Minimum Segment length ?

[Ian]

I noticed that someone recently asked that the minimum length of mountain bike Segments be decreased and the post was quickly archived by an admin on the basis that reverting Strava changes could not be discussed.

I have some sympathy for the poster - I was also somewhat frustrated by the recent increase in minimum length of bike Segments from 300m to 500m.  In my area there has been some good competition over Segments about 400 to 450m in length but such Segments can no longer be created or edited (the change happened as I was working on a new Segment of about 450m - it now finishes closer to a T junction than I would like but editing is no longer possible).

I don't remember seeing any requests from Strava users for such a change in the previous Strava Support forums so I wonder if someone at Strava could give some background to their reasons for making the change and their methodologies for determining minimum Segment lengths for each Activity type ?  Clearly measurement accuracy is a factor on shorter Segments, but even on a 300m bike Segment the accuracy should be within a couple of % which seems OK.

[DerekJ]

These Community Hub threads seem a total waste of time...  there never seems any proper involvement or discussion from Strava... just a discussion amongst ourselves.  Whilst I'm here (wasting my time) I'll say once again....  make it possible to create shorter segments on off-road rides (including those on emtbs). Otherwise there will be more and more somewhat valueless segments created that have been artificially lengthened to get around the artificial limit. 

[Artyom]

500 m limit sucks. All the trails in my city are under 500 m 🤷‍♂️

[JW2]

On zwift, there is the acropolis sprint (around 450m in length) but it doesnt show up as a segment...

[Norden]

Why can't I create segments shorter than 500 meters for cycling and shorter than 300 meters for running, even though I have a subscription, when I've seen shorter segments on Strava?

For example running segment only 280 meters long: https://www.strava.com/segments/19339033

[StravaBlows]

Because Strava is crap. It is simply a matter of data storage, there is no technical reason that prevents the creation of sub 500m (1640ft)segments.
They choose not to allow it. The same way they choose to allow anyone to mark a segment “hazardous”. 
Many users have on going battles recreating segments because of the “safety and paranoia police”. 

[4ndrew]

Strava left previously created segments as is but new segments can't be created shorter than new limit.

[Norden]

What is the minimum length of a run segment? Can subscribers create segments shorter than regular users?

[m986]

Is there a workaround for this? For example, if I have a 400m trail that I want to create a segment for, if I ride 300m, turn around and ride 100m back up the trail, then turn around and finish the trail, in theory I've covered 600m and the start and end points are where I want them to be.

If I then just ride the 400m trail, will Strava record the time OK without me doing the reverse bit? Obviously the average time will be wrong, but apart from that would this work?

[Peps]

Did you try it?Does it work?