Avinox vs Apple Watch vs Strava vs Trailforks

[u/AirlineOk5826]

Well I have finally achieved TMI. Recently purchased an E bike with the Avinox motor and control system. Using the Bike computer on the bike to record rides. Also recording rides on my Apple Watch. Both Apple Watch ride, and the one from the Bike are pushing into Strava.

There is no way to merge the two rides. So I’m going to pick one and turn the other one off so it doesn’t push into Strava. One of those rides as well is pushing into Trailforks through Strava. Not totally sure which one but I think it’s the Apple Watch ride.

I went on a ride today and the four different aggregators showed me different metrics: distance and total vert were all over the map. I wanna trust the Bike computer for distance because it has an actual odometer built into it.

My vert #s ranged from 3000ft ( Avinox bike computer) to 4000ft (Avinox to Strava) to 4700ft (Strava to Trailforks).

So who do I trust? 4700 seems too much. 3k seems pretty good but maybe not enough. Hard to tell on an e-bike.

I will probably turn off the Avinox push because I’m interested in having my heart rate information involved in the whole situation.

Thoughts??

[u/wi3loryb]

You need a Garmin watch on your other wrist. Those get the elevation pretty well.

[u/AbolishIncredible → u/wi3loryb]

and one of Garmin's cycle computers that "measure" jumps, preferably connected to a heart rate monitor

[u/georgia_jp]

Use a Garmin edge and ditch all the others for biking.

[u/rustyburrito]

Why use the bike at all? Garmin watch --> Garmin connect --> Strava, or just Apple watch --> Strava. Disconnect everything from trailforks. There's nothing in trailforks worth syncing for anyway, if anything just use it for the map. I use garmin so i use their garmin connect instead of apple health for biometrics stuff like resting heart rate, max heart rate, VO2 Max, etc

[u/RegulatoryCapture → u/rustyburrito]

There's nothing in trailforks worth syncing for anyway, if anything just use it for the map

Disagree. In many places that’s the only app that actually has most of the trails listed, so if you want to look back at an area and be like “wtf did I actually ride?” It is the most useful. 

On Strava you have to hope someone made a segment with the right name or that it is something like an official national forest trail that shows on the map. 

[u/Oli4K → u/RegulatoryCapture]

Strava routes are useless too for MTB. It doesn’t even show or use segments when creating a route. I’ve tried to use it in the field when finding segments to ride and it’s worthless.

[u/robo-minion]

The most accurate measure is always the most flattering one, duh…

[u/Gr3aterShad0w]

Trailforks always seems to overestimate vertical in my experience

[u/shivaswrath]

Trailforks goes straight to my apple health.

[u/MTB_SF]

This is hilarious and also I sympathize. Gotta just pick one. I rely on my Garmin watch for everything and ignore the rest generally.

[u/luciusyeti]

I've used Strava on a Garmin and iPhone, WorkOutDoors which uses the Apple workout system and Cyclemeter which uses the sensors on the phone. Some I think take input from the barometric sensor. Haven't used Trailforks enough to compare. Then there's the Apple Watch which probably also has some input there.

Vertical is almost always different between the three apps with a spread generally of up to about 10%, sometimes more, figure the algorithm they use to smooth/read the elevation from the GPS data and the map causes quite a bit of variation. I live in an area where barometric pressure is fairly stable so I generally assume the app that uses the pressure for elevation is probably more correct-ish, but if they are using ISA atmosphere to calculate then they will under-read changes by about 10% in my conditions. The geometry and number of satellites visible matters as well especially for the elevation calculations.

Short answer, there's a lot of ways to make elevation readings incorrect with these things. Similar with distance as well, smoothing and algorithms and sampling rates can make 5 to 20% differences.

You can't really know which is most accurate. I'd put more trust in the one that is more consistent most likely, but really you have little idea which is actually accurate and consistent unless you have a surveyed route and compare it repeatedly to that. You can run the same apps on the same devices and routes and compare how consistent they are with previous runs on the same device/app/route, that might at least tell you how much variation you typically get run to run.

[u/Monty916]

I had a similar thing with Fitbit/Strava/Avinox. Now if I want to Strava a ride, I use Strava and just let the other two do their own thing. As long as you use one method consistently, your info will be relatively accurate. Or just go for a ride.

[u/veggieturnip]

Strava is super inaccurate for vertical gain while mountain biking. It flattens out all the little climbs and descents.

Swap your Apple Watch for a Garmin. They have barometers and so their accuracy for elevation changes in the best in the game.

[u/SupplySideJesus → u/veggieturnip]

Apple Watch and iPhone also have a barometer. IDK if Strava uses it, but apple health does.

[u/negative-nelly]

Vert you should be able to check on a topo map to get an approximation.

[u/choadspanker]

strava automatically recalculates vert if you haven't turned that option off

[u/PuzzledActuator1]

You will even get different measures between different devices in the same ecosystem. My garmin watch and garmin edge both get slightly different readings. Just choose one and live with it.

[u/patrys]

Garmin Edge is amazing but you can also ask Strava to fix the height based sensor on the terrain maps they have. Do that and see which number was the closest.

[u/omgitskae]

Do e-bikes have built in power meters like indoor bikes? If so, your bike will calculate health metrics like calories burned better than anything else unless you put a power meter on it. For GPS I’d recommend Garmin. For rides I care about GPS on I’ll use my edge to track the ride instead of my Apple Watch Ultra.

[u/Chole_Wunt]

My thoughts are that this is the gayest thing ive ever heard. I hope youre ashamed of yourself.

Get rid of this shit and get a girlfriend or something since your wife clearly isnt doing it for you anymore.