Height Gain Discrepancy

[grellboy]

Plotted as hilly a route as I could in hedgehog flat Norfolk on Ride with GPS last night and was pleased to get a route with 236m of climbing (stop laughing at the back please!) Anyway, duly went out and followed the route on my Garmin Edge Touring and got a similar reading from that. However, when loaded up on Strava and Connect the height gain (in feet) was 409 ft and 375 ft respectively, well off the 700 ft plus suggested by Ride with and the Garmin. Do others find such discrepancies commonly and if so which source is most reliable?

 

[Dogtrousers]

They are all reliable.

Just only compare like measurement with like.

 

[grellboy]

But if the Garmin device records 700 ft plus yet the Garmin Connect software is virtually half that, then surely that can't come under the umbrella of "they are all reliable"? The same company giving completely different readings!?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Just pick the one you like and stick with it. There are various ways of determining elevation - GPS, barometer and map data. They all come up with different results but tend to be consistent.

Me, I look at the values my barometer equipped GPS gives and ignore everything else

 

[al3xsh]

Does your GPS have a barometric altimeter? The edge touring plus does, but the edge touring doesn't (apparently ...).

Strava doesn't always know the difference, so if it thinks that the GPS unit doesn't have one then it will add its own data from look ups.

See https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us...ric-Elevation-data-from-the-Edge-Touring-Plus

I find that my Garmin tends to give higher elevation - so in my mind that's more accurate ;-)

A

 

[screenman]

Bit like weather forecasts and calorie counters, you check them all and take the one you like the most.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Dogtrousers try up loading to rwgps see what it says then do a correct on the elevation, some time it corrects higher others lower, but I have always used rwgps corrected for my data so no matter which gps unit I use I should have a pretty ball park figure that is consistent.

 

[Dogtrousers]

@Dogtrousers try up loading to rwgps see what it says then do a correct on the elevation, some time it corrects higher others lower, but I have always used rwgps corrected for my data so no matter which gps unit I use I should have a pretty ball park figure that is consistent.

I use the elevation correct only if I've had a recording problem, eg I've ended up recording parts of the ride on different devices.

As long as you stick to one thing life is simpler.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Dogtrousers thats what I do, but invariable elevation from a unit tends to end lower than when you start if doing a loop, well those I have used with a barometer have anyway and I have used three, it has to do with inside temp and outside temp effecting the unit, it is worse in winter, also sudden pressure drops can effect it (though I guess not many in the UK will suffer that)

 

[HLaB]

Saw the affects again of low pressure on yesterday's TT, the Garmin recorded just 72ft for the Sporting 10: RWGPS corrects it to 383ft, Strava to 224ft and GC to 240ft but I think I prefer last years recorded 543ft

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@HLaB Its amazing how on the same route even corrected elevation can be different.