As of late, I’ve been hearing of a backlash to using Strava or even a simple computer on a bike ride. Folks are saying it hampers the ride with an overwhelming assortment of unnecessary facts and figures. I agree there may be more information than is needed, but I wholeheartedly welcome both Strava and the computer. I turn on my Garmin when I start a ride, and then forget it until I finish the ride. Once in a while I might glance down to check mileage, but as a general rule, I pay little attention to it as it does its job silently in the background. But then, when I get home, it is a completely different story. Sometimes, before I even remove my helmet, I’ll run up to the computer with Garmin in hand. It quickly gets plugged in, and Strava instantly comes up on the Mac. I wait the excruciating few seconds as the computer does its magic, and then, as a huge grin spreads on my face, the screen shows me all I accomplished earlier on the bike. I absolutely love to see a map of my wanderings, my top speed, my total mileage, and if I set any PRs. I’ll sit there at my desk fully decked out in cycling kit, studying all aspects of my ride. I see nothing wrong with this. The computer did not get in the way of the ride; instead, it helps me remember my ride. It keeps it neatly catalogued where I can see it anytime I wish. This works really well for travels to unfamiliar places. I can log on anytime to see exactly where I rode in Corsica over the summer. I am quite sure without the aide of a computer, the rides there would be lost and forgotten. To drill the point home, Strava today sent an e-mail with my totals for the year to date. Wow, so cool. I love knowing how much elevation gain I’ve achieved, or how many rides I’ve gone on. Yes, I will stick with my Garmin and Strava. They are the chroniclers of my cycling life.
