Is there a Strava KOM finder that shows KOMs I can actually beat?
Yes — Tailwind KOMpass has a free KOM Finder built for exactly this. Instead of scrolling leaderboards segment by segment, you pick a spot on the map and it ranks every Strava segment in the area by how achievable the KOM (or QOM) looks for your fitness: your FTP, your weight, and — the part most tools ignore — the wind.
That last part matters more than most riders think. On flat and rolling terrain, a 20 km/h tailwind is often worth more than 50 extra watts. Many KOMs were set on a windy day, and the realistic way to beat them is to attack on a day when the wind is blowing your way. Tailwind KOMpass finds those segments and those days for you.
Open the KOM FinderHow the KOM Finder works
- Drop a search radius anywhere on the map (or use your current viewport) and every Strava segment inside it is pulled up and filtered in one pass — no per-segment leaderboard clicking.
- A rider-fit preset reads your FTP and weight and suggests realistic filters: segment length, gradient and the speed the KOM was set at, tuned to what a rider with your watts-per-kilo can plausibly hold.
- The KOM-proximity filter uses your own ride history: it compares your best time on each segment to the current KOM and surfaces the ones where you are already within a few percent of the record.
- Wind is scored per segment as effective tailwind — wind speed times the alignment between wind direction and the segment bearing — so a segment only counts as favourable when the wind is genuinely pushing along it.
- Power analysis works the physics backwards: it estimates the watts the current KOM required, the time you would ride at your FTP, and the exact tailwind you would need for the record to fall.
- Add promising segments to a watchlist and get a push or email alert up to 72 hours ahead when the forecast tailwind crosses your threshold — so you show up on the one day the KOM is soft.
- Riders targeting the women’s leaderboard get the same tooling as a QOM finder: the app resolves your target crown from your Strava profile (with a manual override) and computes every gap against the QOM.
How it compares to other ways of hunting KOMs
Riders usually cobble a KOM hunt together from several tools. Here is how the common ones line up:
| Tool / method | What it does for finding beatable KOMs |
|---|---|
| Tailwind KOMpass | Purpose-built KOM finder: ranks nearby segments by beatability for your FTP and weight, factors in live and forecast wind, shows your gap to the KOM from your own ride history, and alerts you when conditions turn favourable. |
| Strava segment explore | Shows segments on a map with the KOM time, but no filtering by your fitness, no wind, and no sense of which records are soft — you evaluate every leaderboard by hand. |
| KOM Hunters / similar segment scrapers | Surface segments with slow KOM times, but ignore wind and your own numbers, so a "weak" KOM on an exposed road can still be untouchable on the wrong day. |
| MyWindsock | Excellent wind and aero analysis for a route you already picked — a great companion for the attempt itself, but it does not discover beatable segments for you. |
| Manual leaderboard checking | Works, but slow: one leaderboard at a time, mental maths on watts, and no way to know which day the wind will line up with the segment. |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best way to find easy KOMs on Strava?
- Look for segments where three things line up: a KOM time your watts-per-kilo can plausibly match, a road orientation that catches the forecast wind as a tailwind, and — ideally — a segment you have already ridden close to the record. Tailwind KOMpass checks all three automatically with its KOM Finder, KOM-proximity filter and wind forecast alerts.
- Is the KOM Finder free?
- Yes. The KOM Finder radius mode, effective-tailwind scoring, KOM-gap badges and watchlist alerts are free. A one-time Lifetime upgrade adds 72-hour forecast planning, viewport search mode, tighter KOM-proximity filters and unlimited power analysis.
- Does wind really matter that much for KOMs?
- On flat and rolling roads, yes — aerodynamic drag dominates, so a strong tailwind raises your speed far more than a realistic training gain. Many standing KOMs were set with wind assistance, which means the fair way to challenge them is to pick your day, not just your segment.
- Can it find QOMs too?
- Yes. Tailwind KOMpass works as a QOM finder as well: it reads your sex from your Strava profile (with a manual override in settings) and computes every gap, feasibility estimate and alert against the QOM instead of the KOM.
- How does it know which KOMs I am close to beating?
- When you connect Strava it imports your best time on segments you have ridden and compares each one to the current record. Segments where you are within striking distance get a gap badge, and you can filter the KOM Finder to only show records within a chosen percentage of your PR.
Open the KOM Finder and see which records near you are within reach this week.
Open the KOM Finder