Inaccurate Blaze mileage on treadmill

[Basscat]

Mileage on the treadmill shows 2.88 miles but on the Blaze shows only 0.9 miles. I have adjusted my stride as instructed in the manual from the original default setting to 22.6 inches, but the Blaze still does not show the correct mileage. Also, by adjusting the stride the calorie count seems to have gone up: on the Blaze it shows 500 calories and on the treadmill 400 calories. If I cannot get this to work, I will have to return it.

[WendyB]

Your stride on the theadmill is different than normal walking. So it will not match

[Basscat]

I realize walking on the treadmill has a different stride. That's not
the issue. The problem is the treadmill shows me walking 2.8 miles but
the Fitbit only shows 0.9 miles. BIG difference.

[MikeF]

How many steps does the Blaze show?

Is that accurate?

[charley53]

I'm having a problem with milage on walking, walked 3 miles this morning and it shows .2 miles. I have done the stride 3 times and it has not helped, any suggestions.

[MikeF]

Again I ask 'How many steps' did you record for the walk?

[JoeK3]

MikeF, I am having the same issue on the treadmill.  I am new to FitBit (only had the Blaze for 1 week).  The mileage is good on long walks on a track.  I walked on a track that was marked as 1/4 mile for 8 laps and the FitBit read 2.01 miles at a 16'30" pace.  I walked on a treadmill for the first time with my FitBit and the treadmill says I walked 2.2 miles (at a 4.3 mile per hour pace) while the FitBit says I walked 0.9 miles (2,699 steps - 2.3 miles per hour).  Calories burned was about right (298 on the treadmill and 325 on the FitBit).  It was mentioned that the pace could be changed.  Where do you do that and does it affect both regular walking and treadmill walking?   Also, what does the 16'30" pace really mean?   Thanks!   JoeK3

[Rich_Laue]

As @MikeF has suggested we need to first look at the step count, without GPS (it won't work if your standing still) the Blaze can not measure distance. 

Your Blaze looks at the Steps counted then uses some math and your stride to take an educated guess at the distance you might have run. 

While on a treadmill and if you have the unhealthy habit of holding onto the support bars, your step count could easily be off by 40-80%.

So the first thing that has to be looked at is the accuracy of the step count, since this is the only thing your tracker is able to actually count while on a treadmill. Everything else is done with math. 

Once we know that steps are good it is a very simple thing to determine the sttide. 

Do this test

Put your Blaze in treadmill mode

Start walking on your left foot

Count every right step taken with your thought

At 100 right foot steps stop walking 

Wait for the display to catchup and compare your data. 

You just walked 200 steps

[JoeK3]

I looked back at my FitBit again and saw that instead of 0.9 miles the FitBit was reading 1.22 miles at a 26'15" pace (still the 2,699 steps).  Sorry for the error in my previous message.  JoeK3

[Basscat]

Not a problem, I'm going to start checking the steps against the
milage. Do you know the formula for changing steps into miles. I
changed my stride on a check ride this am and got circa .5 on the
treadmill and .3 on the Blaze. Closer just don't know how the changing
the stride might change other things like carbs burned.

[N3vermore]

I tested this tonight.  the elliptical does in fact give you more "steps" than the Blaze.  I attributed it to me taking my hands off the bars to drink, adjust music, or look at my phone.  Just missing a few strides several times can throw your distance off.  

I then went to the treadmill, and that was in sync with the Blaze, just up or down a couple calories, but distance matched.  I have my stride set in my FB.  I mostly use the elliptical to get active minutes, as you do not get as many steps as you do walking.  A 20 minute session on the eplical is about 1700 steps, and 20 minutes of walking 3.5 is a little over 2000. 

[Basscat]

Thanks for your help. Will try it out on the treadmill and elliptical
tomorrow at the gym.

[Basscat]

Will give all of this a test at the gym tomorrow.

[Rich_Laue]

@Basscat the formula is steps times stride length equals distance. 

Stride leangth being how far a person travels per step

Count of steps equals how many stride lengths a person has gone.