BIKEREX

I recently purchased my first cycling computer (Garmin Edge 530), which has worked very well so far. The issue I am having is with Garmin Connect, as it does not show any type of gradient information in the stats for a given ride. It shows elevation, speed, and temperature data only.

This seems odd, as the device captures gradients during a ride and I would think that this would be included in the ride stats. It would also be helpful when creating courses, as it would help me plan them based on my abilities. Having some benchmark data to monitor progress with climbs of varying categories would be helpful as well.

Is there a setting I need to turn on to be able to see the gradient data in Garmin Connect? I should note that on the device, I can see climb information for a given course, but it only appears to show average gradient.

Thank you for any guidance you can provide on this issue.

August West

I don't think Garmin Connect shows gradient data. An easy way to get it is to import your ride into Ride With GPS or have GC automatically sync your with to RwGPS. It will show you gradients there.

BIKEREX

Thanks for the suggestion. As a test, I exported one of the rides as a .tcx file and imported into Map My Ride, which is the application I had been using with my iPhone before I bought the Edge 530.

The only problem with MMR is that their gradient information is not very accurate. For example, if I start creating a route, the gradient for a particular climb changes as I add segments to the route. There is a long hill near my house that I know to be 10% and if I create a segment for only that hill, MMR does show it as 10%. If I include the same hill in longer route in MMR, it shows the gradient for the hill as 7%. The 7% is not the avg. gradient, as the elevation graphic shows the percentage for each climb.

Have you found that Ride With GPS provides greater gradient accuracy as part of their mapping/course creation tool?

August West

Can't really say since I haven't used it much. I just knew it was available there so I thought I'd throw out the suggestion. You'd have to try it and see.

Seattle Forrest

It's in the elevation chart. It shows the up and down, and the steepness either over time or distance.

For planning, CalTopo is nice because it has terrain shading.

BengalCat

You probably are aware, but just in case, if you have or get Strava you can connect it to Garmin Connect. Consequently, all the data will be recorded automatically on upload to both and Strava has the gradient info you seek.

BIKEREX

Yes - thank you. Now that I have confirmed that Garmin Connect does not show gradient percentages, I need to find the best application and stick with it. Map My Ride has been ok, but I looked at Ride With GPS yesterday and like the way in which it shows climb gradients at every point along a route. MMR is not that precise, as you can have a climb that starts at 5% and ends at 9.5%, but MMR shows it as a 9% climb from beginning to end.

I don't really use the social connectivity features of these applications, so I am wondering what everyone's overall preference is for route planning, ride statistics, etc. Is Strava the best or is it geared more toward those who want to connect with others through the app?