Strava weirdness

[Claire]

Has anyone else noticed that the elevation profile for KGT is... backwards? The first hump (when heading westward) appears higher than the second one on the elevation profile. Not sure where Strava gets its data, but whoever provided this bit clearly didn't check it for accuracy.

Where does Strava's data come from, anyway? Google?

Check the highlighted grey bit at the top. Weird, no?

[mfarnham]

Sure you weren't riding it backwards?

It shows up normal on mine. This is from Tuesday:

Martin

[Robgrant]

Notice how Claire actually rode up over the houses at the top of KGT? That's using your mountain biking skills! (your blue GPS trace doesn't follow the road)

[Claire]

Okay, that was a bad example. Sketchy GPS data is my nemesis! But that KGT "reverse humps" profile is consistent on all my rides over it, in both directions. Interesting that two of us using the same program (but different devices) get different elevation profiles.

Seems this matter needs further investigation...

[mfarnham]

I think Rob may have put his finger on the answer. Does your device always think you're riding over the houses above KGT?

Martin

[Claire]

I think Rob may have put his finger on the answer. Does your device always think you're riding over the houses above KGT?

Martin

No. Like I said, bad example. Usually I don't fly over the houses. Occasionally I get glitchy data and end up "missing" segments that I know I travelled. Grr.

[Saskia]

I also have the same elevation profile (the weird backwards one) on most of my rides. That being said, I use the phone app and am assuming that is not the most reliable.

[EasterBrown]

If you're using your phone or similar for Strava it won't have a built in barometer for altitude like most cycling specific computers. This means that Strava will pull the elevation data from the GPS data.

GPS is really only designed for latitude and longitude, not elevation. This means a phone will have highly inaccurate elevation readings over short distances and small elevation gains compared to a Garmin. Add in being on the side of a big rock (KGT) which adds signal interference and reflection, and the accuracy only gets worse.

PS, on the Strava site you can click the "elevation?" button under the listed ride elevation which should open a popup with an option to correct elevation based on actual map data. You may or may not need to then set the ride to private then back to public once the operation has completed (usually a few minutes) for this to take effect on the segments.

[mfarnham]

The mystery deepens. The profile below is for my ride this morning. Using my Garmin Edge 500 and with Strava-corrected elevation, I experienced the dreaded Claire Reversal. Something must be working to unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum. Let's hope it doesn't destroy the entire universe.

Martin

[AJ Neale]

Ride - Strava = Bliss

[EricS]

If your ride does not appear on Strava Andrew, it did not happen. Sorry.

[Greg F]

Ride - Strava = Bliss

Ride - Strave = 2-3 more hours regained in your life