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Rider quickstart

This walks you from a fresh install to your first run comparison. Plan on about ten minutes once you have footage on your phone or computer.

Before you start

You need:

  • the Racecraft app installed and signed in
  • at least two runs of the same track recorded on an action camera (a GoPro or similar)
  • the footage available on your phone — either pulled off the camera, or accessible via the camera's companion app

If you only have one run, record one more before continuing. The product is built around comparing one run to another; with a single run there is nothing to compare against.

1. Create a track session

A track session is a folder for runs on the same track. Open the app, create a new session, and give it a name that will mean something later ("Whistler A-Line", "Local trail — Tuesday").

If this is your first session, the app will pre-populate it with a demo run so you can see the rest of the flow before your own footage finishes uploading.

2. Upload your first two runs

Add both runs to the session. Racecraft starts processing each run as soon as the upload finishes — there's no separate step to kick that off. While processing runs in the background, you can continue setting up.

If you want detail on this step, see Uploading runs.

3. Pick a reference run

The reference run is the canonical pass for the track. It defines where the track starts, where it ends, and which intermediate checkpoints matter.

Pick the run you want every other run compared against. For most riders this is their best clean lap — the one with no mistakes that all other attempts will be measured against. You can change the reference later, so don't agonize over it.

For more, see Choosing a reference run.

4. Mark the splits on the reference

Open the reference run and mark its splits — the start, finish, and any intermediate sections you care about. Racecraft will suggest splits automatically based on visually distinct frames in the footage; you can accept its suggestions or move them yourself.

Confirm the splits when you're happy with them. This is the step that "locks in" the track.

For more, see Marking splits.

5. Watch the comparison

Open the second run. Racecraft has already aligned it to the reference and predicted its splits — review them, confirm, and you'll land on the comparison view.

You'll see:

  • a leaderboard ranking the runs in the session
  • per-split times for each run
  • a continuous time delta curve through the run, showing where you were faster or slower than the reference at every moment

For more, see Reading the comparison.

What's next

  • Add more runs to the same session — they'll align against the same reference automatically.
  • Try recording from a different mount or angle to see what makes alignment more reliable. See Recording good footage.
  • If you switch to a different track, create a new session.

If anything broke along the way, check the FAQ or contact support.