Strava Question
Discussion
Yup, I have had similar experiences using an Garmin Edge 500 - to be honest it seems a lot worse on my MTB's than my road bikes, but can be bloody infuriating at times, especially if you are trying to improve on a climbing segment by changing your technique!
I have noticed that if it does not pick up the segment to have ridden, if you try to create a new segment between roughly the same two points Strava will usually identify the original segment and apply your trace to it.
I also notice discrepancies between Garmin and Strava - example; Hill Road Watlington today, Garmin shows a top speed of 47.8mph on the descent yet Strava shows 43.8mph, but the same data from the same device was uploaded to both websites......very odd.
As much as I love Strava and think it is an excellent training tool, it can be a tad random in terms of reliability and accuracy.
I have noticed that if it does not pick up the segment to have ridden, if you try to create a new segment between roughly the same two points Strava will usually identify the original segment and apply your trace to it.
I also notice discrepancies between Garmin and Strava - example; Hill Road Watlington today, Garmin shows a top speed of 47.8mph on the descent yet Strava shows 43.8mph, but the same data from the same device was uploaded to both websites......very odd.
As much as I love Strava and think it is an excellent training tool, it can be a tad random in terms of reliability and accuracy.
BMWBen said:
Some less popular segments are getting "hidden" from your feed. Scroll to the bottom of the list for your ride and theres a link that lets you view the ones that have been hidden.
On that topic, does anyone know how it decides which ones are the most popular? It's certainly not just the ones which are most ridden, as some of the hidden segments on my commute have been ridden by many more riders than some of the non hidden ones.Slightly OT but still a Strava question.
My last ride starts and finishes at my home, but the elevation track starts at 23ft (correct) and finishes at 325ft (incorrect)
So unless there was some sort of ground movement upwards a long way whilst I was out on the ride there is a problem somewhere
I've asked Strava about it, but he auto-reply said it ould take a few days to reply. Has anyone else seen this before?
BTW I use a Garmin 705
My last ride starts and finishes at my home, but the elevation track starts at 23ft (correct) and finishes at 325ft (incorrect)
So unless there was some sort of ground movement upwards a long way whilst I was out on the ride there is a problem somewhere

I've asked Strava about it, but he auto-reply said it ould take a few days to reply. Has anyone else seen this before?
BTW I use a Garmin 705
CoolC said:
Slightly OT but still a Strava question.
My last ride starts and finishes at my home, but the elevation track starts at 23ft (correct) and finishes at 325ft (incorrect)
So unless there was some sort of ground movement upwards a long way whilst I was out on the ride there is a problem somewhere
I've asked Strava about it, but he auto-reply said it ould take a few days to reply. Has anyone else seen this before?
BTW I use a Garmin 705
All the time. Moreover, my commute gains/loses differing amounts of altitude - like 20m different - on different days My last ride starts and finishes at my home, but the elevation track starts at 23ft (correct) and finishes at 325ft (incorrect)
So unless there was some sort of ground movement upwards a long way whilst I was out on the ride there is a problem somewhere

I've asked Strava about it, but he auto-reply said it ould take a few days to reply. Has anyone else seen this before?
BTW I use a Garmin 705

Gizmoish said:
CoolC said:
Slightly OT but still a Strava question.
My last ride starts and finishes at my home, but the elevation track starts at 23ft (correct) and finishes at 325ft (incorrect)
So unless there was some sort of ground movement upwards a long way whilst I was out on the ride there is a problem somewhere
I've asked Strava about it, but he auto-reply said it ould take a few days to reply. Has anyone else seen this before?
BTW I use a Garmin 705
All the time. Moreover, my commute gains/loses differing amounts of altitude - like 20m different - on different days My last ride starts and finishes at my home, but the elevation track starts at 23ft (correct) and finishes at 325ft (incorrect)
So unless there was some sort of ground movement upwards a long way whilst I was out on the ride there is a problem somewhere

I've asked Strava about it, but he auto-reply said it ould take a few days to reply. Has anyone else seen this before?
BTW I use a Garmin 705

One way to check this is to set the unit up as though you were on a ride, but leave it at home base. I would bet the unit will think altitude has changed.
The Edge 705 has a barometric altimeter as described above. The best bet is to turn it on a couple of mins before you start riding and leave it to find satellites and generally adjust itself to the conditions.
Also, make sure you are using the latest firmware. I think the 705 was notorious at slow elevation correction but there have been improvements.
On my Egde 500 you can also set the known altitude at a specific point (i.e. home) which the unit will then use as a reference point. Not sure if you can do this on the 705 though.
Finally, for a ride where the GPS elevation is obviously wrong then you can ask Strava to use topological data instead. Click the little (?) under the Elevation figure at the top of your ride and click Correct Elevation. If you don't have a barometric altimeter then Strava uses it's own data anyway.
Also, make sure you are using the latest firmware. I think the 705 was notorious at slow elevation correction but there have been improvements.
On my Egde 500 you can also set the known altitude at a specific point (i.e. home) which the unit will then use as a reference point. Not sure if you can do this on the 705 though.
Finally, for a ride where the GPS elevation is obviously wrong then you can ask Strava to use topological data instead. Click the little (?) under the Elevation figure at the top of your ride and click Correct Elevation. If you don't have a barometric altimeter then Strava uses it's own data anyway.
Edited by aspender on Sunday 24th June 09:38
daz3210 said:
Not sure about the 705, but some units use a very sensitive altimeter. The altimeter uses air pressure to set the altitude at start and then measure throughout the ride. Air pressure is changing all the time, so my educated guess is that during the time of your ride the air pressure at base has changed. In effect to there has been an upward movement during your ride.
One way to check this is to set the unit up as though you were on a ride, but leave it at home base. I would bet the unit will think altitude has changed.
The iPhone doesn't have an altimeter. One way to check this is to set the unit up as though you were on a ride, but leave it at home base. I would bet the unit will think altitude has changed.

There is a certain amount of altitude correction using the mapping trace though...
Gizmoish said:
Steamer said:
I'm new to Strava but also have noticed a bit of a problem.
The last two days its missed a couple of segments - I'm only using it on my iphone, but when I look back at the route where the segment is its showing that I was about 10 meters off the road!
They do that, sir. The last two days its missed a couple of segments - I'm only using it on my iphone, but when I look back at the route where the segment is its showing that I was about 10 meters off the road!
So its to be expected then from time to time. Excellent app otherwise.
Rolls said:
Yip.. and now you'll slowly become addicted to it!! hehe!
I worked out I'm only 20 secs off KOM on one of my commute segments. There may come a day - early, before the traffic - when I cruise the rest of the route and sprint that section like Peta Todd is at the finish line. Steamer said:
Gizmoish said:
Steamer said:
I'm new to Strava but also have noticed a bit of a problem.
The last two days its missed a couple of segments - I'm only using it on my iphone, but when I look back at the route where the segment is its showing that I was about 10 meters off the road!
They do that, sir. The last two days its missed a couple of segments - I'm only using it on my iphone, but when I look back at the route where the segment is its showing that I was about 10 meters off the road!
So its to be expected then from time to time. Excellent app otherwise.

Steamer said:
Gizmoish said:
Steamer said:
I'm new to Strava but also have noticed a bit of a problem.
The last two days its missed a couple of segments - I'm only using it on my iphone, but when I look back at the route where the segment is its showing that I was about 10 meters off the road!
They do that, sir. The last two days its missed a couple of segments - I'm only using it on my iphone, but when I look back at the route where the segment is its showing that I was about 10 meters off the road!
So its to be expected then from time to time. Excellent app otherwise.
Gizmoish said:
I worked out I'm only 20 secs off KOM on one of my commute segments. There may come a day - early, before the traffic - when I cruise the rest of the route and sprint that section like Peta Todd is at the finish line.
I suspect that if she was waiting at the finish of a sprint, you probably wouldn't be near the front of the pack! 
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