Difference Between RideWithGPS & Strava

thegodplato
thegodplato Posts: 319
edited May 2012 in Road beginners
I've just equalled my longest ride of 50miles ( 6 weeks into cycling ) did 3000 feet of climbing over Rivington, etc with my buddy. Have just uploaded the ride form my 800 to RideWithGPS ( which I used to map the ride initially ) and noticed that down Parbold Hill I hit 44.2mph and averaged 14.7mph for the 50 miles. Uploaded the same ride to Strava and got a top speed of 43mph and average of 14.5mph as the ride supposedly took me 3 minutes longer? I'm a bit confused as how can the same ride be different?
2012 Bianchi Via Nirone Xenon

960 miles in 8 days starting 6th April 2013
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Comments

  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    have you tried switching off and on again - hehe

    only thing i can think of is that the garmin has records for moving time and, as it were, gun time - maybe one is taking data from moving time and the other is taking time from the set start and finish times, only thing i can think of.
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    All sites give slightly different figures. Are you using a GSC10 speed / cadence sensor. If so this will show different speed readings as Strava takes it's data from this while ridewithgps takes it from the GPS data. GPS data can be affected by gradient and bends.
    Ridewithgps has much more useful data and I look on it as Strava for grown ups now it has segments. Still improving though.
    My Fleet.
  • zackham
    zackham Posts: 1
    Hello,

    We (ridewithgps) only consider moving time when calculating average speed, and everyone has a slightly different way of determining when you are moving vs. when you are stopped. That is why the average speeds are slightly different, also that is probably why the ride duration is different as well. If you're looking at a ride, go to the metrics tab and you will see 'total duration', 'moving time', and 'stopped time'.

    Not sure how Strava does its speed calculations, but I can assure you that we use the distance that is recorded with your GSC-10 (wheel / cad sensor) if that data is available, as it is more accurate than calculating distance from the GPS data. We will fall back to calculating distance from GPS data if you don't have a GSC-10, though, and we use various techniques to smooth that data which would likely result in slight differences in max speed when comparing to any other site or program.

    Feel free to get in touch directly if you have any other questions, you can reach me at zack@ridewithgps.com

    Thanks!
    Zack Ham
    Ride with GPS
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    RobinsonRhonda wrote:
    I guess the speed of GPS is more as compared to Strava. :):):)

    hUH :?:
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    RobinsonRhonda wrote:
    I guess the speed of GPS is more as compared to Strava. :):):)
    I assume you mean the GPS recording compared to the GSC10 recording. Providing you have set the wheel size correctly the GSC10 data will be better. Do not rely on the Auto wheel size setting on the Garmin, set a correct size. On a straight flat road there should be no difference between the two but gradients and tree, etc, cover affect GPS.
    My Fleet.
  • springtide9
    springtide9 Posts: 1,731
    GPS data is not always that accurate. Dedicated GPS's are probably better than a Mobile Phone, but they are still not perfect

    Strava is just processing the data you have given it. If the GPS data is not accurate, then Strava's data will also not be accurate.

    There are a number of 'settings' that each of the applications use for specific measurements, so you can't expect them to be the same, especially if the application is quoting 'moving time'
    ie.. what 'setting' is considered stationary? stopped for 1 sec? 2 secs? and it's even more complicated when not all GPS devices log the data at a specific frequency. On some of the Garmin's, the logging frequency can be changed from 'every 1 sec' (best) or 'smart logging' (when the Garmin decides is the best frequency).

    The above and the applications 'smoothing' of the data to get rid of GPS inaccuracies will give slightly different results. The smoothing algorithms as well as the thresholds will be specific to each application, and each vendor trying to claim they process the data better than they're competing application.

    i.e. if you want an application to present the most accurate data within the application - if you have inaccurate GPS data you want more smoothing; if you have accurate GPS data less smoothing.

    If you were hoping to use Strava (or a GPS for that matter) to get into the "World Record Books", then you'll need something better than an iPhone to please the McWhirter twins.
    Simon
  • ricey155
    ricey155 Posts: 233
    my endomondo is always about half a mile out on a 25 mile ride compared to my GSC10 garmin

    i upload both so no a issue, im using a samsung galaxy ace (cheap phone with decent rom installed CM9) gps is pretty solid but not perfect

    it does its job might not be spot on but a point here and there isn't going to win me any prizes :roll:
  • jim453
    jim453 Posts: 1,360
    Just stop using the other, obviously inferior sites. Strava is the only one you need. Problem solved.
  • Bellypopper
    Bellypopper Posts: 140
    Sorry but I don't agree, ride with GPS is much better than Strava. It has more information, and you can see virtual races in the segments
  • ricey155
    ricey155 Posts: 233
    not head of ride with gps looks ok im sure they could make the perfect app with bits of each

    Strava, Ride, Garmin, Endomondo, Map my ride etc

    my garmin packed up today glad i had my phone :mrgreen:

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