How to Add in a missing piece of a ride to a GPS file.
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:10 pm
This tutorial depends on you drawing a GPX to fabricate a map. Often it is easier to splice-in another person's activity (tutorial here).
Very often, people lose part of their ride because the GPS shuts off. If you are the type of person who likes to have every detail of a ride, this tutorial is for you. It takes about 15-45 minutes to get this done correctly, and can be a bit of a challenge. If this looks too hard, send me your files and I can do it for you - but I'll probably ask you to donate!
Step 1: Upload your ride to the tools. We just want to see the time stamps for now.
Step 2: Once your file is uploaded, click the button that says "Click Here" and go to the next page. On this 2nd page, click the "Edit Points" button.
Step 3: Identify the region where we have missing GPS data.
Step 4: Click on the map right next to where the straight line begins. We are trying to find the time stamp where the line went bad.
Step 5: Write down the time stamps. In this example, we would write down 10:17:43 and 10:57:31. Our job is to now create the missing segment, and have it begin at 2021-03-13 10:17:43..... and end shortly before 2021-03-13 10:57:31.
Step 6: At this point, you can close that window. We won't need it anymore. Next, go to Strava and find the Route Builder. You can use any program that draws GPX files, but in my example, I am going to use Strava.
Step 7: Draw your route. Be sure to have the start and stop points be as close as possible to the actual points where your activity went wrong. Your goal is to fill in the missing piece as exactly as possible. Note that you can make MINOR adjustments later using that Edit points tool you used in the earlier steps. The reason you cannot make major changes is because the time stamps cannot be adjusted - meaning that you may have a short burst of un-realistic speed if you move points too far apart.
Step 8: Export the GPX file.
Step 9: Take note of the distance of your missing piece. You will need to do some math in the next step! Notice how this distance is 6.07 miles.
Step 10:
Get out your thinking cap. In step 5 we took note of the time. So, the duration of the missing chunk is 10:57:31 minus 10:17:43. That is just about 40 minutes duration. We know 40 minutes is 2/3 of an hour, so we will say that this is about 0.66 hours. In step 9, we got the distance (6.07 miles). So, if Rate = Distance / Time, we simply take 6.07 divided by 0.66 hours... so about 9.19 miles per hour. I try to err on the side of caution when making fake-data (so we don't get KOMs)... but at the same time, we don't want the duration of the segment to exceed the gap we are trying to fill!
Step 11:
Step 12: Check the start and stop times - make sure that they match the gap you are trying to fill.
Step 13: If all looks good, Export this file onto your desktop. Do NOT select the Send to Strava Option.
Step 14: Go to the Merge Tool and upload the file you just created along with the original file with the missing chunk.
Step 15: Click the "Click Here" button once it is uploaded. On the next page, you will see your new piece overlapping with your original track. Let's have the tool re-calc the distance, and we will double check everything by clicking "Edit Points" (that way we can see it on a map before we send to Strava.
Step 16: It is fixed!
Step 17: Send to Strava from the tool!
Very often, people lose part of their ride because the GPS shuts off. If you are the type of person who likes to have every detail of a ride, this tutorial is for you. It takes about 15-45 minutes to get this done correctly, and can be a bit of a challenge. If this looks too hard, send me your files and I can do it for you - but I'll probably ask you to donate!
Step 1: Upload your ride to the tools. We just want to see the time stamps for now.
- Uploading your file to the GOTOES | Strava Tools
Step 2: Once your file is uploaded, click the button that says "Click Here" and go to the next page. On this 2nd page, click the "Edit Points" button.
- Click The EDIT POINTS Button
Step 3: Identify the region where we have missing GPS data.
- Identify the region of missing data
Step 4: Click on the map right next to where the straight line begins. We are trying to find the time stamp where the line went bad.
- Click on the point where the line starts to go bad.
Step 5: Write down the time stamps. In this example, we would write down 10:17:43 and 10:57:31. Our job is to now create the missing segment, and have it begin at 2021-03-13 10:17:43..... and end shortly before 2021-03-13 10:57:31.
- Take a note of the time stamps.
Step 6: At this point, you can close that window. We won't need it anymore. Next, go to Strava and find the Route Builder. You can use any program that draws GPX files, but in my example, I am going to use Strava.
- Begin to Re-Draw your route.
Step 7: Draw your route. Be sure to have the start and stop points be as close as possible to the actual points where your activity went wrong. Your goal is to fill in the missing piece as exactly as possible. Note that you can make MINOR adjustments later using that Edit points tool you used in the earlier steps. The reason you cannot make major changes is because the time stamps cannot be adjusted - meaning that you may have a short burst of un-realistic speed if you move points too far apart.
- Carefully Redraw the missing section of your activity here.
Step 8: Export the GPX file.
- Export the GPX file from your missing piece of GPX track.
Step 9: Take note of the distance of your missing piece. You will need to do some math in the next step! Notice how this distance is 6.07 miles.
- Take note of the distance.
- Screen Shot 2021-03-15 at 8.29.56 AM.png (44.82 KiB) Viewed 17370 times
Step 10:
Get out your thinking cap. In step 5 we took note of the time. So, the duration of the missing chunk is 10:57:31 minus 10:17:43. That is just about 40 minutes duration. We know 40 minutes is 2/3 of an hour, so we will say that this is about 0.66 hours. In step 9, we got the distance (6.07 miles). So, if Rate = Distance / Time, we simply take 6.07 divided by 0.66 hours... so about 9.19 miles per hour. I try to err on the side of caution when making fake-data (so we don't get KOMs)... but at the same time, we don't want the duration of the segment to exceed the gap we are trying to fill!
Step 11:
- Go to the "Add Time Stamps" Tool on my page.
- Upload your MissingPiece file.
- Set the Time Zone to "UTC" (this is because all GPS files use UTC inside their time stamps).
- Enter the start time from step 5 (10:17:43 on March 13, 2021)
- Enter the desired Average Speed. We decided on 9mph above... be CONSERVATIVE!
- Select the appropriate speed type - bike or run.
- Click the Upload Button.
- Fill out all the information.
Step 12: Check the start and stop times - make sure that they match the gap you are trying to fill.
- Chek your start and stop time for the GPS Gap you are trying to fill.
Step 13: If all looks good, Export this file onto your desktop. Do NOT select the Send to Strava Option.
- Export, but do NOT send to Strava.
Step 14: Go to the Merge Tool and upload the file you just created along with the original file with the missing chunk.
- Upload your two pieces. Switch from UTC to "Let Tool Guess My Time Zone" (or you can select your time zone if you know it).
Step 15: Click the "Click Here" button once it is uploaded. On the next page, you will see your new piece overlapping with your original track. Let's have the tool re-calc the distance, and we will double check everything by clicking "Edit Points" (that way we can see it on a map before we send to Strava.
- Final steps getting ready to upload to Strava.
Step 16: It is fixed!
- Double checking to make sure it all looks OK.
Step 17: Send to Strava from the tool!
- Send To Strava!