Strava user Murphy's proposal (Image via Strava)
A love-struck San Franciscan has turned to ride-tracking app Strava to ask for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage.
From the saddle of his bike, Californian user Murphy M. pedaled an 18-mile route around San Francisco depicting a large heart containing the words ‘Marry me Emily’.
The lover’s ride took him an hour and 20 minutes, burning 749 calories in the process: a healthy 100 calories more than a slice of wedding cake, according to Fitness First estimates.
Murphy was not the only cyclist to use the app as an impromptu proposition tool this winter. Over on America’s East Coast, in North Carolina Strava user Steven H. mapped a ride titled ‘A question for Caroline!’
Steven’s ride was not quite as aesthetically pleasing as his West Coast counterpart. However, both rides received the desired responses from the riders' significant others in the comment section, and we hope in real life too.
Strava’s statistics for 2013 revealed that its riders spend the least amount of time in the saddle, ride slower and ride shorter distances in January than they do in any other month. So, maybe we’ll see even more elaborate, artistic or at least more articulate proposals in the coming months as rides get longer.
GPS art is a growing phenomenon, and while proposals through apps like Strava and MapMyRide are not yet commonplace, GPS bike artists have been around a while. Arguably the leading exponent of the artform over the last few years has been New York based science teacher WallyGPX, we've followed him for a while - here's a story from 2012 if you're interested.
Elliot joined team road.cc bright eyed, bushy tailed, and straight out of university.
Raised in front of cathode ray tube screens bearing the images of Miguel Indurain and Lance Armstrong, Elliot's always had cycling in his veins.
His balance was found on a Y-framed mountain bike around South London suburbs in the 90s, while his first taste of freedom came when he claimed his father's Giant hybrid as his own at age 16.
When Elliot's not writing for road.cc about two-wheeled sustainable transportation, he's focussing on business sustainability and the challenges facing our planet in the years to come.