Strava problem

[n18]

Did you change your lights, or carry different devices? Some may create interference.

[lordofthemark]

@n18 181389 wrote:

Did you change your lights, or carry different devices? Some may create interference.

I did add a light, but that was a week ago. Not sure when I first actually used the light, though I certainly did this AM. Would it matter if the light was turned on?

[hozn]

My thought is that it’s a problem with the GPS — or the Android location service that abstracts the phone’s GPS to the applications. To rule that out, I would recommend also recording your ride on another similar recording software. If the other software records the correct route and Strava doesn’t, then it sounds like there’s something about Strava — or about how your phone is trying to throttle’s Strava’s usage of location services or something. Anyway, should be easy to identify whether it’s a phone/OS issue or app issue.

[lordofthemark]

@hozn 181394 wrote:

My thought is that it’s a problem with the GPS — or the Android location service that abstracts the phone’s GPS to the applications. To rule that out, I would recommend also recording your ride on another similar recording software. If the other software records the correct route and Strava doesn’t, then it sounds like there’s something about Strava — or about how your phone is trying to throttle’s Strava’s usage of location services or something. Anyway, should be easy to identify whether it’s a phone/OS issue or app issue.

That is a great idea – though I would note that on Monday when I was riding a bus I checked my location on google maps, and IIRC it was fine.

[baiskeli]

@hozn 181394 wrote:

My thought is that it’s a problem with the GPS — or the Android location service that abstracts the phone’s GPS to the applications. To rule that out, I would recommend also recording your ride on another similar recording software. If the other software records the correct route and Strava doesn’t, then it sounds like there’s something about Strava — or about how your phone is trying to throttle’s Strava’s usage of location services or something. Anyway, should be easy to identify whether it’s a phone/OS issue or app issue.

My thoughts too – a GPS issue.

Here’s Strava’s help:

https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216918967-Troubleshooting-GPS-Issues

[n18]

@lordofthemark 181391 wrote:

I did add a light, but that was a week ago. Not sure when I first actually used the light, though I certainly did this AM. Would it matter if the light was turned on?

Many of modern lights use what’s called a switching power supply(Sometimes called step-up voltage regulator, or boost regulator, or buck converter), even if they run on regular or Lithium batteries. The manufacturer needs to have these shielded to prevent interference. They generate high frequency signal in the range of 100 to 500 KHz. They are two times more energy efficient than their earlier predecessors(called linear voltage regulators), which means longer battery life(See this video, but you need to know a bit about electronics). The power supply could be on, even if the light is off, especially if it’s a press/toggle button as opposed to a slide button; the latter could be turning the power off entirely. So keep the light few feet away from your phone to see if it’s the source. Post a link to the light if you can.

[lordofthemark]

1. Kurt suggested it might be where I am keeping my phone? This AM I had it in the pocket of my yellow windbreaker – not sure about Saturday. I do not recall a problem with the jacket in the past, but not sure
2. GPS is still working in google maps, now and did when I rode the bus on Monday. So either a strava issue, or maybe an issue with the light. Pretty sure not a general GPS issue.
3. The battery on the light died so I could try riding without recharging, but I think I will want the light this evening (I will be going to shul first and then riding home later)
4. I will try keeping the phone in a different place from the jacket pocket.

[hozn]

@lordofthemark 181407 wrote:

1. Kurt suggested it might be where I am keeping my phone? This AM I had it in the pocket of my yellow windbreaker – not sure about Saturday. I do not recall a problem with the jacket in the past, but not sure
2. GPS is still working in google maps, now and did when I rode the bus on Monday. So either a strava issue, or maybe an issue with the light. Pretty sure not a general GPS issue.
3. The battery on the light died so I could try riding without recharging, but I think I will want the light this evening (I will be going to shul first and then riding home later)
4. I will try keeping the phone in a different place from the jacket pocket.

Re #2 — I don’t think the fact that the GPS seems to work when you open Google Maps rules out that it’s a GPS or Location Service problem. You want to rule out Strava app for being at fault, so make sure you can record a ride on another app and that it looks correct (and different from Strava).

To the point, if #1/#4 is true, then it has to be a GPS problem — despite Google Maps working.

But, really, I’d start by ruling out the app. if you identify that it’s a system-wide problem you can start experimenting with GPS location / radiation interference, etc.

[huskerdont]

@lordofthemark 181388 wrote:

Yes, I did search the forum, didn’t find any exact matches to this though.

Until Friday, Strava was working fine for me. Since then it has been acting weirdly. (I use it on an Android/Samsung phone) It sometimes creates a straight line, as if I had paused and left it on, though I am sure I did not pause it (that happened this morning on the way to CCCC) At other times it records a teeny tiny segment (rounds to zero) and cuts out right away (that happened this AM too, on my ride from CCCC in to DC). But that teeny tiny bit is at the correct location. So GPS is clearly working. I tried deleting and reinstalling Strava, that did not help. I tried a (warm) reboot of the phone, but that did not help. I will try a cold reboot before riding home this evening.

I wonder if my phone is to sensitive to touch? (though I checked to make sure the screen was dark before leaving CCCC this AM) Maybe I should change that in settings?

Any other ideas would be appreciated, as this is getting annoying.

I have a Samsung Android as well, and when I had (somewhat) similar issues, it was because I didn’t wait until the phone said “GPS signal acquired” before starting. I can’t get a GPS signal in our parking garage anymore, so I would start without it assuming it would catch, but sometimes it did not. Now I ride out of the garage, stop, and turn on Strava, then ride again since I was losing large portions of some rides. Like you, there would sometimes be a straight-line jump from where I started to where it finally picked up, if it did at all, and at other times it would just start a few miles into my ride.

The teeny-tiny bit happened to me once as well, and best I can figure there is I didn’t manually disable the screen with the button on the upper right so Strava may have turned off in my pocket.

[fxbooks]

@huskerdont 181414 wrote:

I have a Samsung Android as well, and when I had (somewhat) similar issues, it was because I didn’t wait until the phone said “GPS signal acquired” before starting. I can’t get a GPS signal in our parking garage anymore, so I would start without it assuming it would catch, but sometimes it did not. Now I ride out of the garage, stop, and turn on Strava, then ride again since I was losing large portions of some rides. Like you, there would sometimes be a straight-line jump from where I started to where it finally picked up, if it did at all, and at other times it would just start a few miles into my ride.

I also have a Samsung Android, and I also have to wait for Strava to Acquire a GPS signal before I start a ride. My issue was that it would randomly miss half a mile to a mile of my ride before it picked up, especially when I used the Strava widget to start my ride. If I try to start Strava in the house, I have to stand next to a window to make sure that the GPS gets acquired, and even then it doesn’t always work.

[huskerdont]

@fxbooks 181416 wrote:

I also have a Samsung Android, and I also have to wait for Strava to Acquire a GPS signal before I start a ride. My issue was that it would randomly miss half a mile to a mile of my ride before it picked up, especially when I used the Strava widget to start my ride. If I try to start Strava in the house, I have to stand next to a window to make sure that the GPS gets acquired, and even then it doesn’t always work.

So I’m not the only one. Stopped working in my basement too. When winter comes and it’s 18 degrees out, I’m not sure what I’m going to do; taking my hands out of my gloves isn’t going to help them stay warm on the whole ride. What’s strange is that this only started happening early this summer.

[bentbike33]

@huskerdont 181417 wrote:

When winter comes and it’s 18 degrees out, I’m not sure what I’m going to do; taking my hands out of my gloves isn’t going to help them stay warm on the whole ride.

Get a Garmin or a Wahoo ELEMNT. These devices have buttons that work with gloves on and can also record the temperature during your ride so you can prove your Rule 9 Badassery to all.

[lordofthemark]

@huskerdont 181414 wrote:

I have a Samsung Android as well, and when I had (somewhat) similar issues, it was because I didn’t wait until the phone said “GPS signal acquired” before starting. I can’t get a GPS signal in our parking garage anymore, so I would start without it assuming it would catch, but sometimes it did not. Now I ride out of the garage, stop, and turn on Strava, then ride again since I was losing large portions of some rides. Like you, there would sometimes be a straight-line jump from where I started to where it finally picked up, if it did at all, and at other times it would just start a few miles into my ride.

The teeny-tiny bit happened to me once as well, and best I can figure there is I didn’t manually disable the screen with the button on the upper right so Strava may have turned off in my pocket.

I already often check to make sure GPS is on and at the right location – this AM at Park Center, made sure it was on. It drew a straight line from Park Center to Crystal City (exactly 3.3 miles, BTW) It clearly had GPS at Park Center, and at Crystal City.

Re Hozn’s suggestion – I have ridewithGPS on my phone, and will try recording on that as well. It currently thinks I am in Crystal City, as does Strava, though Google Maps is aware that I am in Navy Yard. Going towards the building atrium or a window does not seem to help.

[lordofthemark]

RideWithGPS was also wrong showed a short straight line on Eads, while Strava showed a 3.5 mile straight line from SW DC to just past Crystal City. I did a full reboot this evening.

[josh]

I’ve stopped actually using my phone or cycling computer to record rides. I much prefer the quality of a handcrafted, artisanal GPX file. It’s simpler and less wear-and-tear on your bikes to just upload one of those to Strava. It might not be cheaper (have to pay a master craftsman to build them for me), but ultimately I think it’s a better solution for me than actually riding.

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