sportsperson, Garmins are really a fantastic piece of kit, giving you accurate readings and easy-to-use maps.

Its clear, crisp and easy-to-use interface makes the app an accessory to your sport, giving you accurate statistics and real-time performance data to enhance your training. Segments are the part of the platform most users find the most helpful, giving you an accurate break down of most sections of your ride, making it very easy and simple to track your improvements ride-by-ride, you can still see how all of your times rack up on a simple line graph in the free version.

The main benefit of Strava to anybody going on a Neilson holiday is the ability to check out the rides we will be guiding before you turn up. This allows you to assess which ability group you will fit into and what the terrain is like. Our guides are continually updating their resort social pages and adding new routes. A fantastic feature of Strava that you’re treated to once a year is ‘your year in sport’, a full rundown of your biggest rides, best achievements and most popular photos.

This is a near-impossible question because every device has pros and cons. The correct answer is one that only you can decide; what type of cyclist you are will hugely determine your choice. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of the two most popular devices: smartphones and Garmin.

Smartphone pros

• small and easy to carry
• quick and easy to record and upload activities
• no need to buy extra cycling specific device
• won’t distract you from the scenery and riding like a handlebar computer
• follow clear and easy-to-use routes from resort-specific pages
• breakdown of activity available instantly when completed

Smartphone cons

• battery can be drained faster than usual when the app is in use
• statistics not as accurate as handlebar computers
• can shut down if it becomes too hot

Garmin pros

• very accurate statistics
• can upload GPX files of routes at beach clubs directly to the device
• small, compact and lightweight
• long battery life and won't shut down in heat
• gives an accurate breakdown of ride/run available instantly after the activity is completed

Garmin cons

• can be complex to use/read
• can be expensive
• must connect to computer/laptop to upload activities to Strava
• can distract you when mounted on handlebars

If you don't own a Garmin, you can use any smartphone. We provide handlebar mounts to ensure your device is safe when riding down bumpy tracks and tight hairpin bends.

Segments 

These are timed sections created by Strava users. They are such a big part of the Strava experience that it's safe to say that there will be a segment somewhere on any ride you do around the globe. If you’re cycling anywhere built up, expect to see 100s of them when you upload your activity. They’re one of the favourite features, and if you do happen to beat one of the guides, be ready that they’ll make it their mission to take it back!

Leaderboards

It is a feature on any club page, but most importantly, the Neilson cycling club page. You will see where you stand in that week's rankings for distance, elevation gain, average speed, and longest ride. Naturally, due to the nature of the discipline, road riders will find it easier to rack up the highest miles, elevations gain and average speed, but there’s a lot to be said for a mountain biker pulling some of the biggest distances for the week, so get out there.

Challenges

Strava challenges are a fun way to work towards a goal, with thousands of people taking part in the same challenge at any one time. The challenges on Strava tend to be distance or climbing-based and are spread across the month. You will be awarded a trophy for your profile when you reach the challenge goal.