Strava has implemented the Best Efforts feature, previously only available for runners, to its cycling training profiles.
The Ride version of Best Efforts is available today for Strava Premium subscribers and will show best efforts in distance, elevation gain, climbs, interval time and power. Unfortunately for free users, it is only for paid subscribers, just like Best Efforts for Run. Still, Strava is one of our best fitness apps and cyclists may find this another reason to pay for the premium version.
According to a Strava press release, 77% of active cyclists achieved a Best Effort in 2023 and 33% in February 2024. Much like Best Efforts for running, the Ride version of the feature can be viewed “near the bottom of the athlete's 'You' page in the Strava mobile app.”
The feature “synthesizes cycling data to help the rider contextualize progress and performance” by listing an athlete's three best efforts in the five categories above. Best Efforts arrived for runners in 2023 and Strava says the feature has been “widely adopted.”
Analysis: How does it work?
The easiest way to think of your best efforts is as your own list of “high scores” throughout your cycling history. That means you can always see, for example, your three best 10km run times, but also know when you've beaten them.
If you're worried about missing out on your best times and stats, since the feature has just been introduced, Strava says your activity will be scanned retroactively to detect your best efforts.
While the Best Efforts feature won't be new to runners, you will need some additional technology to get the most out of it as a cyclist. That is, you will need a power meter, which is used to measure the force with which you press the pedals. These work with your phone to add an extra metric that Strava can track and are different from things like heart rate or speedometers that react to your movements.
They can even measure how much time you spend sitting or standing while pedaling, making them a great tool for triathlon athletes to calculate drop from other exercises.
