Hi, is there any difference between using a Garmin 500 vs an iPhone for a standard member of Strava ? I like to just keep a map of my rides including the avg & max speed. It seems to me, that occasionally my iPhone 6 drops off therefore stripping me of that little bit of avg speed.. My 'simple' cat eye trip computer which is very accurate, according to my iPhone GPS on speed, and caliberated via the circumference, always is a little higher for avg speed than what Strava gives at the end of all my rides.. I was wondering if that's because my iPhone occasionally drops off or loses the gps signal.

Therefore, i was wondering if the GPS more accurate on say a Garmin 500. Again this is just for Strava on a standard freebie membership.

I have a Garmin 500 and love it. My BlackBerry Z10 has a cycling program on it that I down loaded but every time you stop for a break you have to remember to pause it or it keeps counting the time and your average speed is off. The Garmin 500 is a nice basic bike computer that has a ton of information it tracks. It also lets you set up five pages that you can scroll through and each page can hold up to 8 functions each. I have not had any problems with the GPS dropping on it. That is not to say it can't happen but I have not had that happen.

Do you want a bike computer that you can have in front of you to look at at any time without worrying about killing it with water? (Edge)

Or

Do you want a data recorder that needs to live in a plastic bag with its screen off (and unreadable) most of the time to be able to have enough battery life? (All smartphones)

Well that's the thing, i already have the cateye so i have speed, average, max and all that infront of me, then the iPhone tucked away in the back of my shorts. I have a waterproof lok-sak which adds zero bulk, so not worried about it if it gets wet... The only hassle is remembering to start it at the start of the ride...

I was just wondering if the Garmin done a better job than the iPhone for Strava.

Starting with the concept that average speed equals distance divided by time -- which of those two factors is different on the iPhone versus the Cateye? Does the Cateye show you've traveled a greater distance, or does it show you covered the same distance at greater speed (... or both)? Or, a related question, how different are the average speed reports? The Cateye would register small side to side (even slight weaving/wobbling) motions that would not register as forward motion on a GPS track, wouldn't it? Leading to the question ... what's the case that the iPhone GPS distance is more accurate than the Cateye distance, in terms of forward motion?

Actually the Cat Eye would the more accurate device for measuring the distance because every wiggle or swerve is real distance you have traveled. The GPS won't pick that up. While the difference will be small unless you are weaving all over the road, it is still distance you did travel. The Garmin Edge 500 can be set to auto stop the ride timer so it does not continue counting when you come to a stop so it won't be throwing your average speed off.

If you live in an area where GPS satellite acquisition is problematic, then an Edge 510, despite its issues might be a better choice than a 500. Yes the 500 has a better screen and is thinner and doesn't have as many firmware issues, but it is over 4 year old technology. The 510 has both GPS and GLONAS and acquires / holds satellites better than the 500. The Edge 510 isn't exactly cutting edge either as it is just over 2 years old. You can use a specific wheel calibration number with the 500 / 510 instead of auto calibration is there seems to be an issue with distance discrepancies.

Here is an complete review of the Edge 510: Garmin Edge 510 In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker

Even Strava Basic does more than record Speed & Distance, so it would benefit from the data collected by an Edge unit.

The advantages of an iPhone is that you usually always carry it with you and it is always on. Battery life is the biggest issue when using any smartphone as a replacement for a dedicated bicycle computer, more so as your rides get longer.

I use Strava on a phone for hikes and after 2 hours, the battery is down to 50%. My Garmin 500 battery life is a lot better. How big is the difference in speed and distance and for how many miles? You can probably google and find people who know what the algorithms are these devices use and why there are differences. If you have a lot of hills, the gps might be shorter because you get the projection of the hill onto a "flat" earth rather than the true distance.

my buddy uses his phone for strava when we ride. Longest outing was close to 5 hrs and it lasted. I use a garmin 510 and all data is pretty close when we upload.