I try to use Strava to celebrate the positives (others race wins, cool new routes locally, up and coming youngsters doing big things) and use less for comparison against others, although I still fall under that trap. I like the tracking of miles and hours, all in one place, the commentary I can leave on my own rides (I’ve done TR workout Katahdin maaaany times and I can search for it and see how I’ve improved not only by TR’s rating metric but also by what emoji I included–progressing from skull and crossbones, to sweating head, to weightlifter arm flex 
. I still get caught up in comparing myself to other local folks on segments, especially dudes even though I am a female, like how did such and such get this time and does 2hr/wk and eats poorly and I am doing 12h/wk structured?! Then you realize a lot of factors come into play–some are targeting segments, not riding more than 1hr, are heavier/put down more raw power, etc. I just try to moderate the amount of time I spend on social media, Strava included. I make a list of daily goals and phone time is never on the list because it doesn’t move things forward productively.
Maybe but I’m not a talented rider and I have no delusions. All my KOMs would be easily taken by young, strong riders if they put their mind to it.
I set all those KOMs in my early 50s and I was mid-pack in my large local bike club.
KOMs take some fitness but are also a game. Finding them and then making a plan to do a 1, 2 or 3+ minute max effort in some obscure place where nobody would normally do that kind of effort. Doing it when wind conditions are favorable. And then maybe doing it ten times to get the pacing right and actually get it. Lots of gamesmanship.
Or, create KOM segments in odd places which people just riding by wouldn’t naturally get. I only created a few of those but when I found ones that others had created, I went nabbed them if I could. They must have been surprised!
If you use WKO5, just create your own “Smart Segments” either from a ride segment or by manually creating it in WKO5 from the map (not the most intuitive) - need for Strava segments solved. Plus in a smart segment, you can order by time or power
But…where are the leaderboards? How will other people know when I crush them and steal their KOMs?
Sort of joking but competing with other people for segments IS the point. That’s why I use them.
I know a cyclist that uses it as a repository for his data; that’s it. A non-subscriber account will accomplish that.
I’m sure other apps offer the same, like RWGPS. He just happened to pick Strava.
The problem with Strava is that you can’t get your original data file back out like it was a backup. For this reason, I have my data sitting in WKO5, Training peaks, Garmin connect, and Strava.
True. I have extracted Strava data, and the it is not delivered in a “flat” or tabular way. Every record is a file.
I have seen some Reddit threads, in which people share Python scripts to convert it. However, very few people would be willing to take that on, when other solutions are available “out-of-the box”.
There are other sources (web pages) for dropping your data from Strava, into a spreadsheet.
I like this paragraph. I like to do the same - and yes it is a game. I’m 64 and can’t expect to be at the top of KOM’s where the young guns have had a proper go at them - but I can get KOMs where this is not the case. Looking for the right segments and creating a plan is half the fun.
I worked on one 40 second spint KOM for like 6 months. It was bay side and you certainly needed the right wind conditions. It was also in a heavily traveled area so not easy to get. I was using my iphone at the time for Strava and the resolution on the GPS tracking wasn’t good enough to get this KOM so I eventually bought a Garmin.
Eventually I got it and I was pretty proud of that one. Then some triathlete on a TT bike eventually nabbed in from me. Oh well.
If you set longer segments you can often get the KOM. Very few are prepared to put in a proper effort over 20 mins or so.
Hey, I’ve got a 2nd place behind Brandon McNulty in Knoxville.
We lived in Knoxville for 2 years where they hosed the national championships two years in a row. The pros would show up and their names would fill out the top 10 of every KOM and they weren’t even trying. 
Agreed. There’s a pretty popular 90+min loop near me that I’ve gotten the KOM on solo a couple times. I know a group could pretty easily get it but most groups of more than 3 will have natural stops, wait ups, refills, or take a slightly modified route unless their going for the segment specifically. So those longer segments are kinda naturally ‘safer’ than some random 5 minute stretch that is taken by the local group ride by accident.