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. 

[xjonx]

No, the strap is way too small. Maybe a child could.

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[ColK]

Of course it is but you can extend it.

[xjonx]

Honestly, I have never seen an extension for sale from Fitbit. Nor are they
(at least mine) designed to be used with conventional watch bracelets,
straps or even NATOs. I had to jump through a bunch of hoops just to get an
extra large one for my original Flex. No, you can try it but that's not for
me.

[Dave369]

I have cancer friend who wears it on his ankle. He's a normal sized adult male 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[ColK]

Understood, my motivation is I love a challenge.  A friend of mine simply moves his arms in synch with pedaling and it works but not sure of the accuracy.  I’m going to try a rubber band first,

[ColK]

So I just tried, I have a Charge 2.  The band is a large and I was able to get it around my ankle, it seems it works and does count biking as steps.  I also put it in my pocket and it also counted steps but real steps.  Next I’ll try it in my pocket while on the bike,

[VeganBiker2]

Thanks for the info.

Patrick

[DavideFitbit]

Thank you for sharing these suggestions @ColK. Let me know how the device continues to perform for you, I'm sure this information can be of help to other users who are interested on having these extra steps. 

Thank you for your comments and feedback @xjonx, as you can check here, this idea is not currently planned, but I'd be great of you can add your vote, this is always useful for the team of developers, so they can track popularity over time. 

Thank you for this information @Dave369. 

Let me know if you have further questions. 

[Dalibor]

The problem is that fitbit uses steps as a measure for pretty much everything in it's eco system. One should be able to convert cycling into steps if they wish. It could be a setting so if you don't want to do that, you don't have to, but should be able to if you choose so. 

[VeganBiker2]

There is no reason why Fitbit Versa should count steps while cycling. I
sometimes wonder why it doesn't count steps while I'm swimming or lifting
weights.

This counting steps while cycling did not happen with the Fitbit Blaze.

I sure wish the Versa could be updated to not do this.



Moderator edit: removed personal information

[Dalibor]

If there wasn't a reason - people wouldn't be asking for it. 

Again the reason being that fitbit doesn't use anything else other than steps to do challenges etc. Though I have no problems with that. I do however have a problem with the fact that I do say hour and half of cycling a day sweat it out and it doesn't count towards my steps at all. 

So in turn I might have 5,000 steps and someone that barely did anything and has 5500 steps wins the challenge. It's not about the challenge itself, but rather having a fair comparison of effort. 

There are plenty of fair conversions of bike kms to walking kms. 

[Rich_Laue]

Fitbit uses steps for challenges and is why many do not want their bike ride to produce steps. They feel as one should that a person does not walk while on a bike. 

As for comparing with different exercises and when it comes to food, everything is calories, not steps. 

@VeganBiker2. your Fitbit is not counting steps while on a bike, it is counting the bumps in the road that the bike goes over. 

[Dave369]

To be fair, many people become arthritic and still want to remain active. Biking is a very  low impact way to stay active and fit.  So to say that our Fitbit is not counting steps while on a bike, because it is counting the bumps in the road that the bike goes over misses the point entirely. What Fitbit is doing in this case is measuring the bumps in the road and sidewalk that happen as a result of the wheels turning, which happens as a result of the pedals turning, which over time is meaningful to someone who is cycling and not running or walking because they cant.  It is a meaningful measure of activity to them and while is not a one for one comparison to steps, it does express activity in a way that is meaningful to that person.  For me, a 10 mile bike ride gave me about 3,000 steps on my Fitbit HR.  The Charge does not do this but it does give me a fraction of the active minutes that I ride if I select cycling on my Fitbit when I begin. 

[Dalibor]

I don't care if someone out there doesn't want to use the bike kms as steps, there are people that do want it. And for those that do want it, it should be an option to enable it. 

It's silly to assume that if a small minority don't want it all of a sudden it should be taken off for everyone.

For me it's not really measuring anything while I am riding my bike. 

[Rich_Laue]

I think that is one of the reasons Fitbit has not made any changes in the last 10 years on the way steps get added to the tracker. 

Unfortunately the Fitbit on the arm will not make it possible to know what the feet or tire is doing. With GPS the distance. And calories will be recorded

Bike kms as steps, I don't understand. Are you asking for 1 step per each KM? 

We currently have several suggestions with bike and steps. 

Fitbit BikeComputer

Convert BikeDistance (or Spinning) into Steps

Daily distance goal that includes tracked activiti.

sync with third party speed and cadence sensors fo..

Option to remove steps earned when cycling

Ankle fitbit

Activities - Add Bike ride & do not 

Changing activity toBike should deduct steps form...

Eliminate steps when manually logging a 'Bike' act...

Im sorry but I can't find any thing to allow a relistic base on some imaginary steps

[brightpuppy]

This should not be a rocket science!!

Please consider giving the option to the user - whether to count while cycling or not

From my perspective I should have an option to count cycling as steps.

[VeganBiker2]

No, it should not be rocket science!!!

When I am walking, I am walking
When I am biking, I am biking.
When I am swimming, I am swimming
When I am lifting weights, yes, I am lifting weights.

This is totally logical and the way it should be.
However, many in the fitbit community think:

When I am walking, I am cycling
When I am cycling, I am walking

There should not be an option for people to chose while cycling, they are
walking.

Fitbit users need to be honest in their fitness goals. Don't cheat
yourself. Don't wake up saying you are going on a 15-mile bike ride and
while racking up 5,000 or 6,000 steps at the same time.

Bike for 15 miles.
Then walk for a half hour or more.
Maybe go for a swim or lift some weights.

These should all be independent events.







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Moderator edit: removed personal information

[Rich_Laue]

@brightpuppy I posted links to plenty of suggestions to add votes to. 

Currently we are having a discussion among Fitbit users 

[brightpuppy]

Hi @DavideFitbit 

I strapped Charge 2 on my ankles and biked 13 miles in 2 hours. Please find below the stats.

Starting Steps: 938

Ending Steps: 9489

Difference: 8551

Expectation: 120 minutes - 15 minutes idle = 105 minutes x 90 steps/min conservative estimate= 9450 steps. Close to it. 

I think we should estimate about 120 steps/ minute as I was continuously pedaling without coasting. Maybe another user can pitch in with some estimates. 

Better than nothing when strapped on wrist during biking.

Hope this helps others.

[Rich_Laue]

This is simply recording how many pedal strokes and has no relation to the work performed. Fitbit also has no idea of what gear the bike is in