Some things have become so entwined with each other that the thought of them apart is unsettling. Frank and Andy Shleck, Paul and Barry Chuckle, nooks and crannies… So it comes as no real surprise to see that Strava and Garmin have collaborated on the launch of Live Segments.
Segments, for those of you not on Strava (and why not?), are short sections of a ride that you highlight and then compete with others. It can be a climb, flat stretch of road or even a descent. Strava then compares your time through that segment with others and should you be the fastest, Strava declares you the King or Queen of the Mountain. This has turned into a whole new world of KOM or QOM chasing. The problem has been that you’ve not been able to see your success (or otherwise) until you returned home and uploaded your ride to Strava.
Now though you can see your progress in a segment as you ride. Garmin had previously introduced segments onto its Edge computers through its own Garmin Connect service but it never really took off. With Strava segments you can see instantaneous live data with continuous ahead and behind indicators – quite similar to Garmin’s own Virtual Partner. The Edge will also display your current performance against your personal best and the top times of the King or Queen of the Mountain. It can also provide a countdown to the start of a segment and an immediate (provisional) result at the end.
Strava Live Segments will debut on the new Garmin Edge 520 and will then be available on Edge 1000, 810 and 510 devices pending a software update in Autumn. Little is known about the new Edge 520 although we’ve pressed Garmin for more info. Live segments will only be available to atheletes who subscribe to Strava Premium.