How accurate is the Haversine formula?

The Haversine formula is accurate to within 0.5% for most cycling distances. It models the Earth as a sphere, which is sufficient for distances under 500 km.

Why correct for elevation?

GPS distance is measured on the flat. A hilly route covers more actual ground distance than the map distance. The correction uses Pythagoras to estimate the true distance including elevation changes.

Where do I find GPS coordinates?

Use Google Maps (right-click any point), your GPS computer, or smartphone. Coordinates are in decimal degrees format (e.g. 51.5074, -0.1278 for London).

Is this a straight-line distance?

Yes, this calculates the straight-line (as the crow flies) distance between two points. Actual cycling routes will be longer due to roads following terrain.

BikeCalcs

GPS Distance Calculator — Point-to-Point with Elevation

Calculate the distance between two GPS coordinates with elevation correction.

Start Point

Latitude

e.g. 51.5074 (London)

Longitude

e.g. -0.1278

End Point

Latitude

e.g. 51.4545 (Reading)

Longitude

e.g. -0.9781

Total Elevation Gain

Set to 0 for flat distance only

How We Calculate This

Haversine Formula

The Haversine formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere from their latitudes and longitudes.

a = sin^2(dlat/2) + cos(lat1) * cos(lat2) * sin^2(dlon/2)

distance = 2 * R * atan2(sqrt(a), sqrt(1-a))

Where R is the Earth's radius (6,371 km).

Elevation Correction

The corrected distance accounts for total elevation gain using Pythagoras: actual = sqrt(flat^2 + elevation^2)

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: 2025-02-20

All calculations are estimates. Always verify results and consult a professional bike fitter where appropriate.