bruce19

I've been using Garmin computers for many years. Recently I bought an Edge 830 and linked it with my Varia radar. After a ride I upload the data to Garmin connect and it sends the data to Strava. Although Strava seems to take all the data directly from Garmin Connect, it adds anywhere from 20-30 second to the ride time and, of course, it gives me a different average speed. All other data is the same. Why? I'm just curious.

Sy Reene

It's a guess, but do you have Garmin 830 setting for AutoPause of recording when below a certain speed? While strava might instead just look at total time and distance?

Alternatively, Garmin unit may take distance from hardware speed sensor calculations, while Strava is using map distances.

Mtracer

In the past, I've tried to sort out the small differences between Strava and Garmin. Seems odd since they are using the same data. But neither explain details of their calculations. I believe many of the differences come down to smoothing filters and other details of exactly how they process the data. Doesn't make one correct and one wrong, just slightly different.

Maybe someone will have the explanation for your specific question, but you might just have to go on living without ever knowing.

rsbob 

On my ride today using all of the OPs hard/software, I concluded the ride with an average speed of 15 MPH per Garmin within the last 2 minutes. Looking at Strava later after the data was uploaded, it showed 14.9. This has happened numerous times by degrading the average speed by a tenth usually after just getting the average speed up. To me it is no big deal but find a bit irritating after working to boost the average into a whole number. It’s just the way it is.

I believe Mtracer has it right.

bruce19

My 830 is on auto pause. Today I did a 15 mi. ride and Garmin and Strava reported the exact same time. I have no clue.

Bah Humbug

TrainingPeaks is also slightly different, and also does not tell you why. Or didn't tell me back when I asked them the same question.

bruce19

When I first posted this it was after a ride in which my Strava time was 20 seconds more than the Garmin Connect time. On the next ride the times were exactly the same. Today the Strava time was 10 second LESS than Garmin Connect. Coincidentally this is on the same course. I'm stumped and just have to let it go.

Mtracer

I agree with you, let it go. There may be some setting in Garmin or Strava that could affect this. I think those have been mentioned already. But in the end, Strava is using the Garmin data. Neither provides any details on how they process that data. I've tried to figure this type of thing out in the past and it really does become an exercise in futility.

I suspect we are a bit similar on this type of thing. It doesn't really matter, but since it should be the same, we want to get to the bottom of it.

roadie276

The higher speed one is clearly the correct one. : ) But seriously, I've noticed this too...Garmin reads higher than Strava for average speed. I figure Garmin potentially has access to lower level data and is potentially more accurate, though it's perhaps wishful thinking on my part.

Jughed

My speeds/times are usually pretty much spot on between the two, but the power numbers can be way off. Strava can say 160w average, but the Garmin shows 180 average, 205 normalized.

Did sprints and gassers last night, so power was all over the place. Strava power numbers 148 avg/189 weighted. Garmin 175/215 weighted. Time and distance were within a second of each other.

eduskator

It happens on my Wahoo often too. I always ''correct distance'' on Strava after every ride to compare. Sometimes it's the same, sometimes my Wahoo calculated distance and time are longer than Strava, but they have never been shorter. On my end, I think it may be related to occasional loss of satellite signal, but I am not 100% sure. I want to buy the new Roam V2 with the dual band GPS this year and I am wondering if it will help. We'll see!