I’m about to start my training for 2025, where I’m going to race seriously. Likely start working with a coach soon. Thinking about hiding training info so I won’t give free info to my competition.
Are most serious racers doing the same? Thanks
Old
A good chunk of the pro peloton has their data public.
I can pretty much guarantee hiding your data won’t improve your race results.
17 Likes
Normal rides, Yes ……workouts and intervals with heart rate?...seriously doubt it, specially in top 50.
Check Gee and Abrahamsen, both upload power, hr and their interval workouts, didn’t seem to stop them from winning races.
Hide you data if you want but its not going to impact your ability to win races. That relies on genetics and training.
4 Likes
Exactly
Just because you have the recipe it doesn’t make you a Michelin Star chef.
Put it on Strava or not. If being honest… I love seeing epic rides and workouts but don’t need to see every recovery ride or weight room session (and that is where the magic is). What you put out there is up to you, but even if the competition emulated every workout it probably wouldn’t make a difference. Everyone is different with different time schedules. I think you’re safe if you want to post. But again up to you.
1 Like
What level are you going to be racing seriously at? Earning a living seriously, or local evening series league not last place seriously?
Do the people you are going to be racing against already follow you?
I don’t think there is any secret training info that strava can give away.
Whenever I have looked at race winner’s strava feeds, I see exactly what I expect to see: consistency, decent volume at “Zone 2” / tempo pace, training camps in sunnier climes and/or at altitude, well executed basic intervals and races.
8 Likes
Famous amateur races
Some
It’s not about this, is about maximal efforts vs heart rate, etc. I often find this info hidden or private profiles for the top guys in races.
I don’t think there’s any data embedded in there that competition could weaponize at t amateur level. I think a bit of mystery at the pro level is a good thing (i.e. what kind of shape is my competition in).
1 Like
I suppose you might get an advantage in the earliest races in the season. But if the training has worked as you imply it might, it will show up in podium places anyway. You can’t hide that (and surely wouldn’t want to!)
From the moment you start finishing at the exciting end of the results sheet, you will be watched more closely in races by more competitors and the absolute benefit of hiding that data becomes less.
Not knowing your maximal efforts are X Watts at Y heart rate, or A Watts at B heart rate won’t change the fact that you beat them and if they want to beat you, they need to train better, or tactically out manoeuvre you in the next race.
2 Likes
Agreed - I can’t think of any data/metrics from specific workouts that would change race results if others actioned any of this knowledge. Even if you knew someone’s FTP or VO2max power at any duration, it doesn’t mean that’s what will happen during a race. There are so many factors at play that make data like this unreliable.
1 Like
Personally, I wouldn’t worry at all about your power numbers. I don’t think knowing them will help or hurt your competitors one bit. Things like racing strategy, race craft, descending skills and the like will play a much bigger role.
You get on people’s radar by being consistently in the top. If they perceive you as a competitor, they will analyze you based on how you race, they will find out your strengths and weaknesses. E. g. are you a diesel or a sprinter? Do you ride alone or do you have a team behind you? These things. Your competitors will only be competitors, if they can hang with you (and vice versa).
1 Like
I race Cat 2 crits right now and don’t hide anything. I don’t really see the purpose. Maybe I’d have a different view on it if I was like racing for national titles or higher but I doubt anyone is stalking my stuff too much and even if they did I’m not totally sure what they’d get out of it.
I’ve peeked at some guys I race against before and the most I get out of it is “damn they’re really strong doing 500W for 2 min”. It might add someone to my list to focus on if I don’t know tons of people that I’m racing against but it’s rarely something that actually affects my races too much.
It’s because it’s one click to hide power, HR, etc. Just go hide yours if you are at all concerned.
Honestly, I used to scope out all my group ride friends with Sauce to see their FTP … not that it helped me perform better. I also scoped who was doing intervals and structured training only because I was curious.
2 Likes
Yep as per @mwglow15 sometimes I might look just to see what it was taking someone else on a particular section of a race. But rarely, other than to think “wow, no wonder I couldn’t hang with that”. And like other posters, positioning, race craft etc will have as much a bearing on races. And if you go out and do some intervals, who knows what you were trying to do? Was that 600watts a max effort or was it easy? With a 170 heart rate. Could be easy. Or could be the person has a naturally lower heart rate. Could be that it’s 600w for a 90kg rider or 600w for a 60kg rider…
Pro tip: make all your rides private by default, then drop only selected epic rides to instill fear in your competition… secret training has been a staple of cycling since forever.
10 Likes
I used to hide my data (power/HR) but find it helpful when others share their data so I made all my Strava info public to return the favor. I can only see hiding it if you are a pro and it is your job but as a competitive amateur over 50 I could care less if others see my information.
Even for the pros I feel they should just make it public since I really don’t think it will change the outcome private or shared. At the end of the day it really comes down to who has put in the work (and genetics) and not some crazy special interval they fear the competition getting.
2 Likes
“Famous amateur races” is not a level, are you racing at a continental level? A grade? Cat 1/2? C grade? Cat 4/5? Or is this something you can just sign up to like a mass participation thing?
2 Likes
you understood the question 
1 Like
Amateurs hiding Strava data is suss. Doping would be high on my list of cynicism
2 Likes