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For some time I have questioned Strava average speed as incorrect. I have read many comments about the different algorithm used for moving time because my Wahoo shows a quicker average speed. I carry my phone with me albeit not using Strava and have accepted it is as simple as a different algorithm. That was until i left my phone at home. When I synced the ride…. guess what? Strava is slower. I have lost faith in the Strava app / GPS output and it now seems justified.

So first Wahoo was quicker and now Strava is slower? 😀

I’m confused on what you are saying.  You mention that you would bring your phone along but not use the Strava app.  If you are not using the strava app on your phone, then what are you comparing your Wahoo data to?  I don’t see what the difference would be between bringing your phone along and not bringing it if you aren’t using the app in the first place.

If you are just talking about recording your activity on your Wahoo device and then uploading to Strava and seeing different numbers for average speed, then it is probably simply the difference in the two systems addressing what they consider moving.  Wahoo may treat you as “stopped” when you are still moving at 1 or 2 mph, while Strava has a lower threshold and is still recording time down to a lower (or no) speed.  I would say that Strava is likely more accurate if that is the case.

Good point and something I have obviously questioned but wasn’t sure what was happening in the background. 
I make a point of pausing Wahoo when I stop or slow to cross an intersection so it would be very rare  wahoo would “record “ such low speeds.

yes i upload, in fact that happens the minute i activate wifi and before the strava app is opened physically which validates my first point. 
 

 

So first Wahoo was quicker and now Strava is slower? 😀

Slower mate. Thats the point

All this has nothing to do with your phone and the Strava app if you don’t use it to record the ride. It’s what Anchskier says, Strava (and that means some server somewhere) recalculates if and when you pause your ride. Pausing the Wahoo manually helps but Strava is known to ignore that if it deems there was some little distance between pausing and resuming. Those little distances occur even when standing still due to GPS inaccuracies. The general verdict is that Strava is mostly wrong with it calculations, for rides at least the errors don’t have too much impact but runners here often complains about great chunks of their activities missing. Unfortunately Strava won’t acknowledge it and claims since years that their approach is correct.

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