Kom chasing

flatface

New to the whole strava thing this year, and I am greatly impressed by the web and phone app. But then there is this KOM thing, how do I get my hands on this glorious prize? I want and need a KOM to feel good about my cycling self - as I am undoubtedly a magnificent natural climbing talent squandered recklessly by laziness.

As I attempted some of my usual Dublin/Wicklow routes and eagerly scanned the uploading results it became clear that untapped talent alone would not cut it. Who were these half-men-half-bicycles who were powering up these hills at eye-watering speeds?
Disheartened, I thought briefly about setting up my own segment to champion but a king in a kingdom of one does not sound particularly regal, so I looked for smaller segments that I could challenge.

Then, last weekend, holidays took me to the Kerry mountains and I scoured the area for unsherlocked hills, not that there was many. At last! I found a short sharp segment with only 3 previous riders and speeds in the teens, and set out straight there, well I say straight but in fact it took 5 wrong roads and many back and forths just to find the blasted start of the bóithrín.

When I finally found it I took one last swoop around to gather speed then hit the hill as fast as I could and affected a confident out-of-saddle stance. Things started going wrong quickly as the road kicked up and the ground angled up towards my face. I hadn't quite realised what a 10% average gradient would look like in the flesh. I mashed onwards trying to keep up the momentum turning a corner to see only another steeper stretch, I thought this was only supposed to be half a km! Muscles started sending rapid cease and desist orders and my eyes started seeing spots. Finally spinning through some gravel I rounded the corner and could see a blessed T-Junction sign that must mean the end is close. Without strava watching me there is no way I would have convinced my brain to keep lying to my legs but miraculously I found myself at the top, kneeling at the side of the road, blind and shovelling air into burnt-out lungs.

I have my glorious KOM, but is it always thus?

Lumen

Yes.

Raam

Where is this KOM? I need to go for a spin.

t'bear

No, it wont always be like this, watch your email for the 'uh-oh, someone stole your KOM......'

Beasty

OK, if you want an easy way to get and retain a few KOMs, this is how you do it

Find a slowish ride by someone else on a stretch of road you want a KOM on. Create a segment from their ride and mark it private. Ride the segment a bit faster and upload your ride - et voila! you should be heading the table (of only 2 riders) with a KOM in your possession that no-one can steal from you

Unfortunately no-one else can witness this (not even the person who's "KOM" you took AFAIK).

You can do it without finding an "opponent" to beat, but it feels a lot better if you're ahead of someone else in the leader table ...

(not that I condone in any way shape or form such actions)

flatface

Where is this KOM? I need to go for a spin.

details left purposely sketchy!

Find a slowish ride by someone else on a stretch of road you want a KOM on. Create a segment from their ride and mark it private. Ride the segment a bit faster and upload your ride - et voila! you should be heading the table (of only 2 riders) with a KOM in your possession that no-one can steal from you.

wow, this is bond villain gold.

Lumen

flatface wrote: »

wow, this is bond villain gold a deeply tragic exercise indeed

Fixed that for you.

Wishbone Ash

flatface wrote: »

unsherlocked hills

LOL Brilliant new adjective. I hope the OED are taking note!

flatface wrote:

I found a short sharp segment with only 3 previous riders

One has to be 1st out of at least 500 for it to really count. Unfortunately I have only one of these.

Zyzz

First step - take out Ryan Sherlock
Second step - get KOM's

dquirke1

flatface wrote: »

New to the whole strava thing this year, and I am greatly impressed by the web and phone app. But then there is this KOM thing, how do I get my hands on this glorious prize? I want and need a KOM to feel good about my cycling self - as I am undoubtedly a magnificent natural climbing talent squandered recklessly by laziness.

As I attempted some of my usual Dublin/Wicklow routes and eagerly scanned the uploading results it became clear that untapped talent alone would not cut it. Who were these half-men-half-bicycles who were powering up these hills at eye-watering speeds?
Disheartened, I thought briefly about setting up my own segment to champion but a king in a kingdom of one does not sound particularly regal, so I looked for smaller segments that I could challenge.

Then, last weekend, holidays took me to the Kerry mountains and I scoured the area for unsherlocked hills, not that there was many. At last! I found a short sharp segment with only 3 previous riders and speeds in the teens, and set out straight there, well I say straight but in fact it took 5 wrong roads and many back and forths just to find the blasted start of the bóithrín.

When I finally found it I took one last swoop around to gather speed then hit the hill as fast as I could and affected a confident out-of-saddle stance. Things started going wrong quickly as the road kicked up and the ground angled up towards my face. I hadn't quite realised what a 10% average gradient would look like in the flesh. I mashed onwards trying to keep up the momentum turning a corner to see only another steeper stretch, I thought this was only supposed to be half a km! Muscles started sending rapid cease and desist orders and my eyes started seeing spots. Finally spinning through some gravel I rounded the corner and could see a blessed T-Junction sign that must mean the end is close. Without strava watching me there is no way I would have convinced my brain to keep lying to my legs but miraculously I found myself at the top, kneeling at the side of the road, blind and shovelling air into burnt-out lungs.

I have my glorious KOM, but is it always thus?

That was my KOM!!! :mad:

Enjoy it while you can

flatface

dquirke1 wrote: »

That was my KOM!!! :mad:

Enjoy it while you can

Disaster!

Wishbone Ash

Raam wrote: »

Where is this KOM? I need to go for a spin.

flatface wrote: »

details left purposely sketchy!

mmmmmmmm.... http://app.strava.com/segments/1094903

We'lI arrange for the Ring of Kerry to go through there!

flatface

Wishbone Ash

In fairness, you're along way ahead of 2nd and 3rd. 18km/h on a 10% is very good going.