Explore pro 2 shows very exxagerated elevation gain.

Wojcio
6 months ago

Recently purchased Explore 2 for MTB rides. It adds like 20% or more to actual elevation gain. I compare with Komoot, Apple Watch Ultra and paper map. For example last Friday - Start 395m, end 1155m (and this data are OK on Garmin), but total ascent is reported as 955m. It is 200m too much and discrepency was growing gradually during the ride. This route was 100% uphil - no flat not down for 10km but graph in Connect shows downhill stretches. Not possible to miss it on bicycle, have vitnesses for this. All setings default except auto pause was off (as it often happens I ride below 5km/h during ascent and with autopause ascent was far too low). Secondaty problem is that grade is always shown as 0%.

Do I do something wrong? Or my unit has faulty sensors and needs replacement? Or it is known bug? 

  • 0 6 months ago

    Does your map have DEM data?

    If it doesn't, the elevation data is mostly based on barometer, which is not accurate.

    These are my 3 rides with the same route:

    -

    Distance: 71.28km

    Total Ascent: 361m

    Min/Max Elevation: 472m/530m

    -

    Distance: 71.18km

    Total Ascent: 350m

    Min/Max Elevation: 475m/531m

    -

    Distance: 71.19km

    Total Ascent: 372m

    Min/Max Elevation: 473m/529m

    -

    22 meters error is OK for me with 70km of distance. And the Min/Max data is very accurate.

    Map I use: https://alternativaslibres.org/en/downloads.php

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to Tiefstoesse

    I use standard Garmin maps provided with the device and as you see difference is quite massive. 

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to Wojcio

    If it’s Garmin standard map it should have DEM. Maybe you should compare several rides with the same route to see if it’s the map that has the wrong DEM (if it’s always around 1155m).

  • 0 6 months ago 
    unfortunately, my device is also so inaccurate. (I correct the height data in the Strava program after training) The thermometer is also very deceiving. (bryton was 320 until now, both data were correct there)
  • 0 6 months ago

    I doubt I’d DEM data are wrong. I see proper start and end elevation, and also expected gain is correct. Only measured value is off. I experience this in other places too. In my riding it is common to have big gain over short distances as grades over 10% are regular.  

  • 0 4 months ago

    Hi,

    Was this issue resolved?

    I have the same issue on my recently purchased Explore 2.

    Today did a 48km ride on mostly gravel/asphalt with 3 devices to compare the ascended meters. 

    Garmin EE2: 261 meters

    Garmin Vivoactive 4 : 204 meters

    Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx (2006!): 208 meters

    I also tried logging directly i nStrava on my mobile, but failed to log te entire ride, so omitted the data.

    Remarkably, VA4 and GPSMAP agree very well, but EE2 has seen an extra 50-60 meters. about 25% of the total. 

    Last week I did a MTB trail 38km, mostly single track:

    VA4: 469 meters of climbing

    EE2: 889 meters of climbing

    An extra 90% for the Explore 2.

    How can this be exlained, prevented, coreected?

    Thanks,

    Bart

  • 0 4 months ago

    Heya, did anyone ever got to the bottom of it? My Garmin EE2 worked relatively fine for the first week, tracing altitude gain similar to Komoot and Strava. Then something happened and now it's usually recording more than double the gain compared to Strava and you can see it broken during the ride when it measures 10 meters gain on a stretch of a 500m perfectly flat road. Please helpGrinning

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 9123992

    I'm having the same issue with my EE2. Consistently getting 3xAscent/Descent elevation values recorded. Plan to call Garmin Tech Support 800-800-1020. It's been problematic since I purchased this unit in April 2024. I'll post their solution soon. 

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to rob.burke

    Never observed a factor 3. That would almost sound like a mixup of units: feet vs meters...

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 6617300

    Few days ago an updated was installed. Today i did a ride, paved roads, mostly flat with some rolling  hills. Vivoactive 4 saw 127 meters of climbing. EE2 saw 129 meters.  Seems like  a decent deviation, can live with that. Was it the update? 

    Will check later how it works on MTB single track, with lots of pumps,  bumps,  few jumps, some dips, rolls and short ups and downs .Curious what both device will mae of that...