Stationary bike tracking

[sjhop]

Does the Flex 2 track steps on a stationary bike? I have painful plantar facitis and have been using a stationary bike instead of a treadmill to relieve stress on my foot. The zip only picks up steps if I attach it to my shoe. Since the Flex 2 is an activity tracker will  I be able to wear the wrist band and have the activity counted?

[Oldroby]

I think the person who commented that the Flex 2 will track if you can attach it to your ankle or shoe when you are riding a stationery bike, is right. I have draped it across my knee in the necklace attachment and it recorded.

 I am disappointed that it needs to be charged so often, because it does not record when it is not charged and sometimes in the morning of the second day, it is charged, but the charge runs out and if I have been too busy to notice, then I miss out on a great number of steps.

[NellyG]

@Oldroby how ofren are you having to charge it? If it is every second day, that is very frequently. Mine lasts 5 or 6 days. I'd  suggest you try restarting it and see if that improves things. Do you have all day sync turned on? That apparently uses a fair bit of power (I have turned mine off). Lets us know how you go with the restart.

RESTART PROCEEDURE
Put your tracker into the charger so it has the charging lights showing. Then press the small button on the back of the charger 3 times within 5 seconds. It will vibrate with each press and then when all three are done it will very briefly flash all lights and then go back to charging lights and it is all done

Full instructions
http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1186

[Kristi79]

I tried it both around my ankle and on my wrist using the arm thingies (don't you just love my technical term?) on the exercise bike at PT. I know how many miles I biked as the bike tracked it. It recorded some "steps" using it both ways, but definitely not all of them. I'm not even using my FB right now anyway as I can't get enough steps in that even matter due to my bad knee. I am so far behind my friends' daily steps that it becomes discouraging instead of encouraging seeing all of their progress and between my insane job schedule and knee, I can't even begin to keep up. Don't get me wrong, I'm supportive of them, but it's just a good fit for me right now.

[molwage]

Has anyone experimented with a Flex 2 on a stationery bike.I put it around my ankle then it records about a third of the distance done, but the calorie counter is probably right.I also tried it by waving my arms frantically or air boxing, and it records better than when around my ankle.Should I change my setting to a particular activity on the app?

[KarenKnox]

Hi, I would also like to track stationary bike for my fitbit charge 2.  I looked at the instructions but do not see the custom field on my dashboard. Am I missing something?

[NellyG]

You cant use your flex 2 to record stationary bike. Smart track cant recognise the activity. Others have suggeated wearing it on your ankle, but that does not record stationary bike.  It records a number of steps that wont give you the right distance or the correct calories burnt. But hey, if all you want is steps you can go right ahead!

The only way to record stationary bike with any accuracy is to manually log it in the app after you've done it (it is catagorised as Spinning when you manually log it).

I am not sure what you are referring to when you mention 'custom field'. There is no app setting like that that I am aware of. However some trackers (trackers with a button) have the ability to start and stop an activity which you can catagorise later as a custom activity. But the flex 2 has no button so you cant do this.

[PFeather]

Weird... my Flex 2 seems to be suddenly tracking my stationary bike. I was at 87 steps, pedaled for half an hour and ended with almost 3,000. That’s nice, but I think that it also tracked the time I was in my car last week, for a little while. I walked from my house to where my car was parked, about a half mile. I was driving home when my flex told me I had walked a mile. When I got home, I looked at my log and it showed that I had walked the entire loop! Tracking my bike would be nice, but not my time driving!

[Fibi-Newbie]

For a lot of the same reasons mentioned here, I use my stationary bike when I can't get out to walk. 

Because my Flex2 can't track the activity because there's no forward movement. I convert my steps by using the formula below:

( Distance Went * 5280 ) / ( My Stride Length / 12 ) = Number of steps 

Basically, I convert the distance went from miles to feet, then I convert my stride length the feet to acquire the number of steps equivalent to walking the distance. Based on my experiences, this seems pretty accurate ( for example, I gain around 4k steps per 2 miles ). 

When I go to log the biking activity, I convert the distance to steps, then I calculate how long it would have taken me to walk that distance. I agree the calorie amount will be different, but in this case, how would the steps calculated be considered fictitious?

I'm also in a step competition and don't want this to be considered cheating. If this is, besides trying to strap the device on some how as others have done, is there a better way to account the stationary cycling to steps?

Cheers for any opinions, suggestions, etc. 

[traern888]

I tried swinging my arms as I am pedaling like imitating walking.  Since I am on stationary bike, I don't need to hold the handlebars like when actually street biking.  I am looking for some app that would track the mileage that doesn't require gps. 

[JUCARTER]

I read your comment on stationary bike tracking and used 'spinning' instead.

Thank u very much for putting your comment. 

[LindaCompau]

I finally just put a scrunchy around my ankle and attach the fitbit to it. You can also attach it to your shoe.

I attach it to my shoe now.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[AlvaroFitbit]

@JUCARTER @LindaCompau Welcome! It's good that the community is growing! It's great to see that the suggestions in this thread helped you track your biking activity. The Spinning option will help better calculate the calories used. @LindaCompau the Flex 2 wasn't designed to be worn on your shoe or ankle but if you are doing this just make sure it is properly secured. Some users have used a sport wristband over the device to secure the tracker on their ankle.

Let me know how it goes!

[ImaReader]

"Recumbant" bike. Recombinant is for DNA.

[Oldroby]

Hi, your comment on spelling must have been caused by auto correct.
Thanks for pointing it out though.


Sent from my iPhone

[Norbymoa]

Well. I was a bit disappointed finding out the Fitbit did not automatically track the exercise on Stationary bike.

What if you place the Fitbit on your ankle ?

[ZippyLagamorph]

I 11th the vote for better stationary bike tracking.  My blaze tracks this activity if I stow it in my sock for the "ride", but it's not as accurate as the read-out on the folding stationary bike I got from Costco.  I can't believe I didn't know how much more calories you can burn cycling than running!  ...& in much less time!  I burn @least twice the calories, cycling -vs- walking.

[CarlaJo1952]

I ware my Fitbit around my ankle. 
I now get accurate steps. While in the grocery store holding the cart you never get accurate steps, Treadmill, stationary bike, So that is why I wear mine around my ankle. I hope this helps others out. For those with larger ankles no problem, SHOELACES, will work threw the buckle and threw the eyelet on your watch band:heavy_check_mark::heavy_check_mark:

[Erica071678]

If you can't get it around your ankle, try your shoe laces. I've had to do that before and it worked perfectly. 😊

[SMD1260]

Your reply is useful, thanks, but the underlying issue is that any of us could crank out an hour on the stationary bike and record very few steps.  The way our activity is being counted is via steps.  As a result, a short, very slow walk, registers as more activity (and as burning more calories) than an hour long stationary bike workout.  My health insurance is tracking my activity (which is nice of them) but I only receive points for reduced premiums from steps.  Is there a fitbit device that registers stationary bike activity and other such activities and translates them into steps?

[CarlaJo1952]

The only one I’ve found is the Apple Watch So I’ll just record the steps it shows. Thank you for your reply God bless and stay safe Carla Jo


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