Strava, a new app and online training social network, looks like it’s going to make Garmin Connect a little less tasty by serving up a health dose of social networking and friendly competition.
Why the comparison to Garmin? Because you can upload ride data directly from your Garmin Forerunner or Edge computer, or just use the free Strava App for both iPhone iOS and Android. From there, it charts and graphs all of your info in a more graphically elegant manner than Connect. But the real coup de grace is the social comparisons of your ride to others that have done the same ride. It lets you show in real movement how you did against the others by simply including others’ rides in your chart then sliding the timeline along the segment. Of course all this would be much easier to show you then tell you, which is why there’s a handy video from Strava right after the break. There’s a free plan with a few limitations or a $6/month all-you-can-ride plan.
And if you’re headed to the Tour of California, they’ll be there tracking several of the pros on some stages (along with other events like The Leadville Trail 100) and let you compare your own performance against theirs the next time you ride those routes. Jump past the break for more…
PRESS RELEASE:
North America’s top cycling event just got more social for riders and fans. Today, Strava, creator of powerful Web and mobile applications for avid athletes, and AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world, announced that Strava will power social fitness for Amgen Tour of California fans. Strava is a social platform that allows athletes to compete with each other and interact as a part of an online community. The addition of this technology to AEG’s cycling event websites makes them valuable resources for training and racing information.
This three-year partnership adds Strava’s event maps and compare-and-compete GPS technology to the websites for the Amgen Tour of California, its Stage 7 “ride the route” event, L’Etape du California, and the Leadville Qualifying Series. As an added benefit to all registrants, Strava is supplying complimentary premium memberships to all race participants and will also offer training and race-day challenges.
“We are excited to partner with AEG to bring the sport of cycling even closer to the fans,” said Michael Horvath, CEO of Strava. “Strava’s GPS maps and online competitions allow avid cyclists to follow their favorite pros, compare and compete, and gain deeper insight into their own training.”
Amateur riders can compare their distance, speed, heart rate and elevation gain against professional riders such as Ted King, a U.S. pro with the Italian powerhouse Liquigas-Cannondale team and Levi Leipheimer of Team Radio Shack, the three-time Amgen Tour of California champion. Many fans will be inspired to pre-ride segments of Amgen Tour of California, L’Etape du California, and Leadville courses to track their fitness and compare performance on climbs and sprint with others.
“Strava has developed a powerful tool for serious cyclists to test themselves in a competitive format against professionals and other local riders,” said Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports. “With Strava’s technology, we are expanding the social aspect of our websites which will give fans of the Amgen Tour of California an interactive experience that is unique to the world of cycling.”
Strava provides an easy-to-use GPS-based solution for athletes, who now represent nearly 25 percent of all U.S. households, according to the Simmons National Consumer Survey. Strava uses unique segmentation technology to provide a range of comparison and competition data, enabling athletes to track milestones and compete with themselves and others to improve performance. In March, Strava also launched an iPhone application that allows athletes to easily and seamlessly upload their workouts and races to their Strava account. In the twelve months since launch, the company has grown more than ten-fold through simple word-of-mouth.
For more information about the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com. For more information about Strava, the new mobile application and up-to-date news on professional cyclists, please visit www.strava.com.
