Strava Segments: Why They're Hidden, Their Purpose, and User Implications

Why are there hidden segments on Strava?

Hidden segments on Strava primarily exist to enhance user privacy and safety, prevent unfair competition, and maintain the overall quality and integrity of the platform's vast segment database.

Understanding Strava Segments

Strava, a leading social fitness network, allows users to record their activities (running, cycling, swimming, etc.) and share them with a community. A core feature of the platform is the "segment."

• What is a Strava Segment? A segment is a pre-defined section of road or trail, created by users, where athletes can compare their performance against others who have completed the same route. These can range from short sprints to challenging climbs or long flat sections.
• The Competitive Element: Segments foster a unique competitive environment, allowing users to vie for "King of the Mountain" (KOM) or "Queen of the Mountain" (QOM) titles, or simply track their personal bests (PRs) over time. This gamified aspect is a significant draw for many athletes.

The Concept of "Hidden" Segments

While most segments are publicly viewable and competitive, a subset exists that is not readily accessible or visible to the general Strava community. These are colloquially known as "hidden" segments.

• What Does "Hidden" Mean on Strava? On Strava, a "hidden" segment typically refers to a segment that does not appear in public segment leaderboards, search results, or on the general map view for other users. While an athlete's activity might still show they completed a hidden segment if it overlaps their route, their specific time on that segment will not be publicly ranked or discoverable.
• Public vs. Private vs. Hidden:
  • Public Segments: Visible to everyone, with public leaderboards.
  • Private Segments: Created by a user and explicitly marked as private. Only the creator can see and compete on their private segments.
  • Hidden Segments (Community-Level): These are segments that exist on the platform but have been made inaccessible to the general public, often due to specific rules or actions taken by Strava itself or the segment creator's settings that impact public visibility. This is distinct from a user's activity being private; it refers to the segment itself.

Primary Reasons for Hidden Segments

The existence of hidden segments is a deliberate design choice by Strava, driven by several key factors aimed at improving the user experience and platform integrity.

• Privacy and Safety Concerns:
  • Residential Areas: Segments that start or end directly at private residences, or are exclusively within very small residential loops, can pose a privacy risk. Publicly displaying these could inadvertently reveal personal addresses or patterns of activity, potentially leading to safety issues like stalking or burglaries.
  • Sensitive Locations: Segments through highly private areas (e.g., within private compounds, certain workplaces, or restricted government property) are often hidden to respect privacy and security protocols.
• Preventing Cheating and Unfair Competition:
  • Segment Tampering: Some users might create very short or oddly shaped segments specifically designed to gain KOMs/QOMs through GPS glitches, unrealistic speeds, or by cutting corners. Hiding such "junk" segments prevents them from cluttering leaderboards and undermining legitimate competition.
  • Unwanted Data Collection: In certain niche scenarios, segments might be created for specific data collection purposes by a small group, without the intent of public competition. Hiding them ensures their specific use is maintained.
• Maintaining Segment Quality and Integrity:
  • Avoiding "Junk" Segments: Strava aims for a high-quality segment database. Segments that are too short, have poor GPS data, cross busy intersections, or are otherwise poorly designed often get hidden to maintain the overall utility and enjoyment of the segment feature.
  • Focusing on Legitimate Routes: By hiding problematic segments, Strava encourages users to create and compete on well-defined, safe, and meaningful sections of road or trail.
• Developer and User Testing: Occasionally, segments might be created for internal testing by Strava developers or for specific beta testing by users. These segments are typically hidden to avoid confusion or premature exposure to the wider community.
• Event-Specific or Temporary Segments: For certain events or challenges, temporary segments might be created. Once the event concludes, these might be hidden or removed to clean up the database.

How Segments Become Hidden

Segments can become hidden through various mechanisms, reflecting both user control and platform oversight.

• Creator's Choice: When a user creates a segment, they have the option to make it private, which effectively hides it from public view. While not "hidden" in the broader community sense, it serves a similar purpose for the creator.
• Strava's Automatic Flagging: Strava employs algorithms that can detect segments that meet certain criteria for being problematic (e.g., unusually short, starting/ending in suspicious locations, or having an abnormally high number of unrealistic speeds). These segments can be automatically flagged and hidden.
• Manual Intervention by Strava Staff: Users can report segments that they believe violate Strava's community guidelines or are otherwise inappropriate. Strava staff review these reports and can manually hide segments if they deem it necessary, particularly for privacy, safety, or quality control reasons.

Implications for Strava Users

The presence of hidden segments has several implications for the average Strava user.

• Reduced Competitive Opportunities: Users might occasionally ride over a segment without realizing it exists or that their performance isn't being publicly ranked. This limits the scope of public competition.
• Enhanced User Safety: By hiding segments in sensitive locations, Strava contributes to the overall safety and privacy of its users, mitigating potential risks associated with public data.
• Improved Data Reliability: The hiding of "junk" segments means that the segments users do see and compete on are generally of higher quality, based on more reliable GPS data, and represent more legitimate competitive challenges.

Navigating Strava's Segment Ecosystem

Understanding why segments are hidden helps users better appreciate and utilize the Strava platform.

• Respecting Privacy Settings: As a user, it's crucial to be mindful of your own activity privacy settings and to avoid creating segments that infringe on the privacy or safety of others.
• Reporting Inappropriate Segments: If you encounter a segment that seems to violate Strava's guidelines (e.g., a segment through a private residence), utilize the reporting feature to help maintain the integrity of the platform.
• Focusing on Personal Progress: While competition is fun, remember that Strava is also a powerful tool for tracking your personal fitness journey. Hidden segments don't prevent you from logging your own progress over any route.

Ultimately, hidden segments are a necessary component of Strava's commitment to providing a safe, fair, and high-quality experience for its global community of athletes.