Stephen Lund’s first Strava picture on the streets of Victoria, BC, came with many hard lessons. Like “If you goof up along the way, you’ll need to start from scratch!”

As my first Strava picture and only my second attempt at using Strava for artistry rather than training (the first being my New Year’s wishes), this January 5 effort was laden with tough lessons.

To the aspiring Strava artist, I offer these words of caution:

• Draw carefully: your Garmin doesn’t come with an eraser. I was nearly half done my Strava selfie when I botched an eye and made a series of wrong turns along the nose (below). After 30+ kilometres of drawing, I had to abort the mission and start from scratch.
• Explore unfamiliar areas in advance. My trouble with the nose arose because I didn’t know the area, the streets and the shortcuts I’d incorporated into my route.
• Prepare for a long outing. As this was my first major Strava art project, I had no idea it would require 3 ¼ hours on the bike. By the time I got to the hair, rush hour was in full swing and dark was falling. I had no lights, and in my panic to finish I missed a few patches of hair. (Some have noted, unkindly, that this adds to the picture’s realism.)
• Brace yourself for imperfection. When I finally got home and uploaded the ride, I discovered I’d made a wrong turn on the right side of the mouth. After much pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth, I just called it “Picasso-esque” and moved on.

See it on Strava