Endomondo query

[CharlieB]

Downloaded Endomondo a couple of weeks ago, and have been using it.

It consistently comes up with lower mileage readings for routes I have been doing for ages than the readings I consistently get on two of my bikes.

Is that because while the crow-flies distance from A to B on the flat will be shorter than if there's a hill in the way? These are hilly routes in the Chilterns.

E.g: ______________________
/ \
A /________________________\ B

<--------------1 m -------------------->

Sorry about the crude drawing - I've never sussed how to load a drawing onto a post.
(and it looked better when I typed it in!)

 

[thomas]

I find it sometimes cuts bits off, when it looses GPS signal or what not. Maybe if it's tracking points every couple hundred yards it doesn't take into account all the wobbling you've done, etc.

 

[psmiffy]

No -say if you did a round trip of 100km with 2000m of climbing - 4000m of up and down then difference between the ridden distance and the horizontal would only be about 80m - less than 0.1%

My GPS generally give me distances compared to my cycle computer better than within 1% difference -assuming that I have not used a ferry or the batteries have not run out

Depends on how accurately you measured the distance in the first place - I find the figures given in the instruction manuals for cycle computers lead to a small overestimate of distance - I use my GPS to calibrate the computer over a couple of days and then on the first boring straight piece of road with chainage marks I check it over a reasonable distance

The only endomondo tracks I have seen the tracking points seem to be quite wide apart probably leading to the effect described by Thomas above