Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Cyclemetry?

Cyclemetry is a desktop application for creating cycling telemetry video overlays. You provide a GPX file from your ride and a video recorded during that ride, and Cyclemetry syncs them together — rendering a new video with your speed, power, heart rate, cadence, elevation, gradient, and a live route map overlaid on the footage.

Is Cyclemetry free?

Yes. Cyclemetry is free and open source under the MIT license. You can find the source code on GitHub .

What platforms are supported?

• macOS — fully supported (Apple Silicon & Intel)
• Windows — available via release artifacts
• Linux — available via release artifacts

How do I update Cyclemetry?

Cyclemetry checks for updates automatically when it launches and shows a banner if a new version is available. You can also trigger a check manually from Cyclemetry → Check for Updates in the menu bar.

GPX & Data

What GPX data does Cyclemetry use?

Cyclemetry reads standard GPX trackpoint (<trkpt>) and waypoint (<wpt>) elements. It uses the following fields when available:

• lat / lon — position (required)
• <time> — timestamp (required for sync)
• <ele> — elevation
• <extensions> — power, heart rate, cadence, temperature, and gear data (Garmin/Wahoo/Shimano extensions)

Where do I export a GPX file from?

Most cycling computers and apps can export GPX files:

• Garmin Connect — Activity → Export → GPX
• Strava — Activity → … → Export GPX
• Wahoo — Workouts → select ride → Export
• RideWithGPS, Komoot, etc. — all support GPX export

My GPX doesn’t have power/HR/cadence data — will it still work?

Yes. Those fields are optional. Cyclemetry will show whatever data is present in your GPX. If power is missing, the power element simply won’t display.

My timestamps don’t line up with my video — what do I do?

Use the time offset control in Cyclemetry to shift the GPX data forward or backward relative to the video. A few seconds of drift is common if you started recording at different times.

Video & Rendering

What video formats does Cyclemetry support?

Input: any video file that FFmpeg can decode (H.264, H.265, ProRes, GoPro HEVC, etc.).

Output:

• macOS — Apple ProRes 4444 via VideoToolbox (lossless, large files, ideal for editing)
• Windows — ProRes via software encoding (slower but correct output)

Ubuntu says “Apple ProRes decoder” codecs are required. How do I preview the output?

Install Ubuntu’s restricted media packages:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras libavcodec-extra

After installing those packages, the .mov generated by Cyclemetry should preview in Ubuntu’s built-in Video Player application.

How long does rendering take?

Rendering is CPU/GPU-intensive. A 30-minute ride video at 1080p typically takes 5–20 minutes depending on your machine. Apple Silicon (M1 and later) is significantly faster due to hardware-accelerated encoding.

Can I use Cyclemetry with GoPro footage?

Yes. GoPro footage is standard H.264/H.265 and works fine as input. Note that GoPro cameras have their own telemetry format (GPMF) which is separate from GPX — you’ll need a GPX file from your cycling computer, not the GoPro’s internal data, to use with Cyclemetry.

Alternatives

How does Cyclemetry compare to Garmin VIRB Edit?

Garmin VIRB Edit is tied to the Garmin ecosystem and is no longer actively developed. Cyclemetry works with any GPX file from any device, is free, and is actively maintained. See the full comparison.

How does it compare to GoPro Telemetry Extractor?

GoPro Telemetry Extractor is locked to GoPro’s proprietary GPMF format and costs $150–$300. Cyclemetry is free, uses the universal GPX standard, and works with any cycling computer. See the full comparison.