Manage Segments
Segments are the routes your participants will ride. This guide explains how to manage them.
What's a Segment?
A segment is a defined route on Strava—usually a hill, climb, or scenic stretch of road. It has:
- A name ("Lookout Mountain", "Main Street Hill", etc.)
- A distance (e.g., 2.5 miles)
- An average grade (steepness: 6.5%)
- A location (city, state)
When you create an event, you specify a segment. Participants then ride that segment and compete for the best time.
Where Do Segments Come From?
Segments are created by the Strava community. If a popular route doesn't have a segment yet, users can create one on Strava. Then you can use it in WMV events.
You don't create segments—Strava does. You just reference them by ID.
Finding Segment IDs
To use a segment in an event, you need its Strava segment ID.
Method 1: From Strava Website
- Go to Strava.com
- Search for the segment (e.g., "Lookout Mountain")
- Look at the URL:
https://www.strava.com/segments/SEGMENT_ID - Copy the number
Example:
- URL:
https://www.strava.com/segments/23456789 - ID:
23456789
Method 2: From a Participant's Activity
- Ask a participant to share an activity with that segment
- Click on the segment within their activity
- Get the ID from the URL
Method 3: Search in Segment Manager
If a segment is already in your system, search the manager to find its ID.
Managing Segments (Admin Panel)
Go to "Manage Segments" to view, search, and add segments.
View Segments
You'll see a list of all segments you've used. For each, you can see:
- Name - Official Strava name
- Distance - Length of the segment
- Grade - Average steepness (%)
- Location - City, state, country
- Last Used - When this segment was used in an event
Add a New Segment
- Click "Add Segment"
- Paste the Strava Segment ID (just the number)
- Click "Validate"
The system will:
- Look up the segment on Strava
- Fetch its metadata (name, distance, grade, location)
- Save it to your database
If valid, it's now available for creating events.
Search Segments
Use the search box to find a segment:
- By name ("Lookout Mountain")
- By ID ("23456789")
- By location ("Colorado", "Denver")
Update Segment Data
Click "Refresh" to update a segment's metadata (in case Strava made changes).
Or click "Refresh All" to update every segment at once.
Why Cache Segments?
The app stores (caches) segment information for two reasons:
- Performance - Segments load instantly when creating events (no API calls)
- Reliability - If Strava is temporarily down, your segments still work
Cached data is refreshed periodically to stay current.
Choosing Good Segments
When planning your event schedule, pick segments that:
✅ Good Choices
- Popular on Strava - Many athletes know them
- Challenging but doable - Appropriate for your skill level
- Varied - Different segments keep things fresh
- Local - Routes your community rides regularly
- Have good metadata - Name, distance, and grade are clear
❌ Avoid
- Too short - Segments that are <0.5 miles are easy to abandon
- Too long - Segments >5 miles may be exhausting for weekly events
- Obscure - Segments with 0 leaderboard activity
- Dangerous - Heavy traffic, poor conditions, unsafe descents
- Extremely steep - 15%+ grades exclude many riders
Segment Verification
When you add a segment, the system verifies it exists on Strava.
Verification Requires
At least one participant connected to their Strava account (so the system can look it up).
If verification fails:
- Segment doesn't exist on Strava
- Segment ID is incorrect
- Strava API is temporarily down
Try again or double-check the ID.
Pro Tips
Seasonal Planning
Plan your whole season's segments in advance:
- Create all segments before the season starts
- Ensures variety and prevents duplicates
- Lets participants prepare and train
Segment Rotation
Keep things interesting by rotating segments:
- Week 1: Lookout Mountain (climbing)
- Week 2: Valley Loop (distance)
- Week 3: Main Street (speed)
- Week 4: State Park (scenic)
Local Favorites
Stick with segments your community knows. Familiar routes feel competitive.
Difficulty Curve
Mix easy, medium, and hard:
- Make early weeks doable
- Ramp up difficulty mid-season
- Finals can be the hardest
FAQ
Q: Can I delete a segment? A: Not from the manager (it's in your history). You can stop using it in new events.
Q: What if a segment disappears on Strava? A: Your cached data stays. The event still works, but Strava won't recognize new attempts. Avoid deleted segments.
Q: Can I use the same segment twice? A: Yes! Riding the same segment multiple weeks is fine. Just keep it interesting with different rep requirements.
Q: How do I know if a segment is good for a race? A: Check Strava:
- Look at leaderboards - is it popular?
- Check if community standards exist
- Read recent activity comments - is it safe?
- Verify weather/conditions are typical
Q: Can I suggest new segments? A: Ask your community to create them on Strava first. Then add them to WMV.
Next: Troubleshooting →
Or go back to Fetch Results →