Product introduction: look at the same stretch, beyond total time
Two runs may take different amounts of time simply because their routes have different lengths. To review a familiar uphill stretch, first make sure the comparison refers to the same thing.
Strava calls a part of a route with defined start and finish points a Segment. Matching activities can produce segment efforts, and leaderboards separate activity types: runs and rides do not share one leaderboard. Segment guidelines
This article focuses on subscribers’ personal results and Effort Comparison. These tools help reveal differences between records; they do not automatically diagnose training effects. Conditions such as wind, stops and how you felt still need to be understood in the context of that activity.
Core workflow: choose a baseline for two personal efforts
Suppose you already have several activities covering the same segment and want to compare your latest effort with an earlier one. The following workflow mainly uses the Strava website; these detailed comparisons require a subscription.
1. Find a matching segment from an activity
Open an activity and find segments below the map or through Segments on the left. Select the segment and use My Results in the leaderboard to see your history. Results are ordered by segment time, and dates link back to their activities. Viewing personal results
2. Choose the two efforts to compare
Select Compare in an activity’s segment details, or Compare Efforts on the segment page. The initial roster may show you and the segment record holder. Select efforts in the leaderboard below the graph, use the plus sign to add them, and X to remove unwanted entries. Choose your two intended dates and check the roster. Its first entry is the baseline; an up arrow on each entry lets you change it. Comparison entry and baseline
3. Follow the gap, then return to the activity’s context
The chart’s horizontal axis is distance along the segment, while comparison lines show time gaps relative to the baseline. Moving along the chart lets you relate changes in the gap to positions on the map. Afterwards, return to the activity for the selected date to confirm which effort you are considering. Effort Comparison is available only on the website. The mobile Analyze Effort view is a different tool, not an identical entry point. Feature scope
Heart-rate or power charts need the corresponding sensor data in the activity. A speed chart cannot supply a real heart-rate recording that is missing. Data requirements The result is a review with a clear subject and baseline, rather than just a remembered rank.
Design lessons: explain the comparison before the difference
Establish comparability with a stable subject
A fixed segment gives activities the same start-to-finish scope, and the activity type defines the context. That matters before chart styling: a precise time difference between a ride and a run may not answer the original question. For other data products, establish the unit and conditions of comparison before choosing the display.
Make the baseline visible
“Ten seconds faster” needs to say faster than which effort. Showing the baseline in the roster and allowing changes lets users switch from comparing with their best effort to comparing with last week. The tradeoff is that a number changes meaning when its baseline changes. Keep the comparison subjects visible rather than leaving only a prominent number.
Let totals and progress serve different purposes
Total time provides a quick comparison; the chart along the route helps locate where differences developed. Together they support a more specific question about what happened then. A product can provide clues for observation without letting precise-looking charts conceal missing data or unrecorded conditions.