Activity metrics and analysis: Add Aerodynamic Insights from Windsock data

[Flavio]

With the last price increase in Strava’s subscription, many users, including myself, are questioning the value for money. This has led to a noticeable decline in premium subscriptions among the people I know. To address this concern and provide added value, I propose integrating aerodynamic insights from myWindsock into Strava’s platform.

Key Features to Integrate:

1. Aerodynamic Analysis: CdA feedback for improved aerodynamic efficiency.
2. Weather Impact™: A single metric that shows how fast or slow the weather conditions are.
3. Feels Like Elevation™: Combines gradient and wind to show how the road feels.
4. Total Headwind: Details of every headwind and its impact on an activity.
5. Optimum Strategy Modelling: AI-powered strategy suggestions based on weather and terrain.
6. Wind Lines and Colour Depiction: Visual representation of wind direction and impact on route maps.

Integrating myWindsock’s aerodynamic insights and weather impact metrics into Strava will significantly enhance the platform’s value, justify the subscription cost, and attract a broader user base. By providing detailed, actionable data, Strava can reaffirm its position as the leading app for competitive cyclists.

[Jane]

Hello @Flavio 

Thanks a lot for your suggestion.  Could you provide additional information about how you would see this integration working? For example, would these additional metrics show up on the activity page as extra information, or would this data be used to determine things like best efforts and segment achievement? For example would a strong tailwind invalidate a KOM?

If you could provide additional information about how you see this working, that would helpful. Thank you.

[Flavio]

Hello @Jane,

Thank you for your prompt response and your interest in my proposal. I’d be happy to provide further details on how the integration of myWindsock’s aerodynamic insights into Strava’s platform could work:

1. Integration of Metrics on the Activity Page:

• Activity Overview: The aerodynamic metrics would appear in the activity summary section, providing users with immediate insights into their performance relative to aerodynamic efficiency.
• Detailed Insights: Dedicated sections within the activity analysis (see screenshot below) could provide in-depth analysis of aerodynamic data, such as CdA, weather impact, total headwind, and feels like elevation.

2. Impact on Best Efforts and Segment Achievements:

• Contextual Performance Analysis: Metrics such as wind direction and speed could be used to add context to performance data. For instance, users could see how a tailwind or headwind affected their times, without necessarily invalidating segment achievements.
• Fair Competition: For competitive segments like KOM/QOM, Strava could introduce a weighted scoring system that accounts for wind conditions, ensuring fair comparisons. For example, a segment time achieved with a significant tailwind could be marked with an asterisk or adjusted score to denote the wind assistance.

3. AI-Powered Strategy Suggestions:

• Pre-Activity Planning: Before starting an activity, users could input their route and receive AI-driven strategy suggestions. These would include optimal pacing, power output adjustments, and route choices based on the forecasted weather and terrain.
• Post-Activity Analysis: After completing an activity, the platform could provide feedback on how well the user followed the suggested strategies and areas for improvement.

4. Visual Representation:

• Wind Lines and Color Depiction: On route maps, wind lines and color-coded segments would show the direction and strength of the wind throughout the activity. This visual aid would help users understand the impact of wind conditions on their performance at different points along the route.
• Weather Impact Metrics: A single metric indicating the overall impact of weather conditions (e.g., Weather Impact™) could be prominently displayed, summarizing how much the weather contributed to the difficulty of the ride.

5. User Experience Enhancement:

• Interactive Elements: Users could interact with the aerodynamic data by selecting different segments of their activity to see specific aerodynamic insights, such as how a particular headwind affected their speed and effort.
• Community Sharing: Users could share their aerodynamic analysis with the Strava community, fostering discussions around performance improvement and strategies.

By integrating these features, Strava can provide users with valuable insights that go beyond traditional performance metrics. Imho this added value would justify the subscription cost and enhance the overall user experience, making Strava an indispensable tool for competitive cyclists.

I hope these details provide a clearer vision of how the integration could work. Please let me know if you need any further information or clarification.

Thank you for considering my suggestion.

Best regards, Flavio

[Jane]

Hi @Flavio Thank you for getting back to us with more details.  Your idea has been reviewed by our moderation team and is now open to voting.

Please note the following: 

• We receive a large number of ideas, and even some very popular ideas will not make it to the implementation stage
• Popular ideas (ideas that get lots of votes) will be regularly surfaced to our Product Teams for review
• The number of votes an idea gets is only one factor that’s considered when we plan our roadmap
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• We strive to be transparent as possible, but please remember that we may not explain or justify why we might prioritize the development of some features over others

For more information, please review our Guide to Ideas.

Note: The idea title was edited so it will be easier for others to search and vote on. 

Thank you again.