Global Heatmaps Limited to 13 months data

[Mike168]

Why are the global heatmaps now limited to 13 months of data? I am not sure when it changed but previously the global heatmaps data went back multiple years. Losing this functionality severely hampers route building for hiking, mountain biking, etc. An option to filter the timeframe for global heatmaps which is available for personal heat maps should be available and it should provide heatmap data that goes back as far as possible.

[jzuend]

I second this request. I use the heat map to explore new off-trail routes in national forests and national parks. Many of these routes are used very infrequently and thus may not present itself in a 13 months moving window.

[-Charles-]

Thanks for the question, @Mike168! As you've correctly noted, Strava's global heatmap currently displays up to 13 months of activity data and is updated monthly. The global heatmap has behaved in this manner for about the last two years.

We definitely appreciate your feedback on this feature. In fact, we'd love to hear more about what kind of information is lacking in the current global heatmap and how the additional data would serve your needs. Are you unable to perform actions today which you think would be possible with different data? Let me know if you have a chance to compose some additional thoughts.

[AntonioJenkins]

I know there was/is pressure from all sorts of land managers to bury and/or obfuscate the tracks left by all Strava users for all time (like the old heat map).  The problems of illegal routes and/or overuse of existing routes is there and potentially exacerbated by heat maps.  I don't know if the 13 month heatmap was brought about due to these issues, but it's probably the technically simplist way to address these concerns.  Users (including myself) would really like access to all of the heatmap data.  I'm sure you have folks working on this, but my thoughts land on 3 things you guys could do and perhaps the entire heatmap database could come back online and satisfy land managers concerns:  1. Identify illegal routes (a flagging system). 2. Incorporate policies for hiding tracks in certain areas (ie. no off-trail travel shows on heat map in areas where not permitted). 3. offer some way of opting out of including users' tracks in the heat map data.  Once that work is done, then allowing users to access the heatmap data by weighting it temporarily would be really cool instead of just seeing that last 13 months - it would be really nice to have a slider that controlled the shading of heatmap data based on the age of the data.