Creation of segments from laps

[Emilius123]

Most modern GPS devices such as wearables or cycling head units support marking laps. Strava also supports displaying these laps. This feature is used by many athletes to mark and help analyze different sections of their ride.

Adding the ability to create segments from laps would be an easier alternative to the current, quite fiddly, method.

[anchskier]

@Emilius123 - It would be nice if there was a way to do this; however, I do see one big aspect that would be problematic.  When I am making segments for an activity that involved multiple laps, such as a mountain bike race, I make sure to set the start point just after the start line and the end point just before the finish line.  This ensures that anyone who starts their device while at the start line isn't already timing within the segment and if someone stops right at the finish that the running timer on their device isn't still counting in the segment.  This gets a little more complicated when the "lap" has you go slightly outside of the finish chute or take a small cutoff before the finish line, so you need to adjust so the segment will start/end properly to be picked up on each lap.  It would be challenging for an automated system to account for that.  

[Emilius123]

@anchskier How about if adding the data of a lap was just a feature in the regular segment editor, meaning you'd be able to, if neccessary, adjust the segment from your lap?

[anchskier]

@Emilius123 - That may be an option.  It could have some button to select "use lap" or "create segment from lap" and then the next step would prompt the creator to make adjustments for start and end points as needed.  It could even be set to default to start and end a set distance after/before the actual start/finish that it calculates.  

[Soren]

Thanks for submitting your idea to create segments from laps. It has been reviewed by our moderation team and is now open to voting.

[steveandalice]

I think this is a great idea - I was wanting to do exactly that today and it wouldn't let me!

[Mar-T]

Still trying to create a segment from a lap. This is more so people can train on the same lap (for CX and mtn bike) rather than for chasing a KOM. If it’s a KOM they’re after, they can create a new segment of their own. I’m just trying to get a CX course burned-in. Guess the desire for this feature isn’t high on the priority list still.

[anchskier]

@Mar-T - You should be able to create a segment from your activity pretty easily.  As long as you have ridden the lap, just create a segment from your activity like you normally would.  You shouldn't need anything special to be able to create it from a specific lap.

[PaulRides]

Great idea. I was trying to do what you suggested and was surprised to learn that Strava did not have that functionality.  As anchskier suggests, if you have clicked on a lap and then hit Actions/Create Segment the default should be for Strava to take you to a "Create Segment" page that displays the start and end of the lap.  The way it currently works is that Strava takes you to a screen that shows as your candidate segment the first half of the ride from which the lap is taken. Consider this a vote for enhancing the segment creation feature.

[jsmattsonjr]

@PaulRides is so right. If I have clicked on a lap, and I click 'Create Segment,' the ends of the segment should default to the beginning and end of the lap rather than the first half of the activity.

Why?

I press the lap button on my head unit at the start and end of the segment. Those lap markers are then embedded in the .fit file, ensuring accurate GPS coordinates. The way it works now, you just have to eyeball the locations on the map. (Okay, maybe I have a little OCD.)

A workaround is to extract the lap from the .fit file, enter it as a separate activity, create the segment, and then delete the extra activity. But that's so much more work, and potentially messes up any challenges you're working towards. It also violates the Strava ToS, since you didn't actually do the extra activity.