Hello @erlendostbye 

Thanks for posting about this and apologies for any confusion.

Weighted Average Power is similar to - but NOT the same as - Garmin's Normalized Power.
Both numbers attempt to capture the average effort of a workout by taking into account lactate accumulation and other types of fatigue. Strava uses an algorithm very similar to xPower for computing Weighted Average Power.   Find out more here. 

There will be differences between the Weighted Average Power and Normalized Power. How much and which direction will depend on the ride. Typically, for shorter rides, Weighted Average Power will be lower than Normalized Power.

This is a result of the different types of smoothing used by the algorithms. Both numbers have been used successfully by professional coaches.

Another thing to keep in mind is that on Strava we do not remove any sections of zero power from your data before we do our calculations.  Whether or not your Garmin power calculations are including sections of zero power depends on your Garmin settings.  You can check the Garmin Support site to find out how to adjust this setting if necessary.

I hope that provides some insight into this.  Please let us know if you have any further questions.

Hi Jane. I have the same problem. I understand that Strava includes “zeroes” when measuring average power. The settings on my Wahoo Bolt is set to “Do not include zeroes”. 

However, all my friends have their cycling computers set to “not include zeroes” as well, but they get the same average power on Strava and on their cycling computer. 

I also have the same pronlem.
all my friends have their cycling computers set to “not include zeroes” as well, but they get the same average power on Strava and on their cycling computer. 

Hello @gerardgonzales and @rafiniv 

Thanks to your both for posting.  Have you tried changing the setting on your recording device to include zeros when calculating power?  If not, I would recommend giving that a try.   

Yes. I changed my setup in the Garmin to include zeros when calculating power!
I set the same settings as my friends.
It seems to my friends that the data from the Garmin app goes to Strava exactly as it is on the Garmin without any additional calculation on Strava.
For me, they are probably calculated in Strava, so I get a much lower result.

Hi. 
completed my ride this morning, avr power was 190w and calories 847 

two hours later I checked on the app and the avr power has now dropped to 97 and calories dropped to 420 

how is this possible after morning ride has been done and completed 

My weighted avg power shows up on website main screen; but on Strava app on phone it shows avg power on main ride page. I use a power meter and consider weighted more representative of ride effort. Any way to change app on phone to show weighted avg power on main ride screen like it does on website?

I get average power on both my phone app as well as the Strava website. On Garmin Connect, I have higher average power numbers as it is weighted average.  Very frustrating that Strava is different and kind of defeats some of their analysis information. 

I dont think this is the right solution. Why is Strava counting the 0W? Being penalized for stopping at the light? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me..

Strava doesn't count 0 W when stopping, only when riding.

This is not the entire story on the data differences though.  Setting the zero records on power averaging to be included is a start to resolving the problem, but there is also something else happening in strava that is not being addressed here and that is actual ride pauses and how different head units and software processes those vs what strava does.  I have tested this extensively by recording rides with structured intervals using multiple head units (all set to include zeros in power averaging) and while other software (training peaks, today's plan, garmin connect, golden cheetah, etc...) all summarize the data in almost exactly the same way with the same results from different computers, the same cannot be said of strava.  For example, just the other day did 3x15 min intervals and used both a Pioneer SGX CA600 computer as well as a Stages L200.  For the first two intervals I had almost no traffic stops but on the 3rd I hit several stoplights and was careful to manually pause/start recording on both computers at the same time at every stop (GPS auto pause turned off on both since that can also cause problems with strava).  During the ride both computers tell me the lap avg power when I complete a lap and both agreed within 1-2 watts.  After the ride the other ride analysis sites showed each interval at roughly the same power, speed, time, hr, cadence, etc..  but not Strava.  The last 15 minute interval (the one with ride pauses due to traffic stops) Strava for some reason clipped over 25 watts from the average power despite showing that interval being exactly 15 minutes, but only did this to the recording from the Stages L200.  When I deleted that activity and uploaded the file recorded on the Pioneer computer, Strava showed power averages for the intervals all being correct (agreeing with the computer as well as all the other ride analysis software sites).  So strava is definitely doing something different and it has to do with both the computer somebody is using as well as how many stops, or recording pauses, a ride has.  But why, Strava?  This makes very little sense.  The example I gave above was just one, but i have done this a lot and have also tested with a Garmin 820 and Wahoo Roam.  The only computer i have found that seems to process in strava exactly as the computer shows as well as other sites is the Pioneer CA600.  Rides recorded with all other head units seem to have some sort of data processing differences in strava that don't happen anywhere else.  So the answer to the OP's question could also be "it may be that strava and your bike computer simply will not agree".  I would love it if someone at Strava could explain why this phenomenon exists.  I have tested and seen this too many times so it's definitely not a one-off fluke.  Have other riding buddies see it too.

This isn't good, we want to exclude zeros as we want to see our workout for real in terms of average power produced, it doesn't matter about the rest period which in turn Strava is lowering our real numbers, please add the option like Garmin to exclude zero, and not change our data.

Appreciate there are a lot of variables involved, but I have often suspected that there is something in the way Strava handles different computers, as wahoo computers often seem to average higher watts than people with Garmins. I am getting this information off a very small population so can't say it is factual!

Hi Jane. 
appreciate this is old but wondering what Strava’s reasoning is for not letting users decide what they want to see? Thx 

I use a Wahoo head unit and  for the last couple of years  I always get extremely low average power in Strava (same with 2 separate Wahoo head units) - strava says it's because it includes 0w values, but I'm pretty sure there's something else going on too.

The average power in Strava was always a bit lower than in the Elemnts App (which excludes 0w values) but something changed a couple of years ago and my average powers in Strava dropped drastically.. for example today I did a a shortish ride and Elemnts & RideWithGPS both show average power of around 120W but Strava only shows around 50W.. this can't be right and I don't believe it is because of including times of 0W.. I also think Strava is penalising me for stopping at traffic lights when they're red!

Please Strava do something about this.

Jane wrote: "Another thing to keep in mind is that on Strava we do not remove any sections of zero power from your data before we do our calculations."

Yes but Strava seems to be also including times when the ride is paused as 0W .. or better said: the bike is stationary - say at traffic lights and Strava includes this time as 0W in its calculations.

This is obviously incorrect and needs to be corrected...

for example today I did a a shortish ride and Elemnts & RideWithGPS apps both show average power of around 120W but Strava only shows around 50W.. this can't be right and I don't believe it is because of including times of 0W when the bike is moving... If I hadn't been pedalling for more than half the time I was moving, I don't think I would have got very far...

Please Strava correct this problem - or at least give us the option to exclude 0W in the calculations as many other cycling apps do..

Usually Strava doesn't include the time and the 0 W when someone pauses. I did a ride with 1.25 hour moving and 1.5 hour pausing today and the average power in Strava was correct. It's possible that Strava didn't recognize the pause at traffic lights when the GPS is drifting and therefore some speed is detected.

My question is the between Garmin Connect and Strava transfers a lot of data why is it not possible in this case you take also the PWR data from Garmin? If there is no Garmin Connect connection you can make your own calculations for standalone user thanks from 🇦🇹✌️

Agree with all the above - strava need to have the ‘show zero option’.

subscribers pay $$ please sort as there is a 50-70 difference each ride?!

My q is why does strava override my element power stats ie 190 watts on element and strava says 115avg?

please sort this out, or let me know how to! 
ps I DO NOT want to include zeros.

Well, this was the thread I was looking for! So Strava, perhaps you should listen to your users and improve the calculations that are done for power (or better yet, truly read this directly from the file produced by Garmin, or Wahoo, or whatever other head unit is being used). I find this endlessly frustrating and if you’re looking for a potential financial impact for this problem, I would never buy one of your training plans simply because it would be impossible to match power numbers for whatever intervals are being done between what is displayed on my Garmin during (and after) a ride, and what eventually is calculated by Strava.

Maybe I’m in the minority on this, but when I do 99% of my riding outdoors, I always set my computer to exclude zeros from average power. There are too many stops, turns, slow downs, etc. to include zeros in power calculations while your riding outdoors. I want to know the amount of work I’ve been doing turning the pedals, but ignore the inevitable coasting and stopping at a traffic light that happens several times during a ride. 

Amen to all the above - strava it is your turn to respond and when you do…. pretend it is 

Tadej Pogačar asking the above questions - then reply.

​@Dmalmgren You can vote for this in 

​@Midsy For which questions didn’t you find answers? Strava made clear that they include 0 values when moving, and what is moving and what not is something Strava decides by their own (dubious) algorithms. These are the whole reasons for differences.

Thanks tiger - I am asking for Strava to actually change something.

since we all pay $$ it would be nice if they gave us the power option we are asking for which is…. Drumroll…

for my wahoo power (without zeroes) to show up as my Strava power!!! 

we put men on the moon surely you can sort this Strava
 

As I see you have already voted for that idea in the other post, here you can only ask questions. But be aware that only a minimal number of ideas will be realized and it doesn’t depend on votes or how useful the idea would be, only what Strava managers decide in their inscrutable wisdom.