Metrics Strava vs TR

Just curious to know if you’ve also noticed discrepancies between data displayed post ride on TR vs Strava.

Just a few examples

Edge 520: calories in line between Strava and TR; elevation gain 1500m on Strava vs 1640m on TR

Bryton 310: calories 3150 Strava vs 3400 TR: elevation gain 800m Strava vs 1250m TR

Considering data source is the same (same ride uploaded on the two platforms) I’m wondering what causes this discrepancy.

FWIW in my experience with Edge 530, TR gives a lot higher elevation gain. On flat routes around here with two freeway overpasses and elevation between sea level and 60’ above sea level:

  • Garmin/Strava/TrainingPeaks will show about 200 feet
  • Strava and TrainingPeaks elevation corrected will show about 100 feet
  • TR will show about 400 feet

Something like that.

Extreme example from a coffee ride recorded on Apple Watch:

less than 100’ of climbing turned into 1941’ of climbing on TR.

Again that is crazy extreme and some artifact from how Apple Watch records and TrainerRoad processes.

Garmin vs TrainerRoad is a lot closer, with TR being a little too high on flat rides.

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I should also add, the ride with the edge shows avg power of 205 on Strava vs 190 on TR.

The Bryton has similar avg power but it was mostly a flat ride.

So, which one is more trustworthy here? Strava TR or I should look at intervals icu?
:face_with_monocle:

I have actually seen the opposite where Strava will prune some of my power data and usually has lower avg/NP compared with garmin, TR, et al

I use a Wahoo head unit and my TSS is always off too…i want to say strava under reports it (i think its a pluging that reports mine stravax maybe)
Just use which ever number you like best and be consistent

the thing with strava is - they dont own/bought the copyrights of the coggan metrics like NP, TSS etc. … so strava has its own algorithm to calculate their own normalized power which is not as NP from coggan

this however doesnt explain the other problems the original poster described

Years ago I turned off auto-pause on my Garmin (and TrainerRoad), and that resolved nearly all discrepancies. The few that remained seemed to happen after stopping, and then a large power spike within the first 30 seconds of restarting.

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For average power discrepancies check that both apps are set the same to either include or exclude zeros

Is there an option for this in Strava or TR?

I thought this was something one had to choose in the device itself (the Bryton doesn’t even have an option for this even on the current modes I think).