# Speed measurement....



## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

I hear alot of guys on here saying they go 45 mph or 90 kph or whatever but how do you measure your speed? What's the best way to measure your speed when riding? And don't say try this app. The hill I ride at doesn't have very good cell service so I don't want to use an app. I have heard some guys use a gps gizmo. Anyone have one of those? How much? Does it work good? How accurate is it etc? Anyhow just curious.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

GPS devices can be very inaccurate cos they have signal drop outs. If the software doesn't has a fancy algorithm to correct for them? You get very wrong max speed numbers. (My Garmin often shows ridiculous stuff like +200mph).

You don't need full cell reception to use an app like Ski Tracks or Trace. Both use GPS of the phone and have some sort of correction algorithms. They never recorded ridiculous numbers as Garmin. Both have +/- the same numbers, the first usually bit higher (like 1-2kph higher). Both seem +/- reliable as they show consistend numbers which reflect what I _felt_.

I don't look at max speed numbers anymore, rather interested in verts or ascent speed nowadays, but some time back it was interesting to get a feel for the numbers. And it sort of had a healing effect. Back in the day, I thought that I only have to exercise well enough and some day will be able to keep up with SO. The one day when I grit my teeth n just pointed it from way higher than usual and hit 85kph (well above my standard ~70) - and almost shat my panz cos it was so scary, lol - and still was far behind... we cross checked our run and I had to realize that I'll never get there cos he was well in the three digit numbers. Soo... measuring speeds actually made me ride slower .


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

You already have the sphincter device that doesn't require aps, batteries, cell or sattelite uplink.

And

Just follow the fastest skiier that straight lines the hill and catch up at the chair and ask what s/he clocked on the run.

Between this these two methods will give you a good idea...a couple of skiiers in the crew have devices...2 ski tracks and 1 with gps.


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## jae (Nov 27, 2015)

just use the app, it's fairly accurate. don't care about how fast I'm going till I get home. I just think "man I was going fast. sick." unless you're racing against yourself.. don't worry abou tit.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

jae said:


> just use the app, it's fairly accurate. don't care about how fast I'm going till I get home. I just think "man I was going fast. sick." unless you're racing against yourself.. don't worry abou tit.


Racing myself always ends up in a tie.


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

f00bar said:


> Racing myself always ends up in a tie.


 Sure, but it's T1!

I use the Trace app or SkiTracks. You don't need cell service for the GPS to work. I suppose I could also take my Garmin watch but I don't see the point - it is just another GPS.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

I've used the apps, and I've been using a GPS watch for about 4-5 years now. *None of them are even remotely accurate for top speed.*

Oh, you tested it in your car? Great, you're going at a consistent speed completely flat.

Still don't believe me? My GPS watch said I did 146,xxx km/h the other day. Boo ya. I'm the fastest muther f'er on the forum, BABY YEAH!!!

Track your total distance, but more importantly vertical meters/feet. Nobody cares that you went 73.5 km/h down that cat track, but if you've rode over 10,000m vert in a day, I say good for you!


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

poutanen said:


> .....Oh, you tested it in your car? Great, you're going at a consistent speed completely flat.
> 
> *Still don't believe me? My GPS watch said I did 146,xxx km/h the other day. Boo ya. I'm the fastest muther f'er on the forum, BABY YEAH!!!*



_Not even!!! _ :grin: My Garmin Fenix clocked me @ over 200 *MILES* per hour!!! (...nunna that funky Canuck km measurements!!! Real honest to 'Murican MPH's!!!) :laugh: > 

:hairy:


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

*get off my lawn*

no offence to the OP, theres a shitload of history and baggage:

imo this whole endeavor is a bunch of bs nobody should be involved with unless they actually race.

even skilled, EXPERT riders and skiers who are pushing the speed boundaries are already riding above their limit. This truth carries true to the masses of intermediate and beginners who are already riding above their ability just by strapping in, not to mention adding the death timer to the mix.

i do realize that all of these things are designed to augment our social media presence (making it LITERALLY irresistable if you're under 30), i just urge my fellow boarders to leave this silliness to our lemming counterparts on 2 planks, all of whose friends are very impressed that they put everyone around them on the hill in danger with their irresponsible kookery.

look around, breathe, enjoy the scenery. theres no prize money for most time spent on chairlift.

/rant.... for now..


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

snowklinger said:


> no offence to the OP, theres a shitload of history and baggage:
> 
> imo this whole endeavor is a bunch of bs nobody should be involved with unless they actually race.
> 
> ...



.. unless it's at Keystone.


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## MisterNarwhal (Dec 6, 2016)

Bushnell Speed Screen LCD Display DISCOUNT Display for Bushnell Speedster III Radar Guns ON SALE

Just set up one of these.

...then post up with a couple of beers and enjoy the ensuing carnage!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I know that around here there are several race courses available to the public on local mountains.

If you really wanna go fast, go break yourself off in there where the only risk is to yourself.

*had 2 friends get plowed into by dummies this week, nobody hurt, very lucky.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

snowklinger said:


> no offence to the OP, theres a shitload of history and baggage:
> 
> imo this whole endeavor is a bunch of bs nobody should be involved with unless they actually race.
> 
> ...



Altho I have to be honest and admit to a certain sense of testosterone driven pride when I see that I've surpassed a previous top, or sustained speed....

I agree with SK about safety and this not being a race. 

My use of the speed stats has more to do with judging my progress in that I'm no "point & shoot" gorilla bomber. Too chicken shit for that. I am _always_ looking to be & stay in control and within "my" skillz comfort zone at all times. 

So if I see that my max, or more importantly,... sustained speeds are getting incrementally faster? I feel I can reasonably surmise that my skillz must be improving accordingly. 

Basically because I know I would not have been going that fast if I felt uncomfortable (...read chickenshit) or out of control. 

Juss sayin!


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

snowklinger said:


> no offence to the OP, theres a shitload of history and baggage:
> 
> imo this whole endeavor is a bunch of bs nobody should be involved with unless they actually race.
> 
> ...


Not offend at all. I agree with you. Tons of out of control morons out there. Not sure gps is too blame in most cases, usually just stupid skiers that are french fries when they should be pizza. :rofl4: I'm not going to try and be fastest on the mountain, going fast is only one of about 20 things that is fun to do on a snowboard. But it would be nice to have a rough idea of how fast I'm going. It feels "fast" but what does that mean? It could be 30kph or 80 kph. I have no idea. I'm not going to try to increase my number every week and end up breaking my neck. Just want to know what "fast" is for me. Maybe I will try Trace, I think I have an account with them already.


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## MisterNarwhal (Dec 6, 2016)

WasabiCanuck said:


> And don't say try this app. The hill I ride at doesn't have very good cell service so I don't want to use an app.


Quick tip on Trace - it doesn't require a constant mobile connection. It logs your GPS independently of cell service and stores that data in your phone. Try it in airplane mode, but be sure location service is turned on. Later, with airplane mode turned off and an internet connection established, open Trace up, and it will upload any stored sessions.

This will save a ton of battery, too. Just don't try any Power Saving modes or settings. Those will usually kill apps running in the background. I guess you could go in an "whitelist" Trace if you really wanted to run power saving mode, but I haven't needed to do that yet.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

If conditions are good and a very specific set of conditions are met, then I'll do a couple bomber runs when I first get to the hill because it's fun in the right circumstances. I use Trace Snow and a GPS watch, but I basically count the Trace speed as my legit speed.

Like others said, side hits, enjoying the scenery, playing on the hill is more fun than bombing all the time.


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

So I tried Trace this past weekend. Ugh pretty disappointing, only got up to 40kph. That's like grandma slow. Conditions weren't great, kinda icy and the hill I'm at is small so not alot of time to get going quick. I'm a noob with Trace, do you just start session when you get to the hill and turn it off when you leave? You don't have to pause it when you eat lunch etc? Interesting app anyhow.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

I start it when I get there and let it run until I'm done.


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## Nocturnal7x (Mar 6, 2015)

WasabiCanuck said:


> So I tried Trace this past weekend. Ugh pretty disappointing, only got up to 40kph. That's like grandma slow. Conditions weren't great, kinda icy and the hill I'm at is small so not alot of time to get going quick. I'm a noob with Trace, do you just start session when you get to the hill and turn it off when you leave? You don't have to pause it when you eat lunch etc? Interesting app anyhow.


Probably a good idea to pause it to save battery life. I don't always, no big deal. You can also upload a session at any time and any other sessions you log that day will be added to previous sessions for that day.


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## MisterNarwhal (Dec 6, 2016)

WasabiCanuck said:


> So I tried Trace this past weekend. Ugh pretty disappointing, only got up to 40kph. That's like grandma slow. Conditions weren't great, kinda icy and the hill I'm at is small so not alot of time to get going quick. I'm a noob with Trace, do you just start session when you get to the hill and turn it off when you leave? You don't have to pause it when you eat lunch etc? Interesting app anyhow.


If you can manage your phone's power usage, it's no problem. I'll start mine at 9 and finish at 5 with >50% battery left.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

I start my Trace in the morning, and it runs all day. I don't bother with pausing it. I used it all weekend at Mt Bohemia where I literally don't have cell reception within about 2 hours, it recorded no problem.

I only gauge my speed against myself, and I only look to get a top when runs are deserted, usually first thing in the morning.


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