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Segment analysis

Segment Analysis is the deep-dive page for any public Strava segment. Paste a segment URL, get a tactical breakdown — the kind of thing that should already exist in Strava but doesn't.

How to analyze a segment

  1. Find the segment on Strava (search, click through from a friend's activity, or pull it from an event page).
  2. Copy the URL from your browser: https://www.strava.com/segments/1234567.
  3. Paste it into the Segment Analysis field on your dashboard and hit Analyze.

The page builds in about 1–3 seconds.

You don't need a Strava-connected account for this. Guest and Email users can analyze any public segment.

What's on the analysis page

1. Interactive map

The full segment trace is drawn on a Leaflet map with start and finish flags. The map supports satellite overlay, terrain layer, and full zoom-and-pan. Useful for reconnaissance — you can scout the corner geometry before you ride.

2. Elevation and gradient profile

The heart of the page. Two synced charts:

  • Elevation profile — altitude vs. distance, smoothed.
  • Gradient bars — color-coded per 50 m slice:
    • Green: < 4% (easy)
    • Yellow: 4–7% (sustained climbing)
    • Orange: 7–10% (hard)
    • Red: 10–15% (very hard)
    • Dark red: > 15% (wall)

Hover any point on either chart and the map highlights that exact location. You can immediately see where the kick is, where the false flat is, where the corner is.

3. Key stats

Metric What it means
Distance Length of the segment
Elevation gain Total ascent from start to finish
Average gradient Gain ÷ distance
Max gradient Steepest 50 m slice
Category HC / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 (see Climbs)
Top speed Fastest section across all efforts
Effort count Times anyone has ridden it

4. Leaderboard preview

The current top efforts on the segment, with each rider's time, average power (if public), and date. Useful for sanity-checking whether your goal time is competitive or aspirational.

5. Personal efforts (Strava users only)

If you have a Strava-connected account and you've ridden the segment, your past efforts appear in a separate panel with:

  • Best time + date.
  • Trend line of your last 10 attempts.
  • Power and HR averages per attempt (if available).

6. GPX download

Download the segment as a GPX. Useful for:

  • Uploading to your Garmin / Wahoo as a structured workout target.
  • Sharing with a friend who isn't on Strava.
  • Importing into a route in the Route Planner.

Use cases

  • Pre-ride scouting — "I'm doing this Gran Fondo in three weeks; let me look at the queen climb."
  • Goal setting — see the current 10th-place time and target it.
  • Pacing — know in advance where the steep kick is so you don't blow up halfway.
  • Coaching — share the link with a coach for a structured workout target.

Limitations

  • Public segments only. Strava's API doesn't expose private segments to third parties, by design.
  • No live timing. PeakLine doesn't replace Strava's segment matching during a ride. The analysis is for before or after.
  • Some very long segments time out. Segments above ~50 km may not return full streams. Most are fine.

See also