Garmin vs. Strava: Ride with GPS asked for Comment and…
Strava’s monumental bust-up with its greatest ally and partner, Garmin, has left most industry commentators shaking their heads in disbelief. The story boils down to Strava not wanting to put the Garmin logo on some workout data.
Strava vs. Garmin – Strava sets the record straight. (Except it doesn’t) – Rant #1
Let’s look at this spat from a different perspective. I’ll be nice and call it a spat…it’s more than that really.
The nearest rival to Strava is Ride with GPS. They have segments, heatmaps, and great integrations with Garmin and all the other key sports devices. Oh, and they have route creation and route sharing tools that, if anything, I would argue are slightly easier and more convenient to use than the similar ones offered by Strava.
Surely now is the time for them to jump on top of the tallest building and shout loudly to any cyclist who cares to listen? “Come to us, we’re great…and we like Garmin”
That’s what I thought, and so I asked RwGPS for comment. RwGPS very specifically and clearly stated they had no comment on “Strava, segments, or heatmaps.” Fair enough. I was hoping for a story, but it’s probably wise to keep your head below the battlements when ordnance is flying around.
RwGPS did offer this snippet of a general quote as some solace to my efforts:
Our community enjoys seamless integration with Garmin devices, allowing riders to wirelessly send routes to their Garmin units and automatically sync recorded rides back to their Ride with GPS account. Our mobile app also supports pairing with Garmin Varia radar units for real-time traffic awareness, providing on-screen visual alerts and audible chimes to enhance safety while navigating or recording rides. We value these integrations with Garmin and do not anticipate any changes to it. [Prentice, CMO RwGPS]
Take Out
2025 has been a blockbuster year for sports tech. Even if Garmin were the only company in this field, it has produced enough good news tech stories (and a few salacious ones). In addition to tech stories, there has been legal intrigue from Apple vs. Massimo, Suunto vs. Garmin, and even Peloton transitioning its CEO.
But the Stravs vs. Garmin story is the daddy of them all. Two of the most prominent companies in sports tech are at loggerheads.
Where the dust settles, no one knows.
Someone could get sacked in a day or so, and everything could return to normal, or Garmin could turn off the workouts pipe to Strava. Bam. Strava is finished, and Ride with GPS could be there to pick up the pieces.
Top Tip: get your RwGPS account set up now, and get your data syncing…just in case 😉
More: Ride with GPS main site (not affiliated)
Komoot confirms, ” We don’t want any new customers” in ridiculous pricing move
With 20 years of testing Garmin wearables and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, I provide expert insights into fitness tech, helping athletes and casual users make informed choices.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who follows, subscribes or Buys Me A Coffee ❤️ Alternatively, please buy the reviewed product from my partners. Thank you! All articles are human-written, fact-checked, and verified for originality using Grammarly’s AI and plagiarism tools. See the Editorial Policy for details. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: Links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 
