Why Trip Duration Matters

When planning a bikepacking trip, hiking adventure, or long-distance cycling route, knowing how long the journey will take is crucial. Duration estimates help you schedule resupply stops, plan accommodation, and anticipate when you'll face darkness. Yet estimating trip time accurately across diverse terrain and conditions is challenging. Let's explore how PitStopper handles this problem.

How GPX Files Store Time Data

The good news: many modern route planners embed timing information directly into GPX files. When you export from Komoot, Strava, Garmin, or RideWithGPS, your route often includes timestamps for each waypoint.

Here's what this looks like in a GPX file:

<trkpt lat="37.7749" lon="-122.4194">
  <ele>10</ele>
  <time>2025-01-15T08:30:00Z</time>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="37.7750" lon="-122.4190">
  <ele>15</ele>
  <time>2025-01-15T08:32:15Z</time>
</trkpt>

When PitStopper detects these timestamps, we use them directly—no estimation needed. This is the most accurate approach because your route planner has already analyzed the terrain, road type, elevation, and routing complexity.

When GPX Files Have No Time Data

Unfortunately, not all GPX files include timestamps. Some routes exported from basic mapping tools, downloaded from AllTrails, or created manually only contain coordinates and elevation data.

In these cases, PitStopper offers a time estimation tool to help you calculate a rough duration based on activity type and terrain.

Our Time Estimation Formula: Gradient-Adjusted Speed Model

PitStopper uses a segment-by-segment gradient-adjusted speed model that calculates how terrain affects your speed at every point along your route. Rather than applying a single climbing penalty to the whole trip, we analyze each small segment individually—giving you much more accurate estimates for routes with varied terrain.

The Core Concept

The key insight is simple: your speed varies based on the gradient you're riding or walking on. Steep uphills slow you down dramatically, while gentle descents let you pick up speed. Our model applies a speed multiplier to your base average speed for each segment:

Segment Time = Segment Distance ÷ (Base Speed × Gradient Multiplier)
Total Time = Sum of all Segment Times

This approach processes your entire route point-by-point, typically analyzing hundreds or thousands of GPS coordinates to build an accurate picture of how terrain affects your pace.

For Cyclists: Exponential Speed Decay on Climbs

Cycling speed drops exponentially as gradients increase. Our formula:

Climbing (gradient ≥ 0%):

Speed Multiplier = e^(-0.105 × gradient%)

Descending (gradient < 0%):

Speed Multiplier = min(1.4, 1 + |gradient%| × 0.05)

Here's what this means in practice:

The exponential decay captures how climbing effort increases non-linearly—a 10% grade isn't twice as hard as 5%, it's much harder. On descents, we cap speed gains at 1.4× to account for braking, cornering, and safety limits.

For Walkers: Tobler's Hiking Function

For walking and hiking, we use an adaptation of Tobler's Hiking Function, a well-researched formula from geography that models human walking speed across terrain:

Speed Multiplier = e^(-3.5 × |slope + 0.05|)

Where slope is the gradient as a decimal (e.g., 10% = 0.10).

This formula has an interesting property: peak efficiency occurs at a slight downhill gradient of about -5% (or -2.86° slope). Walking downhill too steeply actually slows you down because of the impact on knees and the need for careful foot placement.

Why This Approach Works Better

Earlier versions of our estimation added a flat "climbing penalty" to your trip time based on total elevation gain. The problem? If you tell us your average speed is 15 km/h, that speed already reflects how hills affected you on similar terrain. Adding a climbing penalty double-counts the terrain difficulty.

Our gradient-adjusted model solves this by treating your input speed as a flat-ground baseline. The formula then adjusts this speed up or down for each segment based on that segment's specific gradient. The result matches real-world expectations much more closely.

For example, a 135 km route with 4,100m of climbing at a 15 km/h base speed now estimates around 9 hours—matching what you'd see in Komoot or Strava—rather than the ~18 hours our old formula produced.

An Important Disclaimer

Let's be honest: our estimates are rough approximations only. Real-world factors dramatically affect actual trip duration:

• Fitness and experience: A fit cyclist climbs faster than a recreational rider
• Weather conditions: Wind, rain, and temperature impact speed
• Terrain difficulty: Road surface, technical sections, and switchbacks matter
• Rest stops: Coffee breaks, lunch, and photography stops add significant time
• Traffic and navigation: Road conditions and wrong turns happen
• Rider mood: Motivation and group dynamics vary day to day

You should rely on your route planner's estimates instead. Komoot, Strava, RideWithGPS, and Garmin use sophisticated algorithms trained on thousands of actual routes. Their estimates are far more reliable than our simplified formulas.

The best approach: Set your expected start time in your route planner before exporting the GPX. When that timing data flows into PitStopper, we use it exactly as intended.

How to Use PitStopper's Time Estimation

If you do need our estimation tool:

1. Upload your GPX - The GPX Import Summary will show if your file has timing data
2. If no time data exists - Look for the "Estimate Trip Duration" section
3. Select your activity - Choose "Walking" or "Cycling"
4. Enter average speed - Based on your fitness level and terrain expectations
5. Toggle terrain adjustment - Enable or disable elevation impacts
6. Click "Apply Estimate" - We'll calculate total duration

Using Clock Time for POI Arrival Estimates

Once you have a trip duration—either from GPX timestamps or our estimation tool—you can set a start time in the Clock Time modal (click the time display in the footer). PitStopper will then calculate estimated arrival times at each point of interest along your route.

This helps answer critical questions: "Will this restaurant be open when I arrive?" and "How many hours of daylight do I have left?"

Automatic Daylight POI Markers

PitStopper goes further with daylight awareness. When you set a start time and date, we'll automatically detect if your trip will cross dawn, sunrise, sunset, or dusk. If so, we'll offer to add daylight POI markers directly to your route—showing exactly where on the route you'll experience these transitions. This is invaluable for planning night rides, early morning starts, or multi-day adventures where knowing exactly when darkness falls can be a safety consideration.

Final Thoughts

Trip time estimation is an art, not a science. PitStopper provides tools to help you plan, but should complement—not replace—your route planner's timing estimates. Use our features for rough planning and POI timing, but trust your route planner's duration for serious trip planning.

Happy travels, and safe adventures!