Counting steps for Cycling!

[Smellie32]

So I have had my Fitbit for 6+ months. As I have researched issues, I have noticed that many people have struggles with not being able to count steps while cycling, I to get frustrated with this. Being a triathlete and competitive, want all my steps to count. What I don't understand is how after a few years of Fitbit knowing this is an issue, why have they not come up with a solution? It is more motivating when all your activities count as steps so when you are competing against friends on the Fitbit app that you feel you have a chance. I think Fitbit needs to expand their horizon to not only motivating customers to walk and run but all sports. Swimming and biking are my 2 favorites. 

[brightpuppy]

Hi @Rich_Laue 

That is right. Atleast if it accurately captures the pedal steps, I am fine with it, given the current limitation of the product. Thanks for your response.

[Rich_Laue]

On the arm it will only be counting the bumps in the road. 

In either case you are getting credit in calories burnt and this is the standard Fitbit uses between the different exercises. 

[soapydave]

Sorry, but I think you’re wrong. When you are on a bike you are essentially taking steps - you just go further for each. It’s not cheating, it’s all excercise. Note if you walk for 20 minutes and I bike for and hour, it should be about the same number of steps. I ride my bike to work everyday but get virtually no steps for it. I just want to be able to compete in challenges with my friends who walk. Fitbit should be able to subtraxt any calorie differential - so again it’s not cheating. Are runners cheating? No, of course not - they just get more steps in the same time.

Dave

Sent from my iPhone

[VeganBiker2]

Dave, You are right! Walking is great exercise because you are carrying
your weight!
Cycling is another exercise, however, the physics is much different, as you
are seated.


--
Patrick Cavanaugh

[brightpuppy]

@VeganBiker2 

The issue here is not about Walking vs Cycling superiority.

It is about fair compensation for both of these independent activities.

Fitbit should consider Cycling and convert it into steps for a fair comparison of the day's activities.

If googled, there are many articles which vouch for Cycling better than walking. After biking y'day feel that I do more steps per minute in Cycling than walking.

Again this is not Cheating. It is all about recognizing the efforts of cycling or for that matter any measurable physical activity to be converted into a common measure (for apples to apples comparison) which in this case we expect it to be in "Steps". Thanks

[Dave369]

People who bike want to measure their activity levels. For competition or for their own progress tracking. Some people have health problems and so measuring their activity levels is important to them. Fitbit should make some minor adjustments to allow the activity levels to me captured when biking or even rowing on a rowing machine.  Anyone worried about cheating yourself or cheating others is missing the point. Nobody is cheating anyone of they are tracking their own progress with their own benchmarks. I log in  bike ride and get some active minutes out of it but no steps. An hour of cycling and maybe 38 minutes of active minutes.   Fitbit has the ability to do something here......

[VeganBiker2]

Dave, Anyone who has integrity, never think: “Wow, I have a Fitbit and I know when I get on my road bike and start a good ride with hands in the drops, I can actually log into steps and show some extra activity! “ To me, it’s cheating yourself!

If I’m looking at a red barn, I can say surmise that it is not a white barn.

Cognitive dissonance is a real problem for many—especially for those who think riding a bike should equal steps in walking. In reality, they are completely independent of each other.

Patrick

[Dave369]

Patrick, crazy, disrepectful comment. My integrity is not on the table for you to comment about.  I have bad knees.  I have a data point on my activity and fitness and health.  It all means something to me.  I am not competing with you or anyone else.  Furthermore, when I was in a challenge, people knew I could not run and were fine that I was getting some steps with my Fitbit for cycling (previous version of Fitbit did this, not the current).  

[ColK]

Unless you’re in an integrity competition with yourself how can you cheat yourself.  My Fitbit Charge 2 does not have a bike mode, if it did I’d use it.  If I strap it on my ankle to account for my biking time and track my usage what’s wrong with that?  And if I cheat myself it’s no biggie to me!

[brightpuppy]

I can't even think of Cheating myself, when I perform a physical activity like biking...For me exercising doesn't mean only walking or running. There are so many activities. I play Tennis regularly as well and use Fitbit to count!!. Many other members mentioned Swimming apart from Biking. Puzzled to understand how the integrity is questioned in this case..!! 

All I need (I am sure many fitbit owners would want) is to keep track of a measure of all the physical activity where possible to understand where I stand at the end of the day. I am a diabetic and am measuring my activities and targeting to achieve 10000 steps each day. If I do biking then my fitbit Charge 2 says '0' which is not I would like to see at the end of the day. I am not cheating anyone or even myself as I have performed a physical activity which has disappeared from my measure at the end of the day.

[VeganBiker2]

hey brightpuppy,

In my passionate debate regarding Fitbit counting steps while biking, I was not thinking about the virtues on walking compared to biking

If I’m swimming, I’m swimming—-not lifting weights.
If I’m running, I’m running—-not cycling.

If I’m walking, I’m walking——not swimming.

If I’m cycling, I’m cycling—-not walking!

BTW, the Fitbit Bkaze did not log steps when cycling—- and for good reason, they are not the same thing!

However, the Fitbit Versa engineers decided that cycling would count as steps. Suddenly that beautiful red barn, became a green barn!😕

Warmly,

Patrick

[brightpuppy]

Hey Patrick

I am not so primitive (and in your words Cognitive dissonance!!) not to understand your simple quotes of biking is biking etc!!!., I believe you should grow up to understand that biking is biking and yes it is a physical activity which needs to be measured, tracked and reported and recognized with all its due respect.

I would compliment the Fitbit Versa Engineers with a Smiley face  for having thought through it...

[Rich_Laue]

I've moved this discussion out of the Hardware help board and into the discussion board - Get Moving

[soapydave]

They are not equal. Never said they were. But if you think that pedalling a bike is not anything like taking a step, that’s for you to decide.

Sent from my iPhone

[VeganBiker2]

Hey everyone. I am grown up. I'm just very annoyed by so many in the Fitbit
community that think biking should count steps too. It is absurd to think
this. I am going to end my diatribe on this subject since I am not getting
anywhere with it.

I will say it one more time: Biking is Biking---not walking!

--
Patrick

[brightpuppy]

Even a child will know that "Biking is Biking - Not Walking". That is why I made an appropriate comment to Grow Up.

[VeganBiker2]

Brightpuppy, I appreciate you and take no offense.

[brightpuppy]

To Fitbit and everyone,

We all know what is common between all our physical activities. To name some of them, Walking, Biking, Hiking, Running, Jogging, Tennis, Swimming etc., Common Element among all these is "Energy Burnt" which is usually measured in Calories.

Unfortunately, the early development of fitness trackers started off with tracking "Number of Steps" and has now slowly gained recognition as the recognized measure. Scientifically, this is not the right measure. An example... 10000 steps in 1 hour consumes 'X' calories but 10000 steps over 8 hour period consumes 'X-Y' calories, as the same number of steps in an increased time consumes lesser calories. But unfortunately, the individuals and the corporate sector had started recognizing the "number of steps" as preferred measure for goal setting, competition, benchmarking etc., American Diabetes foundation recommends a diabetic to achieve atleast 10000 steps a day. Even a primitive fitness tracker now tracks "Number of Steps". WIth this the "Steps Tracker" has now become a common element among the fitness tracking devices.

Hence, eventhough the physical activities are different, the user community is expecting the fitness device manufacturers, to convert the physical activities where possible into a common measurable, trackable unit of measure "Number of Steps" so that an individual does not lose sight of any or combination of those physical activities and gets motivated to perform a physical activity of his/her choice. We recognize the individuality here when we request this functionality due to Medical conditions, age factor, likeness factor etc.,

Hope the ask is clear to the Fitbit team.

If fitbit team has diametrically opposite requests, please provide the option to either "Opt IN" or "Opt OUT". 

[VeganBiker2]

Bravo, Great Response!

Patrick

--

[xjonx]

Brightpuppy  here, here! I am so glad that someone in these forums understands what is really going on. 

I personally don't really care about fitness. It's a hobby that has no intrest to me but because my employer will give me a SUBSTANTIAL insurance discount when I wear the step tracker.

Counting calories through a wrist band is hard but steps is easy. It's understandable how we got here. I just wish the "fitness buffs" would be more understanding of this tracker limitation.