What about Gradient Lag?

According to the description on Garmin IQ, it says that

"This datafield shows useful live road gradient.

It does this much better than the stock gradient data field,

which seems to rely on GPS data, which is the worst sensor for the job

Uses the best available data: barometric altitude, bike speed sensors, GPS as a fallback"

Would seem to imply that GPS is not first source of data?  Anyway, just a suggestion that might work for some folks!

The reference to, "the stock gradient data field, which seems to rely on GPS data" refers to watches that Sensible Grade is compatible with. The barometric data seems to suffer from the same time delayed output from the 1040 hardware. It would be interesting if the author could optionally prioritize elevation from the new and apparently more accurate GPS hardware in the 1040.

We should have listened to the Garmin Consultant:

 - The current algorithm appears to use a 15 second rolling average to smooth the value, which leads to the lag that has been reported

There is no “lag”, there is a design feature, presumably since at least the 1030+.

Garmin, for a reasons I cannot fathom, seems to think that we prefer to see an average and rounded Gradient display over the stated delay, which under certain circumstance can be longer that 15secs IMO.

This is also the reason there is no Gradient decimal point, it is superfluous on an averaged & rounded display.

We have wasted a huge amount of time and effort posting on this.

Presumably Garmin think this what the customers want and will not be changing it, so we are stuck with it.

Garmin should update the manual with the real situation explaining the algorithm and why they are using it. 

Semantics. If it quacks like a duck…and…looks like a duck…, then it’s likely a duck. That is - a “Lag-duck” ️️

Whether one chooses to call it a design “feature” or a “lag” or a “15-second rolling average” then the device’s gradient display and reporting is STILL basically USELESS on rolling, undulating hills and terrain.

Only ok to use on a mountain slope that’s more or less constant, unchanging over many miles / kilometres of climbing.

There is an IQ data field, at least for previous Edge units, that does exactly this.  It has averaging times you can choose, and it works as you'd expect.  It's probably much more likely to get an IQ app than to get Garmin to change.

I did not manage to test it, but seems good alternative

last time when I check it was not compatible with 1040 

I recently replaced my Edge 1030 with the 1040 Solar and have noticed that my gradient is extremely slow to change and on familiar climbs where I know the gradients from years of repeat usage, the 1040 is just wrong. Is it possible this can be fixed in Settings? e.g.: I ride one climb that has a short 20% section, and only after I got to the "false top" did the gradient on the Garmin 1040 go up to 17%. The 1030 never had issues like this and was very sensitive to changes.

So while the climbing gradient feature shows more detail for more truncated sections for the 1040 vs the 1030, the response time and displayed gradient is far worse. 

Can @Garmin provide a software update or guidance for Settings to correct this?

You are on page 11 of this thread. If close to real time grade is important to you and this is a new purchase then quickly looking into your return options is the best course of action. Otherwise, accept that it will not change. This same unresolved hardware issue is now a couple years old with the 530, 830, and 1030+.

@amgwagon. This ️ summarizes it very eloquently.