Table of Contents
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Devices and Technological
Garmin Edge 130 elevations
My Garmin Edge 130 cycling computer which I used until 2024 was an “entry level” GPS device, no longer on the market, with a barometric altimeter. . The software was written several years ago , and has many glitches. Riders complained in forums. Garmin closed discussion on some complaints and issues.
One criticism: the rechargeable battery is soldered in, small and weak, and does not perform well if the ambient temperature is below 10℃.
Another is that the device is as small as a watch face or simple cycling computer in the fashion of many speed and distance computer.
The Garmin Edge 130 has data fields that allow a rider to display elevation, distance ascended, distance descended and grade. The manual says the “grade” data field displays:
“The calculation of rise (elevation) over run (distance). For example, if for every 3 m (10 ft.) you climb you travel 60 m (200 ft.), the grade is 5%”.
The barometer appears to read the surface elevation from point to point. The elevation field displays disparate readings for the same location on different rides depending on wind and the location of cells of high pressure. The calculations of total elevation gained or total descents vary for the same ride on different days. The software returned data sampled a few seconds and many meters earlier in the ride.
Garmin seems to correlate location data with elevation data from some maps. The head unit seems to supply a starting elevation for rides starting at known points. Information on how Garmin gets this data and programs the head units is proprietary.
Trying to read the device display is a distraction. Using Garmin programs and apps – for instance reviewing a ride track in Garmin Connect to get an elevation for a particular point on a trip is slow. Garmin Connect uses map data from Garmin’s “OpenStreetMaps” and displays a track on a map. It seems possible to place a cursor on a location and get the elevation. It was not a useful exercise.
Garmin Edge Explorer 2
The Edge Explorer 2 cycling computer has a altimeter; Garmin suggests it is barometric. It displays data fields for elevation, distance ascended, distance descended and grade. The manufacturer’s manual states:
Your device was already calibrated at the factory, and the device uses automatic calibration at your GPS starting point by default. You can manually calibrate the barometric altimeter if you know the correct elevation.
The reading of current elevation and grade do not lag. The calculations of total elevation gained or total descents are more consistent from ride to ride.
Google Earth Pro
The Google Earth Pro app, in Windows, on a desktop computer, can show location and elevation if you use the “Ruler” tool to draw a “path”. Google Earth will calculate and display “slope”, a % of distance along a path (“grade” in the language of Garmin). Finding a precise levation in Google Earth depends on:
- the way the application was built to match maps and aerial photos to satellite and drone data for the devices and systems used to record the elevation of specific locations on the surface of the eath as map coordinates;
- the accuracy of the maps and data the application searches; and
- how screen magnification and the plotting of a path affect the way the program identifies map coordinates and retrieves the recorded elevation.
I draw a section in Google Earth with the ruler tool, very occasionally.
Smart Phone Apps (Android)
Several Android smartphone apps can locate the phone as a place on a map and provide an elevation. They vary in accuracy depending on factors involving the use of the smartphone sensors and the network connection including the cell phone network.
Any given elevation or altitude app may need device permissions to use a device’s location services. Some use cellular data. Some share data with third parties and decline to delete data. Many apps do not provide ride tracks to riders.
I occasionally stopped during a ride to use the Android App My Elevation (by RDH software) and logged readings in a notes-taking App.
Places
The table that follows list the approximate elevation of waypoints that I pass in riding from home. In the table that follows:
- Areas are municipal divisions in Greater Victoria, and areas within large municipal areas (e.g. Victoria West in the City of Victoria).
- Elevation data in the table is the elevation in meters, above mean sea level according to the My Elevation app on my smartphone. It sometimes varies from Google Earth Pro.
| Area | Trail, Street, Route | Crossing or Point | Elevation |
| Esquimalt | Home, Local, indoors (basement) | 18 | |
| Esquimalt | Home, Local street level | 21 | |
| Esquimalt View Royal | Admirals Rd. | Craigflower | 12 |
| Esquimalt View Royal | E&N | View Royal Boundary (S end of Hallowell) | 17 |
| Esquimalt | E&N | CFB, Graving Dock entrance, Admirals Road at Colville | 27 |
| Esquimalt | E&B | Crossing Hutchison | 23 |
| Esquimalt | Rockheights Ave. | Highrock Ave. (high point in W. Esq. is 64 m.) Notes in narrative above. | 37 |
| Esquimalt | Esq. Rd. | Civic offices, library W of Fraser Avenue | 30 |
| Esquimalt | E&N | Lampson Street | 19 |
| Victoria Vic West | Goose | 1 Km Sign end of Harbour, beginning of trail along the harbour | 7 |
| Victoria | Beacon Hill Ring Drive | Childrens’ Farm | 25 |
| Oak Bay Uplands | Upper Terrace | Cordova Bay Rd E end of Cedar Hill X | 53 |
| View Royal | Goose | Ridge West of West Tunnel, Helmcken; near Victoria General | 30 |
| View Royal | Goose | Atkins Avenue Transit park n ride lot Trail rest stop | 21 |
| Colwood | Goose | Goose distance sign 13 km Wale Road | 54 |
| Langford | off Goose, on Jenkins | Intersection of Hull E of Starlight Stadium | 76 |
| Langford | E&N | intersection Veterans Memorial, Goldstream, Atkins | 82 |
| Saanich | Goose | Overpass of MacKenzie Avenue, east end along Douglas Street | 21 |
| Saanich | Lochside | Near 3 Km. post Rest stop, Don Mann | 37 |
| Saanich | Lochside | Royal Oak Drive at Lochside School | 41 |
| Saanich | Lochside | Near 9 Km. post Cordova Bay Road | 36 |
| Central Saanich | Hunt Valley: Welch | At Martindale | 39 |
| Central Saanich | Lochside | At 14 Km post i.e. Ocean View | 26 |
Crossing Esquimalt N to S
A route on side streets is preferable to sharing the road with the heavy traffic on Admirals Road on the climb from Woodway to Esquimalt Road (average slope 4% over a distance of 350 m., with a 150 m section with slopes of 10% to 15.5%).
One option is to ride south along Hutchison from the E&N trail up to Rockheights and follow Rockheight past the intersection of Highrock Avenue. The elevation of the junction of Rockheights Avenue at Highrock Avenue is in the table above, I can draw a path in Google Earth from the E&N trail, along Hutchison and Rockheights to the intersection of Rockheights. The path is 514 meters long, from the low point of 17 m. above mean sea level on the E&N trail to a high point of 43 m., with a drop to 37 m. at the measurement point. The gain to the high point is 27 m. The average slope is 6.5 % . The slope goes to over 10% where Hutchison crosses Lockley. The slope goes from 10% to 15% for 150 meters. The slope gets shallower at Rockheights, but the climbing continues. The smaller chain ring on 2x drive trail system is useful.
Another is to turn south on Intervale, then west for a block on Lockley, then south up Intervale (it continues after the offset) and Highrock to Rockheights
Rockheights is gentle or level, and runs into Old Esquimalt which descends to Park Terrace, Grenville and Esquimalt Road.
Avoiding the climbs to travel from my Local CRD3 in NW Esquimalt to the library on Esquimalt Road in SW Esquimalt means riding north on the E&N trail and east of Lampson to a street that crosses Esquimalt Rd and gives access to the EW streets in the West Bay area.
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