Compare all segment times from a ride with a friend

[klemieux66]

A friend and I compete in a cycling race. I would like to see a comparison of our times on every segment in the race side-by-side. That would tell us where we need improvement. Sure, we can go into each segment and look at it that way, but when there are dozens of segments, it would be beneficial to compare. Kind of like a spreadsheet with a couple of columns and each segment a row. 

[anchskier]

@klemieux66 - Two options for this using currently available features.  First, you could make the entire event/race course a single segment and then use the "compare" feature to compare your two rides side by side.  You will see a graph of where the differences are and be able to scroll through it to see the variation.  Second, you could use the "flyby" feature to see a visual comparison of your rides.  Both athletes would need to have the "flyby" option enabled in the privacy settings.

[Soren]

Thanks for submitting your idea to enable the comparison of all segments in an activity with another follower. @anchskier shared some really great options as to how this can currently be achieved.
It would be very complex to implement this type of side-by-side comparison for multiple segments with another athlete and I do believe the other 2 suggestions mentioned are better suited for this purpose than comparing each individual segment. Our segment-matching algorithm has to be flexible enough to account for GPS drift so it can allow invalid matches in some cases. When we match you to segments, we will choose data points from your activity that fall closest to the segment's start and end points. Your data points will rarely ever fall perfectly on top of the segment's, so this means we may choose points inside or points outside the segment. Furthermore, you may not have the same segments matched to your rides as your friend, despite having traced the same route, due to the way your devices record and interpret data. You can read more about segment matching issues here.