Dear Strava, YOU ROCK!

One app I really love using is Strava.

I am not a hardcore bike rider but when I do go out on my bicycle I love checking the stats on this app.

The Best App for biking! Love it!

It's super user friendly, the dashboard gives you a bunch of information, you can connect with friends and you can follow hardcore riders to see how they are doing and to find new bike routes.  My favorite part after a ride is to check the final moving time, and the map with detailed information per segment. If you ride the same segment on a different day, it compares both rides and it lets you know if you have new achievements, personal records, etc.

It's awesome!

You can also compare your activity to other riders but in this field I am not competitive like that... I think I would lose haha.

I was a lot more active last year when my friends convinced me to participate in a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association.  The goal was to ride 50 miles and to raise at least $250.

I must confess I thought they were crazy to think that I could ride 50 miles.

The crazy ended up being me, and with a lot of training and coaching from my friends I was able to do it.  I was the slowest of the team, but somehow I managed to finish at 4 hours and 11 minutes, and I can be so exact because Strava has the record in there, yay!

50 miles????  

It was a glorious day, and the best was that my 3 friends were waiting for me at the very end of the path, right before the finish line, so we could all enter as a team.  It brings little tears to my eyes to remember this kindhearted act from my friends!  They are amazing and I am so lucky to have crossed paths with them.

I was also able to raise more than the $250 with the help of a bunch of friends that contributed to this cause, so that was like the cherry on top! :)

Another cool thing about Strava is that you can give kudos to your friends, some people I know are excellent bikers, pretty amazing, and can go really far!

If you are planning a bike ride soon, try Strava, I am sure you will get hooked.  The basic service, which is the one I have, is free.  You can upgrade to Pro if you want, and it will give you a ton of other statistics!

Bike on!

I want this sign! :)