I am considering purchasing an Edge 530. I currently have a Sigma Rox 11 GPS computer. I just tried the Strava Live Segments feature and I am curious how Garmin's algorithm compares.
It seems like my current computer uses a very simple algorithm to calculate whether you are ahead or behind your PR (or whatever you are tracking). It seems to simply calculate your average speed, and compare it to the average speed of your PR, then calculates a time delta. This is not a good solution because if the segment is a climb and the grade varies, your speed will vary throughout the segment. So if the segment starts out easy, it will show you way ahead of your PR, but when the road gets steeper, your speed drops, and your time delta drops. It's the same when navigating a route. It gives an ETA of when you will finish, but it's usually wildly off, because my routes tend to end with long descents, and so my average speed increases drastically at the end.
Is this how Garmin does it? Or are they smarter? I wish it would calculate live segment times based on where you were and at what time on your PR. Does that make sense?
Thanks!
Alan