Strava Art: Cyclists Get Creative

Strava Art has been around for a while. But with social-distancing rules in place across the country, more folks are getting into the game.

Creativity During Quarantine

With many cities under varying levels of lock-down and USA Cycling canceling race and event permits through May, cyclists have had to find creative ways to keep fit and entertained. Many have turned to Zwift racing (something I still find abhorrent), indoor bodyweight exercises or yoga, and a myriad of Instagram fitness challenges. But for those of us who crave riding outdoors, there are still ways of doing so responsibly and self-sufficiently while also getting your creative juices flowing: Strava Art.

During NYC’s quarantine, my teammate happened to be poking around BikeReg to see what other local promoters were doing, and noticed that Connecticut based Stage 1 Cycling Team was organizing a “Go Paint US a Picture” Strava Art competition. He shared the discovery on our team Slack and we all thought it was a really cool idea.

The competition is open to all, and the entry fees will be split among the selected winners and STAGE 1 Cycling to support the team’s non-profit activities, including junior development, grassroots fun, trail maintenance and advocacy, and competitive events. You have until 6pm, Sunday April 12th to submit your entries by: 1) registering on https://www.bikereg.com/go-paint-us-a-picture and joining this public Strava Challenge. There will be a winner for “Most Creative”, “Biggest/Bestest”, and “Best Overall.”

As it turns out, other folks across the country are also doing this. Velo News reported that coaches for Colorado’s Boulder Junior Cycling program encouraged their athletes to use their rides to sketch out pictures on their respective Strava accounts as a way to keep them motivated & engaged. Right on!

My Own “Works Of Art”

Having dabbled in very rudimentary Strava Art on my own in the past, I naturally was excited to participate. Here are a few of my early entries, including some out-takes. Set your expectations low, people. But don’t worry, my masterpiece is yet to come. Check back in a couple of weeks for the big reveal. I hope I can pull it off!

The Master

Strava Art is pretty hard to execute well. You have to spend some time planning your route by studying a map (Strava heatmaps is a great tool for this), then meticulously mapping out your route (I use Ride With GPS), and noting any “weird things”, including mid-block u-turns, double backs, or salmoning (going the wrong way down a one-way street). GPS units tend to be glitchy—oftentimes re-routing you if it doesn’t like where you’re going—and it’s hard to keep track of what you’ve already done, so having a backup cue-sheet and picture of the map you planned is crucial. Also, GPS doodling in NYC is especially challenging due to our streets being planned on a grid. This makes it very difficult to incorporate curves or diagonal lines. But, there are some tricks I’ve learned from GPS doodling legend, Stephen Lund.

While I’m sure there were others before him, Stephen Lund has made quite a name for himself and put Strava Art on the map (pun intended). His collection of self-professed “GPS doodles” is nothing short of a masterpiece. I’ve been a fan since the beginning. Below are just a handful of my personal favorites from Stephen’s collection.

If you read through Stephen Lund’s blog, you’ll quickly get a sense for the amount of creativity, map-reading proficiency, patience, and technical savvy one needs to be able to execute one of his large works of art. But you don’t have to be super fast, fit, or have a fancy bike to create Strava Art. You just have to be willing to flex some of those thinking muscles, draw your route, and head out on your solo mission in the name of art.

Stephen’s TEDx talk:

We hope you and your loved ones are and stay well, and are finding your own creative ways to get through these difficult times.