9 hidden Strava features
Get the most out of the app with these simple tricks
Strava has an extremely complex structure, with dozens of features available. Here are a few you may not know about that will enrich and streamline your Strava experience.
1.Segment Explore
The ‘Explore’ tab is only available on desktop but is highly under-utilized. A great feature for finding popular local segments is the ‘Segment Explore’ section. Look up any city and see where the most popular segments are located.
2.Quick Kudos
Want to quickly Kudos everyone who did a ride? Click on the list of riders and shake your phone. You’ll be given the option to kudos everyone or just friends who did the ride.
3.Local
Only two Canadian cities, Calgary and Vancouver, are currently featured in the ‘Local’ section (under the explore tab), but the Strava feature can be a very useful resource when traveling. The local city guides suggest curated routes for exploring the city and surrounding areas.
4.GPX to Route
Upload anyone’s previously created Strava activity or a GPX file and this Strava Labs feature will convert it to an editable route.
5.Vanity URL
Clean up your strava profile link to a clean and memorable URL. On desktop, hover over your icon on the top right and click ‘my profile’. Under ‘Vanity URL’ you’ll be able to change your URL some variance of your name, making it shorter and more easily shareable.
Tip: Strava won’t allow capital letters in the URL so make sure you’re typing in lowercase
6.Global Heatmap
The Strava Heatmap is a great resource to use when planning new routes. The more colour on a road or path, the more frequently it’s been ridden. This feature is also integrated into the strava route planner. On desktop, visit Dashboard, then My routes and click on ‘Create New Route’. Click the gear button on the left and select ‘Global Heatmap’.
7.Change your default image
Do you feel like your ride photos aren’t getting the love they deserve? In mobile navigate to setting (the gear symbol on the top right) and tap ‘Default Highlight Image’. Here you can toggle between ‘Map’ and ‘Photo’ and decide which you would rather feature first.
8.Flybys
Ever cross paths with someone you’ve ridden with before but you just can’t seem to remember their name? This is where Strava flybys come in. You can see everyone you encountered during a ride, including when and where they were near you. Flybys is also great for racing. Analyze your position throughout the race compared to the other participants.
9.Privacy Zones
You can never be too safe online, especially with your personal information. ‘Privacy Zones’ operates within a 200 m -1,000 m radius of your home address. When you activate the setting, to other strava users it will look like your ride began and ended at a randomized location within the circle of your ‘Privacy Zone’. Under settings click on privacy controls, then privacy zones. Type in your address and select the radius of your zone.