Strava and Specialized Team up for “Strava Shop Pages”

Will big online retailers be welcome to this? Just wondering, because those are my favorite shops and it says “Hoping to provide another way for customers to interact with their favorite shops”. Or is this just meant to aid local “LBS” shops? In my area local shops are terrible ripoffs.

You missed the point. Online shops do not build cycling.
No group rides. The point is to build some substance to
Cycling-riding buddies, teaching new riders, cultivating aspiring
Racers…
Online you get a good price- and nothing else.
Support the local shop.

let’s cry about how technology changes the way we shop. I’m going to complain to the owner of the local general store when I pick up my supplies for the month if my money makes it to me via the pony express.

I work in a bike shop and while it can be frustrating that online retailers offer ridiculous prices. Instead of complaining and alienating cyclists who shop in this manner, I look at it as a challenge to provide the best customer service and knowledge. A bike shop contributes to bike culture and personal relationships. A virtual cycling world like Strava flies directly in the face of the social aspects of cycling. My advice is to get off your smart phone and go out and ride…with real people. We are a Specialized dealer and I will NOT be opening a Strava shop page!

Hmm. Maybe I missed something but I thought Strava was slowly killing ‘community’ rides, as every metre of a ride becomes a pissing contest? I was amazed to see the smallest, little insignificant bits of rides I do logged as segments…..

And yes, we ARE an online store but only because no local shop in this country was willing to pay our wholesale price… because out kit, made locally costs a lot more than stuff out of ‘China’.

How is this different from what shops are currently doing by creating “clubs”?

Antipodean_G: the world’s going virtual, best get used to it.

Strava didn’t invent the pissing contest. Everybody’s got a Wednesday Worlds “community” ride in their area. If you don’t want to get up at 6am to take on that ride, drop $10 on a four corner crit, or join a plodding no-drop group ride, then maybe you should compete on the Internets.

Of course I hate all of that. I use it to track/compare my own rides, study routes, and find new ones. The last thing I do is look at the leaderboards. Those KOMs will never be mine, but maybe that name you keep seeing near your own is someone worth riding with.

@justride, I don’t see how this kills the social aspect of cycling. Personally, the simple “kudos” you can get/give are a nice “attaboy” from someone you might not otherwise see that often to inspire you to keep riding. And losing your KOM, if you’re into that – motivation to ride. And, seeing a cool loop someone does, or that they’re out riding every day – makes me want to go ride with them.

I feel like saying Strava is bad for reality-based interactions is like saying Facebook is bad for that… I beg to differ. Sure, it encourages us to stare at our screens… but the content that makes that rewarding is only achieved by going out and doing cool stuff to take your selfies and win your KOMs…

This is cool. I can’t understand the hate…

@Brent, you nailed it.
Google KOM. See what the first result is.