New payment model and new features at Strava - Strava ends Summit - what's changing?

This much in advance: Strava will continue to offer free access. However, it will contain fewer features than before. Paid access will cost five euros per month and, in addition to familiar features such as segment leaderboards, will also include completely new offers such as a comprehensive training diary ("Training Log", from 25 May) and the Strava Route Builder, which as a web version has significantly more options than the route suggestions in the Strava app presented in April 2020 and the route planning that has been in beta so far.

<<More details about the route tool in the Strava app>>

"Some of our newly developed features will only be available to members - so we're investing most in the athletes who are investing in us," said Strava founders Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath in a recent company press release.

What new features are there for paying Strava members?

According to the founding duo, the aim of the new Strava direction is clarity. In concrete terms, this means saying goodbye to the previously familiar Summit model, which at times included three different packages (training, analysis and safety). Those who now pay the monthly fee of five euros will receive the following features, which are not available to non-members:

• Comprehensive rankings in all segments (top 10 best list remains free of charge)
• Comparison of "Matched Activities" also for bike rides (previously a feature only for runners)
• Analysis of estimated performance in the segment
• Compare and analyse all performance parameters and results of each trip in Training Dashboard and Training Log
• Extensive route planning via web browser (individual functions can still be used free of charge), including route suggestions with filter options

The new route planning on Strava

Barely a month after the launch of the route tool for the Strav app, a tour planner has now also been integrated into Strava's web platform. The so-called "Route Builder" is based on the same open source data (OpenStreetMap) that is available for other routing products and navigation aids, supplemented by Strava data from over three billion tracked activities. The global Strava heatmap can be displayed as an option, including individual segments. The huge pool of data offers reliably good routes, but the wealth of options can be overwhelming at first.

Otherwise the Route Builder The route planner is based on tried and tested features: adding waypoints for intermediate stops or route extensions and many filter functions (by surface type, by preferred sport and by incline). The gradient filter is particularly useful. By setting the minimum or maximum elevation gain accordingly, you can create tours that are suitable for beginners and families, or deliberately collect metres in altitude, for example during targeted mountain or interval training. There still seems to be room for improvement in the surface filter in view of the large proportion of the route that is always defined as "unknown". In particular, non-local road cyclists could possibly come across unpaved sections here.

In the free version saved routes can be displayed or the routes of others can be saved. A subscription is only required to create new routes and edit existing routes.

The new training area on Strava

The training area is moving even more into focus - you can see this from the fact that the term "Training" is more prominently placed in the Strava app: where the Summit tab once appeared in the navigation is now the Training tab. In the training area, the weekly activities and Weekly intensity and the Monthly fitness calculated from the load profiles. In the fourth area, the Training diaryEach athlete can record individual feedback on exertion. New: The diary now maps all 32 sports on Strava. Previously, only running, cycling and swimming were implemented. Filter functions help to maintain an overview of the various sports.