A Healthy Biking Lifestyle: Strava - Probably THE Coolest App for Bikers
By Konnor Lee
They say that inconsistent exercise is like rolling a die with no sixes; you just never get the highest value. Sure, you might throw a five every once in a while, but there’s a trick to throwing fives and sixes every time: it’s called tracking. You can track your biking with a notebook and pen to count the miles you bike, or you can make use of technology and use an app that tracks your work.
There are many apps out there, but the only app I would ever recommend is Strava. Strava is an app available on the App Store and the Google Play Store that records, tracks, and shares your bike sessions. It can also do the same for runs, hikes, and even rowing sessions.
To the left is what you would see during a ride.
It’s a highly intuitive app and easy for new users to pick up and use. Strava records your average speed, mileage, time, and even has leaderboards for climbs and lengths that can be set by local users. Last week, I (unintentionally) placed fifth on the Lost Trail Climb on Lost Trail way.
A screenshot of a Strava trail bike session with my brother from this past weekend
Upon finishing a session, it will ask you the intensity of the session, whether it was a race or workout, and gives you a box for a description of the ride. After this, you can post it to your account that other users can see upon following you.
These are what you would see upon finishing a ride
Even if you just bike for fun and don’t mind the stats, it’s still really cool to see the work you do and how fast you’re going. I find it very rewarding to post my rides and keep track of where I go.