Garmin?

[monkeylc]

Whats the difference between using garmin and using your mobile for strava?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

One is a phone, one is a dedicated sports GPS device

 

[cyberknight]

http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/smartphones-vs-garmin-which-gps-is-best-for-strava/

 

[PpPete]

Phone + Can upload to Strava automatically
Phone - GPS use eats your battery

Garmin - depends on model what it can do

 

[vickster]

You have to attach a Garmin to a computer to upload to Strava unless you have a fancy one with bluetooth

I use my phone and an additional battery pack if riding for more than a couple of hours. You do get quite different figures from Garmin vs Smartphone (I have an iPhone, Android is probably different again)

 

[LimeBurn]

I have a Garmin 510 and use it to record my rides, but it connects to my phone via bluetooth. When I get back from a ride I just click save and it automatically records it to Garmin Connect which is Garmins version of strava. To save me having to export my route over to strava I subscribe to Tapiriik which is a measly few quid a year which then automatically transfers all my rides to Strava, or Endomondo, Trainer Road or whichever other fitness apps you use. I do like my smartphones but it was just too battery dependent and if out all day I would rather guarantee that I had a phone in an emergency. The only downside to this is that you cant see a an active segment approaching like you can if you have a smartphone strapped to your handlebars, so depends really on whether you want to go for every KOM record or not.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Click the upload button on strava and add your garmin connect account details. GC and Strava are now paired and will automatically copy new activities

 

[Nigelnaturist]

or just plug it in, and upload maually I do this, its less than 5 sec's to do, strava, remembers the fold so it opens the correct one, in my case sorted newest to oldest so its usually the first one or three files, I don't use connect anymore, rwgps is the same. Its not rocket science.

 

[Peteaud]

or just plug it in, and upload maually I do this, its less than 5 sec's to do, strava, remembers the fold so it opens the correct one, in my case sorted newest to oldest so its usually the first one or three files, I don't use connect anymore, rwgps is the same. Its not rocket science.

Garmin express is pretty good and it uploads to strava at the same time.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Peteaud I don't really use strava much only as a backup to record my data, I use G.T.C. for my base core data, and rwgps for corrected elevation, as we know strava is pretty naff at that, I use my own designed data base to record my rides, this includes much more than strava or garmin can supply, like ft/mile avg v.a.m. and weather which I get from sporttracks. It gives rolling 7, 30, 90 days, by week, month quarter year, ect, the list is too long, down side its bit more complex than just uploading a ride.

This is an example of the rolling 7 days back to sept, along with a difficult score based on the climbbybike formula.

 

[fossyant]

Phones are much less accurate than the Garmin.

 

[HLaB]

Phones are much less accurate than the Garmin.

From a couple of wee tests I done I found it was about 3 secs on rides 7-18miles and about 1 sec on segments (which is a large proportion of stupid short segments), there was a discrepancy on max speed and elevation but nothing Id worry about ;-)

 

[fossyant]

It's the inaccuracy on smaller segments that's an issue (if you are so bothered). I just tested in a few years ago, garmin vs phone. The phone app eats too much battery.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I think anything that records short segments on strava can be a bit iffy, over a ride the difference between my R20 and 705 is may 1/10th of mile this could just be the R20 records every three seconds the 705 every second, but as you know this can be set to smart recording, the biggest difference (bar elevation, the R20 is pretty pants at that a bit like a smart phone) is max speed, not sure if it interpolates between recordings, and this is from a speed sensor the same the 705 uses.

 

[Kestevan]

Main advantage of the Garmins is the battery life. GPS/Strava use eats phone batteries. Oh and the Garmins are waterproof, easy to mount to the bars and are (usually) able to survive a crash if you are ever unlucky enough to come off.