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HOW DO I STOP COMPARING MYSELF TO OTHERS ON STRAVA?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The rider deflated by the feed

You finish a good ride feeling great, open Strava, and suddenly feel slow.

The data-driven amateur

You love the numbers but the comparison is starting to steal the joy.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Strava is brilliant and it's a trap, often in the same ride. You can do a genuinely strong session, feel fantastic, then open the app and watch someone smash your time on a segment — and the good feeling evaporates. That's not a fitness problem, it's a comparison problem, and it quietly drains the motivation that got you out the door in the first place.

The sport psychology Anthony has covered on the podcast, with people like Erin Ayala, keeps landing on the same distinction: extrinsic motivation — beating others, chasing the leaderboard — burns bright and burns out, while intrinsic motivation tied to your own goals and progress is what actually keeps riders consistent for years. And Dr Michael Gervais's point about managing the inner voice applies directly: the comparison isn't really about the other rider, it's about the story you tell yourself when you see their number. You can choose a better story.

Practically, the data is still useful — just point it at yourself. Is your power up on this climb versus last year? Are your easy rides getting easier? That's the scoreboard that matters. Half those leaderboard times were set with a tailwind, in a group, on a different bike, by someone whose life looks nothing like yours. Ride your ride, use the numbers that are actually yours, and let the rest be other people's business.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Erin AyalaSport psychologist
Extrinsic motivation — chasing comparison and external validation — is fragile and fades, while intrinsic motivation tied to personal goals and progress is what sustains athletes long term. Anchoring to your own development protects both performance and enjoyment.
Hear it: How To increase Your Motivation | Erin Ayala
Dr Michael GervaisHigh-performance psychologist
The damage from comparison comes from the inner narrative it triggers, not the external fact. Learning to notice and reframe that self-talk is what lets athletes stay confident and focused on what they can control.
Hear it: Beating Negative Thoughts: Why 99% Fail and How You Won't | Dr Gervais

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Track your own trend, not the leaderboard
Review your power on key climbs and your times over months, comparing yourself to your past self. That trend is the only comparison that reflects your actual progress.
Remember the hidden context
Before a segment time stings, recall what it doesn't show: wind, draft, equipment, the rider's training age and how much of their life is spent training. You're comparing a number, not a like-for-like effort.
Curate the feed
Mute or hide accounts and segments that consistently leave you deflated. You can keep the connection and the training data without the daily ego hit.
Set process goals you control
Define success by what you do — sessions completed, easy rides kept easy, consistency held — not by where you land on a leaderboard you can't control.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEJudging your fitness by other riders' segment times.
FIXCompare to your own past data. Leaderboard times hide wind, draft, equipment and the other rider's whole context.
MISTAKEChasing KOMs as your main source of motivation.
FIXExtrinsic chasing burns out. Anchor to intrinsic goals — your own progress — which keeps you consistent for years, not weeks.
MISTAKELetting the feed dictate how you feel after a good ride.
FIXCurate it. Mute what deflates you, and judge the ride on your own effort and trend, not on someone else's number.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why does Strava make me feel slow?

Because it surfaces other riders' best efforts next to yours without the context — wind, draft, equipment, training history. Comparing your normal ride to someone's ideal-conditions KOM is never like-for-like, so it distorts how your own progress actually looks.

Should I quit Strava to stop comparing?

You don't have to. For many riders, curating the feed and reframing the data — tracking their own trend instead of the leaderboard — fixes the problem while keeping the useful training history and community. Quitting is an option if curating isn't enough.

How do I use Strava without the ego hit?

Point the data at yourself: your power on a climb versus last year, your times trending over months. Use kudos for connection, mute what deflates you, and treat segments as a personal benchmark rather than a competition with strangers.

Is comparison ever useful for motivation?

Briefly and occasionally, comparison can light a fire — but as a daily diet it erodes intrinsic motivation, which is what sustains training long term. Use others as loose inspiration, anchor your actual goals to your own progress.

Why do I feel worse after a good ride when I check the app?

Because comparison overrides your own felt sense of the effort. You knew the ride was strong until a number reframed it. Notice that the feeling came from the story, not the ride, and let your own experience stand.

How do I keep motivation that lasts?

Tie it to reasons that are yours — getting fitter than last year, finishing an event, enjoying the riding itself. Intrinsic motivation is far more durable than chasing leaderboards, which is why riders who focus inward tend to stay consistent for years.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

How To increase Your Motivation | Erin Ayala

Beating Negative Thoughts: Why 99% Fail and How You Won't | Dr Gervais

Emotional Blocks & Cycling Performance | Roadman Cycling Podcast