The distance Equilab shows can differ a little from another app, a map or trail markers, and it can change slightly when you save a training. This article explains how Equilab calculates distance and why the numbers differ.
Before you start: if the distance, speed or time is clearly wrong, not just a little different, your phone's settings are the most likely cause. See The GPS track or distance looks wrong.
How Equilab measures distance
Equilab calculates distance from the GPS data your phone collects while you ride. The positions a phone's GPS reports are never exactly on the path you rode, so Equilab, like other tracking apps, filters out inaccurate points and smooths the path. Each app filters in its own way. Equilab aims for a smooth path that's close to the distance you actually rode, and doesn't inflate distances.
Why your distance differs from other apps or trail markers
The most common reasons for a different distance are:
Smoothing: every tracking app filters and smooths GPS data differently, so distances for the same ride can sometimes differ by 15% between apps.
Standing still: how much time you spend standing still during the ride.
Riding indoors: a roof blocks the GPS signal. Equilab still tries to collect GPS data under a roof, but the distance of a training ridden fully or partly indoors can't be accurate.
Why the distance got shorter after you saved
When you save a training, Equilab applies extra filters that can't run while you ride. These filters remove and smooth outlier points, so the total distance can drop slightly once you save. If the distance drops by more than 5% after saving, contact us in the app from Profile > Settings > Contact Support, with the date and time of the training.
Why your distance totals don't add up
Equilab rounds every distance it shows to the nearest tenth of a kilometer or mile, depending on your units. Totals for a week, month or year are calculated from the exact distances and then rounded, so a total can differ slightly from the sum of the rounded rides. For example:
A 2.55-mile ride on Tuesday shows as 2.6 miles.
A 4.55-mile ride on Friday shows as 4.6 miles.
The week's total shows 7.1 miles (2.55 + 4.55), not the 7.2 miles you get by adding 2.6 and 4.6.
To switch between kilometers and miles, see Change units, language and notifications.
Why Challenge distances round down
For your progress in a Challenge, Equilab always rounds the distance down, never up. Rounding then never shows you as closer to a Challenge goal than you are, so you don't come up short at the end.
Still need help? Contact us in the app: go to Profile > Settings > Contact Support, or email [email protected].