May 22, 2025 • 9 mins
Ep16 All about The Breakaway app and its acquisition by Strava. Riders who subscribe to the platform might soon get some very interesting cycling power insights and advice.
Resources & Links:
Source Written Article by the5krunner: “https://the5krunner.com/2025/05/22/strava-acquire-the-breakaway-cycling-app/”
Main Channel: https://the5krunner.com
My other channels: https://linktr.ee/the5krunner
—Credits:Content in this episode was generated using AI tools (NotebookLM) based on original content from @the5krunner, and other sources as cited.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive. We're gearing up for a really
interesting exploration today, all about cycling, training,
tech. Yeah, we're focusing
specifically on the Breakaway app.
And importantly, its recent acquisition by Strava.
Absolutely and for you, if you're someone interested in
fitness tech, maybe looking to boost your performance well,
(00:20):
this deep dive should get you right up to speed we.
Want to give you a clear, thorough understanding of what's
happened and you know what it might mean for your own
training. We've pulled together some
interesting material stuff discussing AI and coaching,
details on the breakaway itself,how it works.
Reviews of the app and of course, the news about Strava
stepping in. Yeah.
So our mission basically is to figure out what exactly is the
(00:43):
breakaway? What does it offer cyclists?
Why did Strava buy it and what could this mean for personalised
training down the road? Sounds good.
OK, so let's unpack this. The breakaway, the name itself,
it's pretty evocative for cyclists, right?
Pushing ahead of the pack. Definitely, and that seems to be
exactly the vision the Co founder Jordan Kobert.
He talked about creating a trusted coach and companion in
(01:06):
your pocket. All aimed at helping you hit
your personal goals, break your limits, that sort of thing.
And the way it works, well rightnow the app connects with loads
of platforms and devices people already use.
Like Strava, obviously, but alsoSwift, Peloton, Garmin,
hammerhead, wahoo. And it even pulls in biometric
data like from an aura ring O ittries to fit into your current
(01:27):
setup. OK, so it connects then what?
It starts analysing your data. Exactly.
Your power, heart rate, other metrics and it uses that to give
you hopefully useful insights. But not just insights, right?
It's meant to give you actual next steps, things you can do.
Precisely actionable steps, and one key way it does this is by
breaking down your efforts into 12 specific power intervals.
(01:49):
Power intervals. OK, and these are grouped under
three main power skills, sprinting, attaching and
climbing. It gives you a pretty granular
look at where you excel and where you can improve.
And I heard it does something interesting with benchmarking.
It's not just comparing you to others.
Right, it benchmarks works your efforts against what's
considered possible for you personally.
(02:09):
OK, so factors in your age, gender, weight.
Yeah, and crucially, these benchmarks adapt over time.
As you get fitter. It's focused on your potential.
That feels important and it tracks your PRS, your personal
records across those 12 skills. It does so you can see how
you're developing and different kinds of cycling efforts.
Now, how does it help you actually get better?
Does it suggest workouts? Yes, it offers challenges.
(02:33):
These are focused on improving specific power intervals and
they. Have video tips?
I saw a Christian van de Velde mention.
That's right, tips from Van de Velde, which is a nice touch,
and originally it also recommended workouts from
Peloton, interestingly enough. And the core of this guidance is
AI and AI Coach. Yeah, that's the goal.
(02:54):
An AI powered coach that gives you simple weekly targets and
daily guidance. It's trying to be more than just
a data dashboard. And it looks beyond just the
ride data too. You mentioned Aura.
Exactly, it incorporates things like heart rate variability
currently from Aura to get a more complete picture of your
readiness and recovery. Helps you make smarter training
calls, presumably. That's the idea.
(03:14):
Oh, and it also has team features if you'd like that.
Social motivation. Training with friends.
Right, but let's circle back to the AI.
That seems pretty central. It really is.
The vision, according to Kobert,was using generative AI to make
truly personalised coaching accessible, both scalable and,
you know, affordable. So immediate feedback 24/7.
(03:35):
Yeah, and the ability for the AIto constantly learn, adjust your
plan based on tonnes of data, your preferences, your
biofeedback, He. Described it in an interesting
way, didn't he? Something like an AI enabled UX
that knows when to ask for inputand when not to.
Yeah, suggesting it's more intuitive than just a chat bot
constantly pinging you. Makes sense.
And there was this framework mentioned, the six CS of
(03:57):
coaching, right? Content customization, cadence,
communication, compassion and channel.
Covert argued AI could really boost the 1st 4.
Content customization, cadence, communication.
Yeah, providing tailored info, structuring, training,
consistent interaction. AI is good at that stuff.
Compassion, though that's trickier for.
(04:18):
AI, we'll come back to that, Butclearly there was belief in this
AI approach. They raised funding, right?
They did $2.9 million in seed funding back in early 2022, so
investors saw potential. And users seem to like it,
calling it a virtual coach. Yeah, feedback seems positive.
And that brings us to the 5K Runner blog.
(04:39):
They had some interesting takes.Right, the 5K runner.
What did they highlight? They pointed out how the
Breakaway considers your power signature but contextualises it
with age and sex. That's a nuance not always
present elsewhere. OK, that's good context.
And they noted the focus on achievements tied to power
duration breakthroughs, basically hitting new levels of
power for specific time periods.And didn't they make a
(05:01):
comparison to Garmin? Yes, they said the AI coach
resembled Garmin's suggested daily workouts, but on steroids.
On steroids. OK, so more intense, more
detailed maybe? That's the impression.
They also like the team featuresand that focus on the 12
specific power PRS. So their overall conclusion was.
That while you might find some individual features elsewhere,
(05:24):
the whole package is unique putting it all together in that
AI driven way. Which I suppose leads us neatly
into why Strava got interested. Exactly.
So the acquisition May 22nd, 2025 and as you mentioned this
came after Strava had already bought.
Run up, yeah, the running app. So it definitely looks like part
(05:44):
of a bigger strategy, not just aone off purchase.
Strava CEO Michael Martin basically said the breakaway is
a perfect fit for the Strava subscription.
And then it helps users hit their cycling goals.
Pretty clear statement of intentthere.
It seems like the missions just lined up well.
Breakaway. Helping people improve.
Strava Motivating, active live. There's a strong overlap and
(06:05):
check out this stat breakaway users who connected to Strava.
They uploaded twice as many activities as the average Strava
site. Wow, twice as many.
That's huge engagement. Tells you something, doesn't it?
Yeah, highly engaged users are gold for a platform like Strava.
So why did Strava make the move?What are the theories?
Well, first, obviously enhancingthe experience for their huge
(06:26):
cycling user base, giving them better tools.
Makes sense. Keep the cyclist happy and
subscribed. Which leads to the second point,
revenue bolstering that subscription income.
The 5K runner explicitly suggested it was a way to shore
up its subscription revenues. Right.
Make the subscription more valuable, harder to cancel. 3rd,
(06:46):
integrating these dynamic goal focused training tools directly,
moving beyond just being a placeto log rides.
Becoming more of a training partner.
Kind of. And 4th, you can't ignore the AI
getting hold of the breakaways. AI coaching tech is a big
strategic asset for the future. And they got the team too.
Cobra and Yugawa came across. Yep, the Co founders in the team
(07:06):
joined Strava. That knowledge transfer is
really important. OK.
So looking ahead, what happens now?
How might we see breakaway features appear in Strava?
That's the big question, isn't it?
We could see that personalised training guidance integrated
right into the main Strava feed or dashboard.
Imagine that AI coach always there, learning from your data
(07:28):
on Strava. Providing that super
personalised advice, it feels like where things are heading.
Training that adapts constantly to you, your body, your
preferences. But what about the human
element? Coaching isn't just numbers and
algorithms, is it? No, definitely.
And Colbert himself highlighted this that C for compassion.
AI struggles there. Yeah, that empathy, the
(07:49):
motivation, understanding the why behind the data, that seems
very human. It does, so maybe the future
isn't AI replacing coaches but acting as a kind of Co pilot.
A Co pilot, I like that handlingthe complex data analysis
finding patterns. Freeing up human coaches, or
even just you as the athlete, tofocus on the bigger picture, the
(08:10):
motivation, the emotional side. Interesting, and the 5K runner
had a prediction about the integration pace.
Yeah, they speculated the Breakaway app might initially
remain a bit separate at arm's length from the main Strava app.
So maybe a gradual integration rather than a sudden merge?
Perhaps we'll have to wait and see how Strava plays it.
OK, so let's try and sum up thisdeep dive, all right?
(08:31):
So The Breakaway really brought this innovative AI powered
approach to cycling training, very personalised, focused on
your power profile. And it's acquisition by Strava
that's a major move. It signals Strava embedding
these kinds of advanced trainingtools right into their platform.
It's a big step towards more integrated, intelligent training
(08:54):
support for potentially millionsof athletes.
Which leaves us with a final thought for you, the listener,
to chew on as this AI tech keepsevolving.
How do you see that balance shifting between automated
coaching and, you know, real human connection?
How might it shape your own fitness journey?
What parts of your training could AI really help with?
And what parts, what parts will always need that human insight,
(09:16):
that understanding. Yeah, it's definitely something
worth thinking about as we all, you know, keep trying to push
our own limits.
Welcome to the deep dive. We're gearing up for a really
interesting exploration today, all about cycling, training,
tech. Yeah, we're focusing
specifically on the Breakaway app.
And importantly, its recent acquisition by Strava.
Absolutely and for you, if you're someone interested in
fitness tech, maybe looking to boost your performance well,
(00:20):
this deep dive should get you right up to speed we.
Want to give you a clear, thorough understanding of what's
happened and you know what it might mean for your own
training. We've pulled together some
interesting material stuff discussing AI and coaching,
details on the breakaway itself,how it works.
Reviews of the app and of course, the news about Strava
stepping in. Yeah.
So our mission basically is to figure out what exactly is the
(00:43):
breakaway? What does it offer cyclists?
Why did Strava buy it and what could this mean for personalised
training down the road? Sounds good.
OK, so let's unpack this. The breakaway, the name itself,
it's pretty evocative for cyclists, right?
Pushing ahead of the pack. Definitely, and that seems to be
exactly the vision the Co founder Jordan Kobert.
He talked about creating a trusted coach and companion in
(01:06):
your pocket. All aimed at helping you hit
your personal goals, break your limits, that sort of thing.
And the way it works, well rightnow the app connects with loads
of platforms and devices people already use.
Like Strava, obviously, but alsoSwift, Peloton, Garmin,
hammerhead, wahoo. And it even pulls in biometric
data like from an aura ring O ittries to fit into your current
(01:27):
setup. OK, so it connects then what?
It starts analysing your data. Exactly.
Your power, heart rate, other metrics and it uses that to give
you hopefully useful insights. But not just insights, right?
It's meant to give you actual next steps, things you can do.
Precisely actionable steps, and one key way it does this is by
breaking down your efforts into 12 specific power intervals.
(01:49):
Power intervals. OK, and these are grouped under
three main power skills, sprinting, attaching and
climbing. It gives you a pretty granular
look at where you excel and where you can improve.
And I heard it does something interesting with benchmarking.
It's not just comparing you to others.
Right, it benchmarks works your efforts against what's
considered possible for you personally.
(02:09):
OK, so factors in your age, gender, weight.
Yeah, and crucially, these benchmarks adapt over time.
As you get fitter. It's focused on your potential.
That feels important and it tracks your PRS, your personal
records across those 12 skills. It does so you can see how
you're developing and different kinds of cycling efforts.
Now, how does it help you actually get better?
Does it suggest workouts? Yes, it offers challenges.
(02:33):
These are focused on improving specific power intervals and
they. Have video tips?
I saw a Christian van de Velde mention.
That's right, tips from Van de Velde, which is a nice touch,
and originally it also recommended workouts from
Peloton, interestingly enough. And the core of this guidance is
AI and AI Coach. Yeah, that's the goal.
(02:54):
An AI powered coach that gives you simple weekly targets and
daily guidance. It's trying to be more than just
a data dashboard. And it looks beyond just the
ride data too. You mentioned Aura.
Exactly, it incorporates things like heart rate variability
currently from Aura to get a more complete picture of your
readiness and recovery. Helps you make smarter training
calls, presumably. That's the idea.
(03:14):
Oh, and it also has team features if you'd like that.
Social motivation. Training with friends.
Right, but let's circle back to the AI.
That seems pretty central. It really is.
The vision, according to Kobert,was using generative AI to make
truly personalised coaching accessible, both scalable and,
you know, affordable. So immediate feedback 24/7.
(03:35):
Yeah, and the ability for the AIto constantly learn, adjust your
plan based on tonnes of data, your preferences, your
biofeedback, He. Described it in an interesting
way, didn't he? Something like an AI enabled UX
that knows when to ask for inputand when not to.
Yeah, suggesting it's more intuitive than just a chat bot
constantly pinging you. Makes sense.
And there was this framework mentioned, the six CS of
(03:57):
coaching, right? Content customization, cadence,
communication, compassion and channel.
Covert argued AI could really boost the 1st 4.
Content customization, cadence, communication.
Yeah, providing tailored info, structuring, training,
consistent interaction. AI is good at that stuff.
Compassion, though that's trickier for.
(04:18):
AI, we'll come back to that, Butclearly there was belief in this
AI approach. They raised funding, right?
They did $2.9 million in seed funding back in early 2022, so
investors saw potential. And users seem to like it,
calling it a virtual coach. Yeah, feedback seems positive.
And that brings us to the 5K Runner blog.
(04:39):
They had some interesting takes.Right, the 5K runner.
What did they highlight? They pointed out how the
Breakaway considers your power signature but contextualises it
with age and sex. That's a nuance not always
present elsewhere. OK, that's good context.
And they noted the focus on achievements tied to power
duration breakthroughs, basically hitting new levels of
power for specific time periods.And didn't they make a
(05:01):
comparison to Garmin? Yes, they said the AI coach
resembled Garmin's suggested daily workouts, but on steroids.
On steroids. OK, so more intense, more
detailed maybe? That's the impression.
They also like the team featuresand that focus on the 12
specific power PRS. So their overall conclusion was.
That while you might find some individual features elsewhere,
(05:24):
the whole package is unique putting it all together in that
AI driven way. Which I suppose leads us neatly
into why Strava got interested. Exactly.
So the acquisition May 22nd, 2025 and as you mentioned this
came after Strava had already bought.
Run up, yeah, the running app. So it definitely looks like part
(05:44):
of a bigger strategy, not just aone off purchase.
Strava CEO Michael Martin basically said the breakaway is
a perfect fit for the Strava subscription.
And then it helps users hit their cycling goals.
Pretty clear statement of intentthere.
It seems like the missions just lined up well.
Breakaway. Helping people improve.
Strava Motivating, active live. There's a strong overlap and
(06:05):
check out this stat breakaway users who connected to Strava.
They uploaded twice as many activities as the average Strava
site. Wow, twice as many.
That's huge engagement. Tells you something, doesn't it?
Yeah, highly engaged users are gold for a platform like Strava.
So why did Strava make the move?What are the theories?
Well, first, obviously enhancingthe experience for their huge
(06:26):
cycling user base, giving them better tools.
Makes sense. Keep the cyclist happy and
subscribed. Which leads to the second point,
revenue bolstering that subscription income.
The 5K runner explicitly suggested it was a way to shore
up its subscription revenues. Right.
Make the subscription more valuable, harder to cancel. 3rd,
(06:46):
integrating these dynamic goal focused training tools directly,
moving beyond just being a placeto log rides.
Becoming more of a training partner.
Kind of. And 4th, you can't ignore the AI
getting hold of the breakaways. AI coaching tech is a big
strategic asset for the future. And they got the team too.
Cobra and Yugawa came across. Yep, the Co founders in the team
(07:06):
joined Strava. That knowledge transfer is
really important. OK.
So looking ahead, what happens now?
How might we see breakaway features appear in Strava?
That's the big question, isn't it?
We could see that personalised training guidance integrated
right into the main Strava feed or dashboard.
Imagine that AI coach always there, learning from your data
(07:28):
on Strava. Providing that super
personalised advice, it feels like where things are heading.
Training that adapts constantly to you, your body, your
preferences. But what about the human
element? Coaching isn't just numbers and
algorithms, is it? No, definitely.
And Colbert himself highlighted this that C for compassion.
AI struggles there. Yeah, that empathy, the
(07:49):
motivation, understanding the why behind the data, that seems
very human. It does, so maybe the future
isn't AI replacing coaches but acting as a kind of Co pilot.
A Co pilot, I like that handlingthe complex data analysis
finding patterns. Freeing up human coaches, or
even just you as the athlete, tofocus on the bigger picture, the
(08:10):
motivation, the emotional side. Interesting, and the 5K runner
had a prediction about the integration pace.
Yeah, they speculated the Breakaway app might initially
remain a bit separate at arm's length from the main Strava app.
So maybe a gradual integration rather than a sudden merge?
Perhaps we'll have to wait and see how Strava plays it.
OK, so let's try and sum up thisdeep dive, all right?
(08:31):
So The Breakaway really brought this innovative AI powered
approach to cycling training, very personalised, focused on
your power profile. And it's acquisition by Strava
that's a major move. It signals Strava embedding
these kinds of advanced trainingtools right into their platform.
It's a big step towards more integrated, intelligent training
(08:54):
support for potentially millionsof athletes.
Which leaves us with a final thought for you, the listener,
to chew on as this AI tech keepsevolving.
How do you see that balance shifting between automated
coaching and, you know, real human connection?
How might it shape your own fitness journey?
What parts of your training could AI really help with?
And what parts, what parts will always need that human insight,
(09:16):
that understanding. Yeah, it's definitely something
worth thinking about as we all, you know, keep trying to push
our own limits.
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