Favourite Strava Segments (include links please!)

Sunsets On Tuesday

Hi guys,
Was just wondering to myself yesterday what are my favourite segments on Strava. Thought it would be cool to ask this community the following questions:
1) Have you made any popular segments (i.e. more than 5 stars) and if so, which one are you proudest of, in terms of name, difficulty etc.?
2)What's the segment you always go out and try to beat, and what place have you gotten to?
3) What's the best named segment in your area?
And lastly:
4) The segment you always hate doing/most difficult one?

For me my answers are:
1)https://www.strava.com/segments/12269388 — The "Oh wow I'm still climbing" hill. (Horrible hill at the end of another hill)
And https://www.strava.com/segments/13024852 — The Unfriendly Speed Sign to Slate Cabin Lane

2) https://www.strava.com/segments/7245802 — murphystown rd to the lights (Good sprint hill)
And
https://www.strava.com/segments/4179880 — Enniskerry To Blackglen Rd

3)https://www.strava.com/segments/5578950 — Sail/Cycle Challenge Aurora Hill (still can't figure out why it's called that!)

4)https://www.strava.com/segments/9280295 — Kilternan Hill (Subtle yet annoying hill)
And toughest so far was found on Achill Island, with the climb up to Minaun Mast.

So what about you guys?

magicbastarder

this is one i measure myself on; remarkable (for me) in that i finished it today thinking 'that way too easy', especially since i had a tailwind all the way out to it. made more interesting today in that my bike wouldn't shift cleanly to my granny gear, so i could at best manage 39x24 on the way up at times.

https://www.strava.com/segments/661174

i haven't been southside and into the wicklow mountains since i joined strava though, so i obviously want to correct that.

Casula

Here's three that deserve to be in there...

https://www.strava.com/segments/2472552

https://www.strava.com/segments/1153722

https://www.strava.com/segments/6911387

Wishbone Ash

Two of my favourites:

The descent into Naul village from the Ballyboughal side - https://www.strava.com/segments/699503

(Currently sharing 3rd place with 4 others!)

The descent from the Sally Gap crossroads to laragh - https://www.strava.com/segments/1158895?filter=overall

(Probably my favourite piece of road in the country).

retalivity

Stocking lane to kippure - a good long up and down segment

https://www.strava.com/segments/3415031


My favourite 2 short and horrible climbing segments.

Cunard - bastard

https://www.strava.com/segments/1329636

Kilmashogue - worse

https://www.strava.com/segments/631099

magicbastarder

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Two of my favourites:

The descent into Naul village from the Ballyboughal side - https://www.strava.com/segments/699503

(Currently sharing 3rd place with 4 others!)

i'm currently sharing position 2044 out of 2868 with 105 other people.

magicbastarder

does strava premium allow you to view a map of every road you've cycled? i.e. a personal heat map?

Wishbone Ash

retalivity wrote: »

...Cunard - bastard

....Kilmashogue - worse...

Give Priest's Leap or the Gap of Mamore a lash and you'll never think the same of Cunard or Kilmashogue again!

retalivity

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Give Priest's Leap or the Gap of Mamore a lash and you'll never think the same of Cunard or Kilmashogue again!

Being from donegal but having not cycled half as much up there as i would have liked, mamore is on the list!

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

does strava premium allow you to view a map of every road you've cycled? i.e. a personal heat map?

Only if you're on Premium I think.

Steve SilverMint

magicbastarder wrote: »

does strava premium allow you to view a map of every road you've cycled? i.e. a personal heat map?

Yes you have a world wide heat map on premium Strava.

Sunsets On Tuesday

magicbastarder wrote: »

this is one i measure myself on; remarkable (for me) in that i finished it today thinking 'that way too easy', especially since i had a tailwind all the way out to it. made more interesting today in that my bike wouldn't shift cleanly to my granny gear, so i could at best manage 39x24 on the way up at times.

https://www.strava.com/segments/661174

i haven't been southside and into the wicklow mountains since i joined strava though, so i obviously want to correct that.

That's a very popular segment, and I can see why, just a shame you don't go up to the "summit" car park on that segment though!

Sunsets On Tuesday

Casula wrote: »

Here's three that deserve to be in there...

https://www.strava.com/segments/2472552

https://www.strava.com/segments/1153722

https://www.strava.com/segments/6911387

That Poggio segment going into Enniskerry is a real bastard, never enjoy doing it.. can just never find a rhythm.

Wishbone Ash

Sunsets On Tuesday wrote: »

That's a very popular segment, and I can see why, just a shame you don't go up to the "summit" car park on that segment though!

I'd say its to capture the 90% of people who do a lap without going to the summit (as it's a cul de sac). There are dozens of segments on Howth and plenty which do go to the car park.

68 lost souls

Steve SilverMint wrote: »

Yes you have a world wide heat map on premium Strava.

I must try it again. Went that way once on my first cycle back on the bike after surgery two years ago and I've been afraid since. Normally go up the golf club side.

koutoubia

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Two of my favourites:

The descent into Naul village from the Ballyboughal side - https://www.strava.com/segments/699503

(Currently sharing 3rd place with 4 others!)

I never knew I was so far down the list on that segment.
Must rectify that someday soon....

68 lost souls

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Two of my favourites:

The descent into Naul village from the Ballyboughal side - https://www.strava.com/segments/699503

(Currently sharing 3rd place with 4 others!)

The descent from the Sally Gap crossroads to laragh - https://www.strava.com/segments/1158895?filter=overall

(Probably my favourite piece of road in the country).

I'd like to get out towards the naul on a solo spin some day, I normally hit that segment on a group ride when I'm at the back and then hit traffic going down it. Much better at going down hills than up them haha

Wishbone Ash

I could do with a standard 53 on that Naul descent - spinning out on a 50.

koutoubia

53x11 should do it!

Dermot Illogical

This one isn't in Ireland, but it's definitely my favourite.
https://www.strava.com/segments/2071767

This one is in the same area and was in the Giro a couple of years ago. Not too arduous and really enjoyable on a hot day.
https://www.strava.com/segments/1133210

Nice fast descents off both of them too.

ford2600

www.strava.com/segments/2395033 — SP92 downhill

www.strava.com/segments/8563979 — Skills bit..

P_1

magicbastarder wrote: »

does strava premium allow you to view a map of every road you've cycled? i.e. a personal heat map?

This is another nice site to use for your heatmaps.

http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/map.php

neris

this very short one in Howth, not to long but starts out with a very steep ramp and by the time you get past the corner your still climbing on a smaller gradient

https://www.strava.com/segments/2261538

dragratchet

given i spend half my life on strava i started taking photos and writing short pieces about some segments over the past year. mainly dublin/wicklow but making my way around Ireland gradually.

https://www.instagram.com/strava_segments_ireland/

P_1

Have to say I enjoyed this one. It takes a bit of planning to do too (well not so much planning more keeping an eye on the tides).

https://www.strava.com/activities/768823927/segments/18820024222

lissard

A spin around Wicklow isn't complete without this beauty ;-) . The very appropriately named Devils Glen.
https://www.strava.com/segments/1234763

Wishbone Ash

lissard wrote: »

A spin around Wicklow isn't complete without this beauty ;-) . The very appropriately named Devils Glen.
https://www.strava.com/segments/1234763

Usually incorporated into the Boards.ie Evil Ride! Descending it is almost worse than climbing it - horrible surface causing so much vibrations that you get blurred vision. In autumn its extra difficult with a carpet of wet leaves. Beautiful all the same.

Chuchote

Couple of questions, if it will help others too…(?):

• How do you find Strava segments in your local area?
• How do you follow an existing run (on iPhone)?
• What's the difference between normal and premium?
• How much does premium cost, and under what circumstances is is worth it?
• How do you make and name a segment?

(I see the first and last questions are addressed reasonably well by Strava's Help. But not altogether. For instance, I come across named Strava sections in my normal daily cycle, but can't see them on the map when looking for segments near my route.)

68 lost souls

Chuchote wrote: »

Couple of questions, if it will help others too…(?):


(I see the first and last questions are addressed reasonably well by Strava's Help. But not altogether. For instance, I come across named Strava sections in my normal daily cycle, but can't see them on the map when looking for segments near my route.)

It's possible that they may be hidden segments, if they have been flagged as risky due to traffic, lights, pedestrians etc they can sometimes appear like this.

Chuchote

68 lost souls wrote: »

It's possible that they may be hidden segments, if they have been flagged as risky due to traffic, lights, pedestrians etc they can sometimes appear like this.

Funny that they'd name themselves as I cycle, though!

oconnpad

lissard wrote: »

A spin around Wicklow isn't complete without this beauty ;-) . The very appropriately named Devils Glen.
https://www.strava.com/segments/1234763

I try to get to wicklow once or twice a year for spin in the mountains and so i came across this segment on a pre planned spin.
The route was from laragh up to kippure mast via military road and back via roundwood, ashford, laragh
With the climb to kippure mast i didn't pay to much attention to this segment on the route beforehand.
When i was climbing the thing I was full sure i'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. It just seem to go on and on to me at the time.

Wishbone Ash

Chuchote wrote: »

Couple of questions, if it will help others too…(?):

• How do you find Strava segments in your local area?
• How do you follow an existing run (on iPhone)?
• What's the difference between normal and premium?
• How much does premium cost, and under what circumstances is is worth it?
• How do you make and name a segment?

(I see the first and last questions are addressed reasonably well by Strava's Help. But not altogether. For instance, I come across named Strava sections in my normal daily cycle, but can't see them on the map when looking for segments near my route.)

1. Go to Strava Explore, then Segment Explore (much easier on a PC/Laptop). You can zone in to the area of your choice. In heavily congested segment areas, only the most popular will be shown. It will also only show segments which begin and end within the area you have zoned in to. There is also a device to allow you to filter difficulty (HC, 1,2,3,4 or all).

2. Don't know.

3. Premium gives some extra information and stats but probably only suited to the cyclist doing serious 'training'.

4. I think it's €60 per year and many of those that have it say it not worth it as the free version gives 90% of what you need.

4. Go into a ride that you've completed. Find the tools icon (spanner) and select 'Create Segment'. Move the start and end points (zooming in to ensure accuracy). You will be given other options that may be similar. If you wish to continue, select 'create my segment'. You will have to name it and it will be made private by default so you'll have to de-select this if you wish to have others on the leaderboard.

lissard

oconnpad wrote: »

I try to get to wicklow once or twice a year for spin in the mountains and so i came across this segment on a pre planned spin.
The route was from laragh up to kippure mast via military road and back via roundwood, ashford, laragh
With the climb to kippure mast i didn't pay to much attention to this segment on the route beforehand.
When i was climbing the thing I was full sure i'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. It just seem to go on and on to me at the time.

Ouch I'd say that was an unplanned nasty surprise, especially at the end of a tough spin. It is eye-poppingly steep, the points where it eases to 10% nearly feel like flat sections.

magicbastarder

one thing it's missing - even on the premium version afaik - is the ability to examine a particular stretch of your ride without creating a segment to match what you want to see. it may be a marginal use case, but it's something i'd like to have had on a couple of occasions.

Chuchote

Thanks. And how do people follow Strava segments on other machines? Does it work like a satnav - saying "Turn left in 40 metres"? Or do you print it out, enlarged, or something?

Edit: nope https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/208836447-Turn-by-Turn-Audio-Notifications-for-Route-Navigation-mobile-?page=5#comments

Apparently at some stage there was an 'Export GPX' option by clicking a spanner icon; can't see that now. Edit: D'oh, there it is on the left, and it works. Will try that now, adding it to the Here app, if I can remember how.

Wishbone Ash

lissard wrote: »

Ouch I'd say that was an unplanned nasty surprise, especially at the end of a tough spin. It is eye-poppingly steep, the points where it eases to 10% nearly feel like flat sections.

Speaking of nasty surprises, the climb by Clara church (on a side road off the R755 just south of Laragh) is one which caught me out big time. You cross a very pretty bridge and then come to a very pretty church and round a bend and then it feels like getting repeatedly punched in the face for a few hundred metres. Very steep in places - you know where you're thinking that if I come to a stop now, I'll start rolling back before I can get clipped out. To make it even worse, it ramps back up to 20%+ at the T junction with poor visibility at the very end so you have to keep moving into the junction or else fall off.

https://www.strava.com/segments/1305765

lissard

Chuchote wrote: »

Thanks. And how do people follow Strava segments on other machines? Does it work like a satnav - saying "Turn left in 40 metres"? Or do you print it out, enlarged, or something?

Edit: nope https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/208836447-Turn-by-Turn-Audio-Notifications-for-Route-Navigation-mobile-?page=5#comments

Apparently at some stage there was an 'Export GPX' option by clicking a spanner icon; can't see that now. Edit: D'oh, there it is on the left, and it works. Will try that now, adding it to the Here app, if I can remember how.

Live Segments are a feature in the Garmin Edge 520 if you're into that sort of thing. I only have the earlier Edge 500 and very occasionally download GPX files in order to have some rudimentary mapping in front of me. Part of the joy of cycling for me is getting lost and figuring out new routes as I go along. I guess it's the man in me - never wanting to ask for directions! With a smartphone there is always recourse to Google Maps if I get lost. Only place where I really needed this stuff was when cycling abroad.

Chuchote

Hm. Tried exporting my standard (when I'm well) daily ride as GPX; added it to Dropbox so I could open it in Here's iPhone app GPXTracker. But in Dropbox on the iPhone it just appears as a long, long, endless HTML file, and doesn't offer any export options. GPXTracker doesn't seem to offer any way of opening it from Dropbox either.
What a pity Apple dropped its normal drag-and-drop-ability from iPhones and made them so damned complicated.
Apparently you can add it through iTunes, but since Apple limits iTunes to 5 devices, it's nuked my ability to connect this iPhone to iTunes since a factory reset. #grrrrinddd

Carawaystick

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

2. Don't know.

3. Premium gives some extra information and stats but probably only suited to the cyclist doing serious 'training'.

If you don't have a heart rate monitor, premium only offers a personal heatmap
but you can get that from
http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/multi-ride-mapper/


I think you need to create a route in strava to see it on your phone as you cycle.
Create a route ( on a computer, its easier),
on iphone start record, click the little arrowherad at the bottom left, pick the route, press record & follow display.

68 lost souls

Chuchote wrote: »

Hm. Tried exporting my standard (when I'm well) daily ride as GPX; added it to Dropbox so I could open it in Here's iPhone app GPXTracker. But in Dropbox on the iPhone it just appears as a long, long, endless HTML file, and doesn't offer any export options. GPXTracker doesn't seem to offer any way of opening it from Dropbox either.
What a pity Apple dropped its normal drag-and-drop-ability from iPhones and made them so damned complicated.
Apparently you can add it through iTunes, but since Apple limits iTunes to 5 devices, it's nuked my ability to connect this iPhone to iTunes since a factory reset. #grrrrinddd

You can unassign devices.

Chuchote

68 lost souls wrote: »

You can unassign devices.

Nope. You have to unassign *all* your devices and then reassign them, according to what iTunes is telling me.

The idea that it should be limited to five devices is utter nonsense - most people would have, say, an ancient computer with stuff on it, a current computer, a tablet, a phone, a couple of iPods with beloved old music, and so on.

The whole system is horribly kludgy. I'd like to make a ringtone of a particular song; used to be easy enough, but because of Apple's fart-dancing, it's become complex and boring.

Wishbone Ash

Chuchote wrote: »

Hm. Tried exporting my standard (when I'm well) daily ride as GPX; added it to Dropbox so I could open it in Here's iPhone app GPXTracker. But in Dropbox on the iPhone it just appears as a long, long, endless HTML file, and doesn't offer any export options. GPXTracker doesn't seem to offer any way of opening it from Dropbox either....

Why not just plot your daily route using Strava's Route creator and it will be in your phone and on Strava. (Why would you be creating a route you know anyway? Most people use it to plot a route in unknown territory!)

(PS - my technical knowledge is very limited. Haven't a clue what GPX, HTML, Dropbox etc. are so apologies if I'm not answering your question).

Daroxtar

magicbastarder wrote: »

one thing it's missing - even on the premium version afaik - is the ability to examine a particular stretch of your ride without creating a segment to match what you want to see. it may be a marginal use case, but it's something i'd like to have had on a couple of occasions.

Don't use the app, use the website. You'll see a list on the left side of the screen. Go into Analysis. Now you get a graph. You can highlight a particular section in that graph and it gives your avg and max stats for that along the left hand margin

Chuchote

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Why not just plot your daily route using Strava's Route creator and it will be in your phone and on Strava. (Why would you be creating a route you know anyway? Most people use it to plot a route in unknown territory!)

(PS - my technical knowledge is very limited. Haven't a clue what GPX, HTML, Dropbox etc. are so apologies if I'm not answering your question).

Daroxtar has answered my question an easier way - use the Strava website for stats. I was proposing to use the Strava route on an ordinary map to get turn-by-turn instructions, using a route I know first to get the hang of doing it, rather than attempting to learn on an unknown route in the wilds of north Cork.

GPX is the format used for things like Strava segments; you name a route, say, Kilmashogue.gpx and save it, and open that file in a mapping program; works for some, not for others. HTML (hypertext markup language, I think) is the language used to format websites - every website you look at is actually a lot of text instructing your browser to show it as images, words, music, etc. (A browser = Safari, Netscape, Chrome, Mozilla, etc.) Dropbox is a program you can use to move files from one device to another, or to send them to other people - for instance if you want to share family photos with all your aunties in America.

joey100

https://www.strava.com/segments/744867

That would be my favourite I'd say. Good length, fast enough at the start and around half way the surface really improves and it gets faster. With the wind behind you it's a flier. No danger of getting a KOM on it though, that's sown up by the Giro riders but nice to push yourself before the coffee stop in Skerries.

daragh_

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Usually incorporated into the Boards.ie Evil Ride! Descending it is almost worse than climbing it - horrible surface causing so much vibrations that you get blurred vision. In autumn its extra difficult with a carpet of wet leaves. Beautiful all the same.

Here's a few more little shockers to get the heart rate up.

https://www.strava.com/segments/777083

https://www.strava.com/segments/1043428

https://www.strava.com/segments/9408001

https://www.strava.com/segments/10435185

godtabh

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Speaking of nasty surprises, the climb by Clara church (on a side road off the R755 just south of Laragh) is one which caught me out big time. You cross a very pretty bridge and then come to a very pretty church and round a bend and then it feels like getting repeatedly punched in the face for a few hundred metres. Very steep in places - you know where you're thinking that if I come to a stop now, I'll start rolling back before I can get clipped out. To make it even worse, it ramps back up to 20%+ at the T junction with poor visibility at the very end so you have to keep moving into the junction or else fall off.

https://www.strava.com/segments/1305765

That nearly killed me this year. The heat was so bad i stopped just past the church not realizing what was a head of me. Took me a while

daragh_

Forgot the Lamb. Always good for a laugh

https://www.strava.com/segments/5890791

lissard

daragh_ wrote: »

Here's a few more little shockers to get the heart rate up.

https://www.strava.com/segments/777083

https://www.strava.com/segments/1043428

Red Lane - how could I forget that beauty. If i remember correctly, traction was pretty compromised the day I did it due to a combination of moss, cow **** and my own lack of speed.

Must try Quarry Road climb - I regularly pass it on my way to work and never realised there was a through road linking Rathmichael and Pucks Castle.

dragratchet

lissard wrote: »

Must try Quarry Road climb - I regularly pass it on my way to work and never realised there was a through road linking Rathmichael and Pucks Castle.

Quarry road is a nice one alright. immaculate tarmac for the first bit and then its rough as hell country lane. out of the saddle stuff for the last 500/600 metres.

The devils elbow.
Last time (a few years ago) I went up it I ended up walking when I nearly did a wheelie on one of the corners.
https://www.strava.com/segments/631154

Slieve Maan s/westwards
A tough climb that is made more challenging since you usually have a few other climbs in the legs.
https://www.strava.com/segments/1262019

3 rock via kellystown
Nice steep ramp with a nice view at the top.
https://www.strava.com/segments/631098