How to rise my VeloViewer Score ?

During my holidays, I try to rise my Veloviewer score to challenge myself. Here are a few tips to improve the VV score.

Step 1 : the velo viewer score

• Understand how the VV score is built. It’s based on your ranking in non descending segments. The average gradient on the segment must be greater than -0,25%. Then, the equation is this one according to Bens’ FAQ : Position Score = ( [K/QOM Athlete Count] + 1 – [Your Position] ) * 100 / ( [K/QOM Athlete Count] + 1 ). Hence, if I’m first out of 34 people  : (34+1-1) * 100 / 35 = 97,14
• Understanding the score is a good path to figure out that the best is to fight on popular segments. With the limit that you may have popular segment because you rode a pro tour climb or an international marathon. (Pro tip : ride on Zwift +++)
• Try to reach a minimum of 400 segments. VV takes into account your 25% best segments. I think it’s easier to keep 100 good segments when you do plenty of ’em. Because I’ve you’ve got few segments, the not so competitive ones get quicker involved in your VV score maths.
  • Big cities, popular holidays area, lakes, mountains, climbs, along the river there are usually segments
  • The Strava Segment explorer is not super handy but it’s a common way to find segments.
  • Do not create segments in your calm country area, because the athlete count will be low, so it’s much harder to get a > 95 score

2) Take action with VeloViewer to find the right segments for you

• Use VV to find the nearest segments you’ve already done :
  • Open VV using https://veloviewer.com and authorize localization
  • Go to Segments
  • Choose scoring segments only
  • Go to the left to the « Dist away km » colum and click on it to sort it out. (Thanks Patrick !)
  • You can use the Ride or Run filter according to your speciality

• I use to check the KOMs’ pace on the segment distance to find out if I can aim for the KOM according to my fitness.
• You can also export your segment datas in CSV to make some data dredging :
  • Find the most popular segments
  • Eliminate those from the big events you’ve done (Etape du Tour, Major Marathons, etc)
  • Eliminate the segments you’ve done when traveling abroad
  • Find the segments when you’ve got some potential to improve according to your fitness and speciality : short, long, steep, etc.
  • Find the segments where your score is below your minimum counting score, which are close to your place and with a quite good ranking you’d be able to improve (top 25% ?)
• My procedure for the data analysis is this one with Excel :
  • Import segment.csv in a spreadsheet
  • Clean it : remove the columns you don’t need to sort your datas
  • Find the nearest segments
  • Show your KOM, then give them a special color in the spreadsheet or hide them
  • Select your runs only in a 10 km range around your place
  • Sort your segments to show the most popular segments
  • Highlight segments with more than an hundred people
  • Highlight segments with score < your minimum VV counting score (you can find it on your summary page below your VV score)
  • Then, I go to http://www.strava.com/segments/###### where ###### is the activity number. I first look if the KOM is in a possible pace range (ride vs run issue), then I star the segment for later.

3) Go hard on the segment !

• Find the right timeframe to compete on your segment, early in the morning is often the good spot.
• Being a Premium user gives you the ability to show segments live on your bike computer or even on your watch. Buy a device which shows Strava segment live. The following devices can do live segment display while riding : Edge 510/520/810/820/1000, Wahoo ELEMNT, Mio Cyclo. The Garmin Forerunner 735 XT can display live segments while riding and running. You can also use your phone but I’m not fond of it, in case of crashing, it’s a much more expensive device isn’t it ? UPDATE OCT 2018 : Xert Segment Hunter allows you to monitor a segment effort without being a Strava Premium member but you need to be Xert Premium (1 month free).
• Is drafting a crime ? Friendship is cool but ones best feels better on your own isn’t it ?
• Start a little bit before and stop a little bit further. I’ve missed some good ranks by stopping too early
• Bring Strava friends on segments you’re already first but with few people having already done it 🙂
• Use segment ninja to find which segments to compete according to the weatherforecast (looks dead at the time I’m writing this 🙁 )
• Run as fast as you can the first km of a Major Marathon 😉
• HARDEN THE FUCK UP (Velominati rule #5)