I had been waiting on the arrival of a new Garmin Edge 200 GPS for the last couple of months (I ended up with an Edge 500 but more on that later) so I could join all the cool kids on Strava. One day a couple of months ago I stumbled across the Strava iPhone app and decided to give it a go.
I downloaded the app and registered an account with Strava. All in all I think it must have taken me no more than about 5 minutes and I was on my way and ready to go.
The Strava app works in a very similar fashion to a Garmin; it uses your iPhone's in built GPS receiver to log your route, distance, average speed... etc. When you're done with your ride it's as simple as a touch of a button and your data is remotely uploaded to the Strava database for you (and whoever else you choose) to review.
If you don't already know; in addition to logging your rides, Strava also records and compares your times against other riders. You can easily see how you fare against your friends and others who are doing similar rides in your area.
I've been using the Strava iPhone app for about the last 6 weeks. Generally speaking the app is pretty reliable; I can only remember one occasion where the app crashed and I lost my data. As luck would have it, the data was lost at the end of a very long ride where I felt great and rode particularly well.
In addition to the iPhone; the Strava app is also available for android devices. The best thing about the app is that it is completely free. You can find and download the app on iTunes, Android marketplace or directly from the link on the Strava website.
Using the app is a great way to introduce yourself to Strava; especially if you are not quite ready to take the plunge and throw down your hard earned on a Gamin GPS device.
Do yourself a favour and give it a try; if you're anything like me you will be hooked on Strava in no time.
~VL
