I was going to ask the same question too.

Not going to go premium with Strava so will need to find a work around for plotting explorer routes.
You can download the KML file for the squares data, its which planning resource to use?

Well, I'm a paid-up Strava subscriber and even that doesn't help at this stage.
Subscriber or not - there is no Explorer overlay in the routing.

Cheers for the KML tip, I hadn't thought of trying that.

Very quick response from Ben @ V-V. He sounds busy

He pointed to this post on his FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/VeloViewer/pos ... 0676728677

To summarise:
Unlikely to be getting the overlay back in the short term, but there are a couple of tips to make life a little easier.

This is TERRIBLE news.

In Reverse wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 1:11 am This is TERRIBLE news.

but I agreee

Am I right in thinking that to generate the KML file you need to use the Chrome extension and use the Strava plotter anyway? So it'll work for the KML file but not for actually plotting routes?

I wonder if a GPX track could be exported of max square etc, you could then set the track width to thin and drop it into ViewRanger for example to then plot a route, not ideal but could provide a solution, squares are the only reason I started using Strava it’s a shame they have made things difficult.
Although the overlay was useful I think Strava route builder is very poor, especially for anything off-road, the lack of any useful mapping a particular handicap.

Would that show you where each square is though?

The route builder with the extension was excellent for picking a route that wiggled down a border so in one slightly wiggly route you pick up squares either side

I was sort of doing this before the VVE squares were avail able on Strava by using Basecamp.

Look at the VV map to determine where the squares are.

Draw them as a track on Basecamp (a series of straight lines like a grid pattern)

Create a route on Basecamp that took me to the required squares.

That’s what I meant, one GPX for the grid then another for visited squares, in ViewRanger I can alter the colour and thickness of the track which would lend some clarity. To be honest for me this would be easier than Strava

Not going to go premium with Strava

Yes it was a weird e-mail £4 a month for what exactly ? its not even close to good value for money - not sure i would pay more than £1 per month for what they offer tbh- its basically just stops me doing spreadsheets and other free options are available,
Now on this point what does VV offer re leader boards and comparing my previous times etc ? Not that much detail on the website but a tenner seems pretty reasonable

NO FB links please as I dont use it or go there as i think the owner is verging on a bond villain

I've started the 60 day trial. Basically the features I really wanted were VV explorer and the ability to download GPX files from myself and others.
I wont be keeping it though as it seems very biased towards roadies who care about leaderboards.

Generally I like to see my weekly and yearly totals, interested to see how my fitness levels / speed is against my past self. I'm sure there will be another way of doing this. Otherwise, I actually think it may be quite nice to ride without recording what I am doing for a while.

Strava subscriptions do give a bit more than just the leaderboards - there is a feature where you can text home and they can see you "live" so they know where you are (not sure if this is all Garmins, but it's on the 1030 and the phone app offers it). Plus there's some good training features, if you want that sort of thing.

In my head it's worth £4/ month, I waste far more than that on stuff I never use or could easily cut down on (fuels, car parks etc etc)

Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 1:02 pm Now on this point what does VV offer re leader boards and comparing my previous times etc ? Not that much detail on the website but a tenner seems pretty reasonable

Nothing. It relies on Strava for this, though presents it in a slightly different format.

Do you use a Garmin?

EDIT: I have one but i dont use it unless i need the mapping [ i have a tiny lightweight GPS [non garmin and no longer supported for uploads if i just want time distance/speed averages etc ]

Its seems pretty expensive to me at £50 per annum - OS maps are what £2 per month as a comparison - and I suspect i can get the features i need for cheaper than that if not free Garmin connect for example

Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 3:02 pm EDIT: I have one but i dont use it unless i need the mapping [ i have a tiny lightweight GPS [non garmin and no longer supported for uploads if i just want time distance/speed averages etc ]

Its seems pretty expensive to me at £50 per annum - OS maps are what £2 per month as a comparison - and I suspect i can get the features i need for cheaper than that if not free Garmin connect for example

Yeah - that's why I asked if you use a Garmin (though you could obviously import any GPX file).

I'm having a play with Garmin currently. I think without explorer I only really want to know my weekly / monthly / yearly mileage and elevation. If I can do that without Strava and its leaderboards that would work for me.

yes thinking the same - its not like I top the leader boards or i would miss my non existent KOM's

Without turning this into a Strava bashing thread

Looks like you can't use the route builder in Strava now unless you are a subscriber. The VV overlay hasn't worked for me for a while now, could be one of the other browser plugins I have that doesn't play nice with it.

I think VV is a favoured Strava third party so they'll be working to solve whatever problem these updates have caused.

VV does yearly totals by each bike you've set up in Strava, if you filter by bike then when you look at the Explorer square map you just see what squares you've visited with that bike I think other data like the Eddington number also reflect the filter but would need to check.

If you want to geek out on speed/fitness and the like have a look at intervals.icu, it's free but you can make donations if you wish (I don't have anything to do with the site, I'm just a user)

I think you can delve a little too deep down the rabbit hole without an actual watt meter.My commute times to work range from 1 hr 2 min to 1 hr 48
I assure you the cause was a ferocious head wind rather than a massive loss of fitness
Just a bit miffed with strava - i could be persuaded to pay but it seems steep for what it is. [ I only pay £5 for my phone contract for example]
[ I will stop now but wish you could do a better demo of veloviewer as it took my data from when i did an ITT so was a bit pointless]

Reading between the lines VV has good relationship with Strava with 70% of users already being subscribers to Strava.

Without Strava, VV wouldn’t exist, and I’m sure that Ben won’t want to bite the hand that feeds him, so I wouldn’t be expecting and data input/export that isn’t solely linked to Strava.

Ben is looking for someone who has the coding experience to get the tile extension to work if someone’s looking for a Javascript programming project?

Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 7:31 pm Just a bit miffed with strava - i could be persuaded to pay but it seems steep for what it is. [ I only pay £5 for my phone contract for example]

Yeah, for my use I'd be willing to pay a little but not as much as they are looking for. I can see that it makes sense for the folk who are seriously into "training" but, judging by the folk I follow, they are pretty much all subscribers already.

TBH I'd be happy if VeloViewer just picked up a feed from Garmin Connect. That would avoid the need for Strava at all.

whitestone wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 7:19 pm If you want to geek out on speed/fitness and the like have a look at intervals.icu, it's free but you can make donations if you wish (I don't have anything to do with the site, I'm just a user)

This looks ace, and hadn't heard of it before. Thanks

whitestone wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 7:19 pm Without turning this into a Strava bashing thread

Strava are in a difficult position. They have given away too much for free and people now expect that and complain that they are reducing the features for non-subscribers, but they need to increase their income or cease to exist.

Despite the massive number of users they don't make a profit. They have staff to pay and servers to run and the only income is from subscribers.

There is no such thing as 'free', we pay for all websites one way or another, Facebook is free as they sell your data and don't forget they get to keep all your posts and pictures even if you leave.

Garmin connect isn't free, it's run by garmin who make their money selling devices. You pay for this when you but a new Edge but it's not itemised out, The cost of running connect just comes out of garmin's income. If you don't use connect you've helped pay for it for no reward.

I'm amazed Strava has lasted this long as they have made a loss year after year. There are no adverts, they are upfront about privacy and make it easy to protect yours and if you leave they delete all of your data. Not many websites can say that.

I don't have any problem paying for Services (like Veloviewer) but it comes down to VFM. It always seemed that Strava was more aimed at the "serious" training folk, especially roadies. A cheaper, social-only, Strava subscription would have worked for me and they'd have got some income rather than none. Given the figures I've seen regarding income and number of subscribers, I reckon that would have been a more profitable option.