Shade
Running in the shade in Montpellier
Loops computed for running, leaving around midday.
In Montpellier, shade has to be earned: the best loops sit around 14% shade at midday. This is exactly where the departure time you choose matters most.
Three loops
| # | Distance | Time | Climb | Shade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.0 km | 58 min | +170 m | 21 % |
| 2 | 10.0 km | 57 min | +143 m | 14 % |
| 3 | 9.9 km | 56 min | +136 m | 7 % |
How the shade is computed
SHADE doesn't pick a route because it is popular, but because it will be shaded at the hour you set off. For Montpellier, shade on the ground is computed from three real sources: tree canopy, shadows cast by the terrain, and shadows cast by buildings. Those three do not cool you equally — under trees the air itself is cooler, while a shaded street keeps radiating heat from the tarmac — and the percentage shown accounts for that.
In practice, in Montpellier as anywhere, shifting your start by an hour or two changes comfort more than changing route. The app's time slider redraws the loop accordingly.