Find answers to common questions about Vadient, or get in touch with us directly.
Vadient requires Apple Watch with GPS running watchOS 10 or later. It works on all Apple Watch models with GPS capability, but is optimized for Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 which have the most accurate barometric altimeter and longer battery life for extended rides.
No. Vadient is a fully standalone app that runs entirely on your Apple Watch. It uses the watch's built-in GPS and barometric altimeter directly. Your iPhone can stay at home. Completed rides are synced to Apple Health on your iPhone the next time your devices connect.
Vadient calculates road gradient using a least-squares linear regression over a 15-second rolling window of barometric altitude data fused with GPS elevation. The result is smoothed and updated every 3 seconds. A noise gate filters out sensor drift, and the gradient is clamped to ±30% to reject glitches. The calculation only runs when your speed exceeds 3 mph to avoid stationary noise.
Vadient applies a 2-foot noise threshold to elevation gain accumulation. This filters out the constant small fluctuations from barometric pressure changes (weather, passing trucks, etc.) that cause other apps to over-report climbing. The result is a more accurate representation of actual elevation gained during your ride.
When your speed drops below 0.5 mph for more than 6 seconds, Vadient automatically pauses your moving time. This keeps your average stats accurate when you stop at traffic lights, intersections, or to regroup. The timer resumes instantly when you start moving again. You can also manually pause and resume at any time.
When you end a ride, Vadient saves a complete cycling workout to Apple HealthKit including: workout duration, active energy burned, distance, elevation gain, heart rate samples, and a full GPS route. You can view this data in the Apple Health app, Apple Fitness, or the Vadient iOS companion app.
No. Vadient processes all sensor data on-device and does not transmit any data to external servers. There are no accounts, no analytics, no tracking. Your ride data stays on your Apple Watch and in Apple Health. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Gradient accuracy depends on several factors:
Speed: Gradient is only calculated above 3 mph. At very low speeds, small GPS errors create large gradient artifacts.
Weather: Rapid barometric pressure changes (approaching storms) can temporarily affect altitude readings.
Wrist position: Make sure your watch has a clear view of the sky for optimal GPS reception.
Smoothing delay: There is a natural 3-5 second delay as the regression window updates. This is intentional to prevent jittery readings.
Vadient is designed for outdoor cycling with GPS. While the app will launch indoors, speed and distance readings require GPS satellite signals. Gradient and elevation require actual altitude changes from the barometric altimeter. For indoor cycling, we recommend using Apple's built-in Workout app instead.
Tap the screen to bring up the controls, then tap the stop button. You'll be given the option to save or discard your ride. Saving writes the workout to Apple Health. The app will also auto-pause if you remain stopped for an extended period, but it won't end the ride automatically — that's always your call.