Improve segment search with more filters

[Sander]

Hello Strava

If I am looking for a segment of, for example, 10 kilometers in a region with many segments, I will not be able to find it immediately because there are many other and many shorter segments visible.
This is also the case when I'm looking for descents. If you zoom in on a col, you will see many short segments, including segments such as "steepest part". Even when selecting the "U" (flat/downhill) category, segments of, for example, 15% uphill still appear. Not really flat or downhill.
If I now want to search for an excisting specific segment, I first select a short segment that is similar to the route I want to cycle.
Then, from the list of people who have ridden this segment, I select a person to look at their activity. In the hope that this is an activity where a large part corresponds to the route that I want to cycle.
If I have found such an activity, I can look at all segments that have been driven during this activity.
Often there is therefore the segment that I was looking for.

If there were more filter options for segment searches, the search would be much easier. Filters that can also be combined.
Think of filters such as;
Length from x km to x km
Minimum and maximum number of altimeters
Descent or climb
Average slope rate

For example, take a look at the Alpe d'Huez;
How many short segments "bent x to bent x" are there?
And even "La Marmotte 2011" a segment of 176km is in the list! This while I only zoomed in on the Alpe d'Huez.

Search for a segment from 10km to 15km, with a minimum of 1000 altimeters shall be much easier. 

Searching via the telephone app is much easier than via the web. But I don't make my routes on my phone.

[Ian]

I've been using Strava to record bike rides for a few years - I have covered many Segments in my area and I'm keen to find new ones.  The Segment Explore feature is a little frustrating - if I have a broad search the results are limited to the 10 most "popular", which are generally well known to me and if I have a narrower search it may only show 2 or 3 results, even though I know there are many more Segments within the search area.

I have had much more success using the function called "Don't see the Segment you're looking for ?" at the bottom of an Activity - this may show perhaps 50 Segment names that were nearby or partially completed by my Activity and hence could be a source of new Segments to try.  It's a little tedious to review these individually so I was wondering if it might be possible to show all these graphically on a map, together with the Activity ? 

[eric]

Are you a premium member? The map search function in the mobile app works a lot better than the old search methods, and also better than the web version. Still needs improvement, but much improved with a lot of good functionality with sorting by distance, climbing, etc.

[anchskier]

The segment search feature on the web is terrible.  As you said, you can find some of the most popular ones using the map, but that is about it.  The search function doesn't work at all.  I've typed in the EXACT name of segments nearby where I am at and where I have been looking at the map and it not only won't pull those up, but will usually pull up random ones from around the world that are totally unrelated.  I swear they must have tied the search function into a random number generator.  

[Silentvoyager]

I honestly don't quite understand how the current version of the segment explorer in the app works. I can't understand the pattern. Often it highlights some obscure segments with very few people on the leaderboard but at the same time refuses to show some much more popular nearby segments no matter what. I guess what it shows is supposed to be personalized but I find it fairly frustrating to use, especially with large fonts that I have on my phone. I should probably do a separate post about that. 

[Dykesie]

I feel that the Segment Search utility needs improving. This is why: There is one search field "Segment Name or Location". In trying to search for a local segment I get over 300 pages of results. For example: a segment with the name containing "Spirit Loop" in the location of "Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, Canada" this gives me over 300 pages of results from around the world. That really is of no use! If I were able to specify the 'Location or Place' in one field, and it would only list those segments in "Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, Canada", and then in a second field give the segment name/part name/name including... "Spirit Loop", I might get around 10 results, maybe less, if the search engine was truly limiting to those criteria. In that case, the utility is of use to me. As it is, after then engine has performed the search it is still like looking for a needle in a haystack.... hardly a useful search utility!

[zecanard]

I’ve only used that tool once or twice, and it’s been so frustrating I gave up on it. Definitely needs some love, starting with a separate field for the location.

[Dykesie]

Lets rally some support, zecanard!

[ChrisBerry]

I agree 100%. The search function is basically useless as is. Needs segment name and location fields to function properly. 

[starfruit]

Hello,

I have discovered some segments that branch off rides I have done via the "potential segment match" tool below all the segments from a ride.

Some look interesting for future rides, it's a neat way to find new trails or routes.  I am not able to click on them through to their original segment description and rankings page.  This would be helpful.

For the few I'm really curious about, I email in to support with a screen cap / exact name of the segment for them to look it up and provide the link.  I usually receive this back with statements that they can't match my ride, despite describing that I didn't request that.

Why do I do this you may ask?  Because as frequently requested in these forums, segment searching is particularly non-functional for a modern app.  even if I have the precise segment name, Segment Search will not return a find for it.  It generates hundreds of "finds" starting on the other side of the planet though.  Mapping it down to the exact location also does not find it in the Segment Explore tool, it's just not shown.  It is beyond me why no results can be generated when armed with perfect data.

Please allow riders to discover new segments from the segment match tool by making those that are near matches be live links to the actual segments.  And also please just improve search overall.

[FrankR]

Absolutely agree, that we need much more filter options for segments. I would like to

• use wildcards in segment name
• filter length for min and max length
• same for elevation
• useful filter option with wildcards for location would also be neccessary - at best with a distance range of the given location

All these filters should work together.

[Soren]

Hi there, thanks for sharing your suggestion. Correct me if I misunderstood: I believe what you're asking for is for the segments that are displayed in the list of Potential Segment Match candidates to be clickable from that view, in order to expand their details. Is this right?
It's not necessary to write into support once you've identified an interesting segment, you can locate the segment ID number from this page, for example:

strava.com/activities/ACTIVITYNUMBER/segments/1234567/potential-segment-matches

the highlighted number is the segment ID and you can then plug it into this URL: into https://www.strava.com/segments/SEGMENTID 

I hope this helps in the interim!

[starfruit]

Your understanding is correct for the request and thanks for the ID number idea that hadn't dawned on me.

[Lizza]

I came here to request the same. The search function isn’t too useful right now without a search by location OR having the current search field include the location as part of the data searched against.

[Samd90]

Love this idea. Absolutely need improved search functions for the segments. So often I just give up my search out of frustration. A key component of Strava should be the ability to find new places to run (ie segments) based off filters you choose.