Strava Recordings: Editing on Website, Mobile App, and Specific Scenarios

How Do You Edit a Strava Recording?

Editing a Strava recording is a straightforward process primarily performed through the Strava website or mobile application, allowing users to correct inaccuracies, add details, and adjust privacy settings for their recorded activities.

Introduction

In the realm of fitness tracking, Strava has become an indispensable tool for athletes and enthusiasts alike, providing a platform to log, analyze, and share their training. However, despite the sophistication of GPS devices and mobile apps, recordings are not always perfect. Whether due to a forgotten pause, an accidental start, or simply the desire to add more context, knowing how to edit your Strava activities is crucial for maintaining accurate training logs and maximizing the utility of the platform. This guide will walk you through the process, ensuring your data truly reflects your efforts.

Why Edit a Strava Activity?

There are numerous reasons why you might need to modify a recorded activity on Strava. Common scenarios include:

• Correcting Errors: GPS glitches, accidental pauses, or forgotten stops can lead to inaccurate distance, duration, or elevation data.
• Refining Details: Adding a descriptive title, a detailed description, or photos enhances the narrative of your activity.
• Adjusting Privacy: Changing who can view your activity, hide your starting/ending points, or mark it as private.
• Categorizing Correctly: Changing the sport type (e.g., from "Run" to "Trail Run" or "Cycling" to "Mountain Biking").
• Tracking Gear: Associating the activity with specific shoes or bikes to monitor their mileage.
• Manual Entry: For activities not recorded by GPS, like strength training or swimming, where details need to be input manually.

Editing on the Strava Website (Desktop)

The Strava website offers the most comprehensive editing capabilities.

1. Log In: Navigate to Strava.com and log in to your account.
2. Access Your Activity:
   • From your Dashboard, click on the specific activity you wish to edit.
   • Alternatively, go to "My Activities" from the dropdown menu under your profile picture (top right corner) and select the activity.
3. Initiate Editing: On the activity page, locate and click the Wrench icon (Activity Options) or the Pencil icon (Edit Activity) located on the left side of the activity details.
4. Make Your Edits: A new window or page will appear with various editable fields:
   • Title: Change the name of your activity.
   • Description: Add notes, thoughts, or details about your workout.
   • Sport Type: Select the correct activity type from the dropdown menu (e.g., Run, Ride, Swim, Walk, Hike, Strength Training).
   • Privacy Controls: Adjust who can see your activity (Everyone, Followers, Only You). You can also hide maps, hide start/end points, or mark as a commute.
   • Gear: Assign the activity to specific shoes, bikes, or other equipment you've added to your profile.
   • Photos: Add or remove photos from the activity.
   • Crop: Use the "Crop Activity" tool to trim the start or end of your activity to remove unwanted segments (e.g., forgotten to stop recording).
   • Correct Elevation: If your elevation data seems off, you can click "Correct Elevation" to have Strava re-calculate it using its base map data.
   • Manual Entry: For activities that weren't GPS-recorded, you can manually input distance, duration, and elevation.
5. Save Changes: After making all desired edits, click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page.

Editing on the Strava Mobile App

The Strava mobile app (iOS and Android) provides convenient on-the-go editing options, though with slightly fewer advanced features than the website.

1. Open the App: Launch the Strava app on your smartphone.
2. Access Your Activity:
   • From your Dashboard (feed), tap on the activity you wish to edit.
   • Alternatively, go to the "You" tab (profile icon at the bottom right), scroll to "My Activities," and select the activity.
3. Initiate Editing: On the activity details screen, tap the three dots (...) menu icon (top right corner on iOS, sometimes bottom right on Android) and select "Edit Activity."
4. Make Your Edits: You will be presented with fields to modify:
   • Title: Tap to change the activity name.
   • Description: Tap to add or edit the activity's description.
   • Sport Type: Tap to select the correct sport.
   • Privacy Controls: Tap to adjust visibility options.
   • Gear: Tap to assign gear.
   • Photos: Add or remove photos.
   • Crop: Tap "Crop Activity" to trim the start or end.
   • Manual Entry: If it's a manual entry, you can adjust the details here.
   • Mark as Commute: Toggle this option if applicable.
5. Save Changes: Tap "Save" (or the checkmark icon) in the top right corner to apply your edits.

Specific Editing Scenarios & Tips

• Cropping an Activity: This is invaluable for removing warm-ups/cool-downs that weren't part of the main workout, or instances where you forgot to stop your GPS tracker immediately. The cropping tool allows you to visually select the start and end points of the desired activity segment. Note that cropping permanently removes the data outside the selected range.
• Correcting Sport Type: Accurately categorizing your activity is vital for correct training load calculations, segment matching, and personal records. Always ensure the sport type matches the activity performed.
• Adjusting Privacy Settings: Strava offers granular control over who sees your activities. You can choose "Everyone," "Followers," or "Only You." Additionally, you can hide the start and end points of your activity (Privacy Zones) to protect your home or work address, or hide your map entirely.
• Adding Gear: Tracking the mileage on your running shoes or bike components can help you determine when they need replacement or maintenance, preventing injury or equipment failure.
• Elevation Correction: GPS elevation data can sometimes be inaccurate due to signal interference. Strava's "Correct Elevation" feature uses high-resolution topographic data to provide a more accurate elevation profile for your activity.
• Splitting or Combining Activities: Strava does not natively support splitting one activity into two or combining two activities into one. If you need to do this, you generally have to export the original activity's GPX file, edit it using third-party tools (e.g., GPSies, GpsPrune), and then re-upload the modified files as new activities. This process is more complex and requires technical proficiency.

Limitations and Considerations

While Strava's editing features are robust, there are certain limitations:

• Raw GPS Data: You cannot directly edit the raw GPS points of an activity within Strava. Edits like cropping effectively remove points, but you cannot manually adjust a point's location or add missing points.
• Segment Impact: Editing an activity (especially cropping or correcting sport type) can affect which segments you match and your standing on leaderboards. Be mindful that significant changes might alter your segment achievements.
• Deleted Data: When you crop an activity, the data that is removed is permanently deleted from that specific activity.
• Restoring Previous Versions: Strava does not offer a version history for activities. Once saved, edits overwrite the previous data.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of editing your Strava recordings is an essential skill for any dedicated athlete or fitness enthusiast. It empowers you to maintain a precise and meaningful training log, ensuring that the data reflects your true efforts and provides accurate insights into your progress. By taking a few moments to refine your activities, you transform raw data into a valuable narrative of your fitness journey.