★ Five critical steps: Use Strava to select or create your route (ride segment) · register at ITTCU.org at least 48 hours before · get all your sensors recording · upload activity to Strava within 24 hours · complete record submission with 14 days.
Section 1 — Before You Ride
Create a Strava account at strava.com if you do not already have one. Strava is ITTCU's primary verification platform and is required for all record submissions.
A free Strava account is sufficient if you are riding an existing ITTCU-registered course segment. Free accounts can record activities, match existing segments, and share public activity links — everything needed for submission.
A paid Strava subscription (~$80/year) is required only if you need to create a new course segment for a route not yet registered with ITTCU. Once a segment exists, all future challengers on that course can use a free account.
Leaderboard access is limited on free Strava accounts, but leaderboard visibility is not required for ITTCU submission — only the public activity link and matched segment effort are needed.
Create a free ITTCU account at ittcu.org.
Check the records database to see if a record exists in your target category (first record in a new category is free) and whether an ITTCU-registered Strava segment already exists for your intended course. The segment link is listed alongside each course in the database.
Set up your Strava course segment before registering your attempt:
If an ITTCU-registered segment already exists for your course, you are ready to proceed. Note the segment URL — you will need it during registration.
If no segment exists, you must create one on Strava before registering. A paid Strava account is required to create a segment. Ride the route with your GPS, then create the segment from the activity on strava.com (segment creation is only available on the desktop website, not the mobile app). Set the segment to public visibility.
All new segments must follow ITTCU course rules: out-and-back or closed loop, start and finish within 10% of total distance of each other.
Register your attempt through the portal at ittcu.org at least 48 hours before your planned start. You will select: Strava segment URL · vehicle category · distance or timed format · gender category · age group · surface type.
Pay the applicable fee. The portal detects your category automatically: Free (first record in category) · $10 member · $15 non-member.
Receive your confirmation email with your registration reference number. You can reschedule to any date within the one-year window at no extra cost.
★ Make sure your Strava segment is public before you register. Private segments cannot be verified by ITTCU or future challengers. Note: segment creation requires a paid Strava account and must be done on the desktop website — it is not available in the mobile app.
Section 2 — Setting Up Your Equipment
Mount your GPS head unit (Garmin Edge, Wahoo ELEMNT, Hammerhead Karoo, or equivalent) and confirm it has a full charge and GPS lock before you start.
Confirm your power meter is paired, calibrated, and actively recording. Power data is required and must appear in your Strava activity.
Put on your heart rate monitor. A chest strap or optical sensor is required. Heart rate must appear in your Strava activity.
Confirm your cadence sensor is active and recording. Cadence must appear in your Strava activity.
Start recording your activity on your head unit before you begin riding. Do not start the GPS after the effort has begun.
★ Check your head unit's data fields before you leave: confirm power, heart rate, and cadence are all showing live readings. A missed sensor discovered mid-ride cannot be fixed, and a Strava activity missing required data streams will be rejected.
Section 3 — Your Course
Ride the registered Strava segment. Your GPS track must match the ITTCU-registered segment closely enough for Strava to record a matched effort.
Out-and-back or loop only. Point-to-point courses are not permitted. The finish must be within 10% of the total distance from the start point.
Ride alone. No other competitors may be on the course simultaneously. Brief encounters with other cyclists on public roads are not a violation, provided you do not draft.
Start from a complete standstill. A rolling or moving start is not permitted.
★ Riding a new course for the first time? Do a practice run before your official attempt to confirm your GPS track matches the segment cleanly.
Section 4 — During the Ride
Obey all applicable traffic laws throughout the attempt.
No drafting. Stay at least 30 meters (100 feet) behind motor vehicles and at least 10 meters behind other cyclists.
Support vehicle rules (if used): the vehicle must follow behind you or leapfrog at least 100 meters ahead. It must never shield you from headwinds.
Do not pause or stop your GPS recording during the attempt. A gap in the data track may prevent Strava from recording a matched segment effort.
At the finish, stop your head unit recording and wait for the activity to sync to Strava before closing the app. Confirm the segment effort appears on the activity page.
★ Plan your connectivity before you ride. Your Strava activity must be uploaded within 24 hours of finishing. If you are riding in a remote area, confirm you will have cell service or WiFi access before the deadline.
Section 5 — After You Finish
Upload your Strava activity and set it to public visibility within 24 hours of finishing your attempt. The portal verifies the upload timestamp — activities posted more than 24 hours after the attempt will not be accepted. The rider is responsible for ensuring connectivity.
Confirm the matched segment effort for your ITTCU course appears on the activity page. If the segment did not match, check that your GPS track followed the segment route and contact records@ittcu.org for guidance.
Download your FIT file from Strava using the 'Export Original' option on the activity page. Do not edit or modify the file. This is stored by ITTCU for archival purposes only.
Log into ittcu.org and open your registered attempt from your account dashboard. You have 14 days from the date of your ride to complete and submit your application.
Submit the following required items:
Strava activity link (must be public, must show matched segment effort)
Raw FIT file (unedited, archival only)
Photo of your bike or vehicle — full side view
Photo of you on the vehicle — face clearly visible
Screenshot of the Strava activity summary showing the matched segment effort with time, distance, and data streams
Check the declaration box confirming you rode in compliance with all ITTCU rules.
Additional categories from the same ride: if your effort qualifies for more than one category, register and pay for each additional category separately through the portal.
★ Your Strava activity must remain public for at least 90 days after certification to allow for Records Committee review and any potential appeals.
Section 6 — After Submission
Automated checks: the portal verifies your Strava activity link, matched segment effort, power/HR/cadence data, and uploaded files.
Records Committee review: submissions passing automated checks enter the review queue. The Committee may contact you if additional information is needed.
Certification: upon approval, your record is posted to the public database and you receive an email with your official ITTCU digital record certificate.
If you beat an existing record, the previous record holder is automatically notified by email.
★ Questions? Check the ITTCU Rules FAQ at ittcu.org. For issues not covered there, submit an interpretation request through the portal or email records@ittcu.org.