Biking activity Charge 4

[paris_slim]

Hi,

I've read several posts regarding this and none of the solutions seem to be right, as in no way to see the screen about biking. Some refer to something that needs doing on the fitbit.com web site. When I go there we have an account but I don't see how to associate the replacement charge 4 with the web account. There's a "replacement tracker" link that doesn't work, it goes to a general page with no help.

This is 2022, the answers I found were old. Is it possible to associate the new charge 4 with a web account without redoing the whole setup process? We can't bear to go through that process again, because it took something like 5 fill cycles of install, try to sync, uninstall reboot phone, restart fitbit, etc. My reticence is because the device may never work again with the phone, so not gonna do that. If there is a way to control the charge 4 from the web with regard to biking, I'd like to know what it is.

Thanks

[tompabes]

Hi, what is exactly the problem?

I use the Charge 4 with biking with no problems.

It automatically detects when I'm cycling and shows the activity alongside with all other activities. In that case, it just shows you that you were cycling, for how much time, calories spent and heart rate.

This is good for when you casually get the bike to move around the city.

If you want to fully track your activity, meaning that you want the distance to be recorded and tracked on the map with GPS, you have to configure Cycling as one of the activities that are visible on the tracker (you do that from the app) and you have to manually start the activity from the tracker.

Make sure to bring your phone with you and set the GPS to Automatic, so that the phone's GPS is used if the phone is available, and you get more accurate tracking and consume less battery on the tracker.

[paris_slim]

Thanks for the reply.

This is for my wife's Charge 4. It doesn't say or show anything about cycling. I don't think she cares about distance at the moment. She just wonders why she sees nothing about biking activity. Is there something that has to be set up for it to do this auto-detect?

[Julia_G]

Hi, @paris_slim if you have a replacement Charge 4 you must set it up using the Fitbit app and not the web site in order to associate that new charge 4 with your Fitbit account.

You can set it up on a computer if the computer has built in Bluetooth and if you have the Fitbit Windows 10 app installed and you log in to your Fitbit account and use the app for set up.  Otherwise you will need to set up your new Charge 4 using a phone or tablet with the Fitbit app installed and set it up on your account that way.

You cannot set up directly using the web based Fitbit platform.

The Fitbit itself will keep track of your biking activity, but it cannot transfer the information it collects to your account, and view it on either the web or app without syncing to your account.  

Although you definitely cannot set up any current Fitbit except using the Fitbit app, I *think* you may be able to sync a newer Fitbit (once set up) without the app and instead using the old Fitbit “Connect” program (you’ll need to download it from the internet to your computer) and you will also need the Fitbit sync dongle, if you can get hold of one.  I am not certain that this sync method still works, however.  @Rich_Laue probably could confirm whether it still works or not.

[paris_slim]

Thanks for confirming that part about the setup associating the device with the fitbit.com site. 

Now, there's no detection of biking activity, and as far as I can see, every available setting is right. The main one is bike rides 10 minutes or longer, which is checked. I believe all other activities are off, as she doesn't run or do elliptical, etc. Before we talk about GPS, isn't the charge 4 supposed to be able to some tracking without GPS? The confusion comes from the fact that she'll take a 45 minute ride and there's no indication of it anywhere. I though may be the list of activities had to be set through the web site.

Best

[Julia_G · Accepted solution]

Hi, @paris_slim , you are correct that the Charge 4 is meant to automatically detect biking activity without turning on GPS.  This will not be shown on the device itself, but should appear in the exercise section of the app.

However, if your wife’s replacement Charge 4 has not been set up on her account, this will not appear.  You do need to set it up before it will auto detect exercises and sync these to her account.  As mentioned before, activities that have been synced will be visible on the app or on the web based program.

I hope this helps clarify.

[paris_slim]

Thanks, I appreciate your time.