Strava have just removed a whopping 2.3 million activities from the regular leaderboards, with their “AI” detecting the rides as being completed on an eBike but uploaded as a proper bike ride.
According to the PR team at Strava, they analysed the top 100 results on EVERY SINGLE SEGMENT! Their algorithm flagged or removed any results detected as being completed using an eBike. Personally, I’ve not seen any eBike activities challenging the top spots on Strava segments, but I’m sure it is a thing. A “legal” eBike is limited to only 25km/hr assist in Australia, not that it’s difficult to circumvent that lowly limit and be flying around at 40 plus.
I have a suspicion this recent clean-up has mostly targeted mountain biking activities where eBikes are gaining massive popularity. Those dirty stump jumpers just hate pedalling to the top of the hill. 😜
No motors here, pedal powered all the way to the top!
Strava does have a separate activity type for eBikes that comes with separate eBike leaderboards. My thoughts on that could fill a whole other article! I’m all for eBikes, cycling inclusivity, and getting more people on two wheels, but segments and leaderboards for motor-powered pedal bikes? Oh, you’re the fastest eBike rider? Give me a break. I’ll stop ranting on that topic before I get myself in trouble…
Back on topic, this Strava segment clean-up is definitely a step in the right direction. The cynic in me thinks it’s also a very well-timed PR boost so that people forget about the recent “Strava sues Garmin” debacle. A lot of people are cancelling their Premium subscriptions citing a lack of any recent innovation and a lack of value compared to Strava’s free offering. This year is a very important one for Strava to keep a positive public image.
It’s no secret that Strava are gearing up for a public IPO and have posted a valuation of USD $2.2 BILLION! That means they need to be staying relevant and to be seen improving the product, something that is somewhat lacking. Although there doesn’t seem to be any clear direct competition to Strava, it’s still important they they continue providing value for customers, previous venture capital investors, and of course soon-to-be shareholders.
Two Wheels with TC 
Strava has lacked any real innovation in years. It’s just an online ride log for me. I lost interest in segments, KoMs and leader boards years ago when it was obvious some of the times were dubious and they did nothing about it. Too little too late for me
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Totally agree. I’m actually still a Premium subscriber but my renewal is next month and I will likely cancel as I hardly use Strava’s paid features. I certainly won’t be buying any shares (although time will tell if that’s a mistake or not).
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As I blogged recently, I would not be opposed to paying Strava a small annual amount for the ‘free’ version. Howver the full version does not interest me at all.
These valuations are bizarre. Strava cannot get many more customers willing to pay for Premium, especially with no new benefits and there is no scope for price increases.
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I would absolutely pay for the free offering either annual or monthly. Strava does offer me some value, but not nearly enough for the Premium price. I think they should have gone “free trial, then paid” years ago like most other apps.
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The only value I got from Premium was the ability to create routes but Ride With GPS offers that for free. The community is the only feature that makes it worthwhile IMO
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I prefer Ride With GPS for route creation, I find it a little easier than Strava’s “premium” offering.
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Since I bought my Garmin, I have very limited interest in Strava’s features. The segments are interesting for racing, but on most occasions the top 10 results are most revealing (and still free). After their IPO, I’m expecting Strava to become (even more) enshittified, like so many other promising services.
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It’s going to be interesting to watch, whichever direction Strava head after the IPO.
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