How hilly is your average commute?
01-17-12 | 11:07 AM
#27
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From: Virginia/DC
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Where do you people get your elevation data? I've got a GPS tracker (Cyclemeter) on my iPhone but the elevation data are essentially worthless. Eg, on four different days commuting the same route and distance to work, it showed elevation gains of 1170, 4000, 1945 and 1534 feet. Even if I throw out the outlier (4000), that would average out to about 1500 feet of climbing one way, which would mean a roundtrip elevation gain of 3000 feet over 30 miles. I doubt it. My route is hilly but I don't think it has that much climbing.
Data from the GPS I'm using (a car GPS) is unreliable and always overestimates. I've tried mapmyride as well but found ridewithgps the more reliable. Strava might work too (haven't used it much).
01-17-12 | 06:28 PM
#29
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From: Raleigh, NC
Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia
Checked my Cyclemeter app again today and it showed 1,170 feet of gain in the morning and 2,594 in the afternoon, for a total elevation gain of 3,764 over 30.5 miles. That would equate to 10,000+ feet of climbing extrapolated to a century ... which is why I don't believe these GPS readings. The other reason why I don't trust the readings is that vary widely from day to day, riding the same route.
01-18-12 | 02:02 PM
#30
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I'll second ridewithgps. It's where I get my elevation data too.
01-18-12 | 07:31 PM
#31
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From: Pittsburgh, PA USA
Bikes: 2012 Jamis Xenith Race, 2009 Jamis Aurora, 1993 Bianchi Ibex, 1964 Schwinn Traveler 3-Speed
Don't have a computer on my bike. Chart all of them on mapmyride.com after the fact. I save the ones I do regularly so I can do a quick check and enter my mileage. No idea how accurate it is.
01-19-12 | 12:04 AM
#32
Velocommuter Commando
Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Houston, Texas
Bikes: '88 Specialized Sirrus, '89 Alpine Monitor Pass, two '70 Raligh Twenties, '07 Schwinn Town & Country Trike, '07 Specialized Sirrus Hybrid
I live in Houston the high rises are the largest gain over sea level than any bike accessible service road.
01-19-12 | 09:42 AM
#33
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From: Southeast Oklahoma
Bikes: 2011 Diamondback Edgewood LX, 2008 Schwinn Prelude Road Bike
I've only got a couple of hills in my commute, but both of them are @ss kickers. Yesterday I gave up and walked up both of them.
01-19-12 | 01:40 PM
#34
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From: Virginia/DC
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Maybe try ridewithgps and see if it gives you a comparable/realistic elevation data/profile. I don't know how they all get their data but in my experience ridewithgps is better than mapmyride
01-19-12 | 06:49 PM
#36
Broken neck Ken
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Portland, OR
Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Trek Mt Track XCNimbus MUni
Maybe a foot the length of my driveway, then maybe three feet the length of the entrance to the parking lot at work. There is a speed bump, then I have to hop up a curb to the bike rack, so that's another 4" or so. Aside from that it's pretty flat.
01-19-12 | 07:06 PM
#37
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From: Ithaca, New York
Bikes: Felt Z80 road bike, Trek 7.2FX hybrid, Jamis Aurora Touring, Volae Voyager recumbent
+540 ft over 2.5 miles in the morning, all the climbing is in the last 1.2 miles, makes for a nice morning workout.
-540 ft over 2.5 miles in the pm, nice cruise home at night.
-540 ft over 2.5 miles in the pm, nice cruise home at night.
01-19-12 | 07:59 PM
#38
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From: Thomaston, Georgia
Bikes: 2013 Raleigh Clubman, 2010 Schwinn LeTour, 2012 Raleigh Sojourn, 2011 Schwinn Voyaguer 7
I trust ridewithgps better than mapmyride myself. I've heard that mapmyride averages the grade so the elevation gain actually appears lower. It's not to be deceptive on mmr's part me thinks but it is the belief that it may be more accurate to average on mmr's part.
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