Unable to track bike distance in biking mode

[deocamdata]

There is not any kind of problem measuring the distance and get the map in Run mode.

I try several time in several mode to get the distance for Biking mode: first pairing my Iphone with the wrist, select the Bike mode and start; start the Bike mode in the wrist and than pairing the phone.

What I am doing wrong ?

[HeydyF]

Hey @szabs79, it is great to see you around more often! I appreciate you have taken the time to try to fix this and I totally understand how you feel about this inconvenience, but please be patient while our team is working to solve this 'cause they are already aware of this. 

I really appreciate your time and understanding! 

[M.Crider]

Just wondering if there is any update for this problem yet? Ever since I started biking this function in bike mode does not work. I have a Samsung s8 model number SM-g950u. My wife also has a fitbit but uses an iphone 6, this does count the distance traveled. Thanks for the info!

[AlvaroFitbit]

@M.Crider Welcome! It's good that the community is growing! Sorry to hear that your Charge is counting distance on your biking activities. Are you using the GPS option with it? So that means that you connect your Charge 2 with your phone to record a map and distance? Or are you only using the Charge 2? If you are only using the Charge 2 then are you using the exercise modes or the auto-detection one (SmartTrack)?

I look forward to your reply!

[M.Crider]

Thanks for the Reply, Yes i am using the location and gps on my phone and
the charge 2 is on bike mode. I have left the fitbit app up on my phone and
the fitbit still doesnt count distance. When i sync my fitbit to my phone
while in bike mode the phone icon does appear in the right corner of the
fitbit but then after a minute or 2 the fitbit tries to re sync. thanks for
the help.

[JohnDQ]

I have noticed that there are many inaccuracies with my Fitbit Charge 2---- for example: pulse rate when exercising and bike distance can be off sometimes by surprising amounts.  I initially quit using it after a few days out of frustration.  I restarted using it again as purely a motivational tool which seems to be it's strength.  It reminds me to drink more water and as long as my calories burned exceeds my intake, I generally loose weight. Resting heart rate seems to be accurate and tells you something about your fitness level. As a measure of higher level athletic performance, it is a disappointment. 

[FrgPrnc]

I have had my FitBit Charge 2 for two days.  Today I took it for a bike ride.  Two other devices were used to collect stats - CatEye Velo 7 and Samsung S8.

The total time on the 3 devices was within a range of 5 seconds.  

Distance:

CatEye - 16.74 miles

Samsung - 16.51 miles

FitBit - 15.53 miles

Heart rate, compared to several readings on the Samsung, appears fairly accurate.

The mileage variance appears to be a long standing problem.  Has FitBit given up on addressing the accuracy issue?

[Rich_Laue]

Now if you used a mechanical odometer, what was the true miles. @FrgPrnc

[Rich_Laue]

Now if you used a mechanical odometer, what would be the true miles. @FrgPrnc? Your standard devistion is 0.37. 

Did the Charge 2 stay connected to the phone? Does the phone have enough computing power and free memory to do what your asking it to do. 

Most Android phones, doing what your doing, would have 3 apps computing and recording your phones position. 

The Unknown app your using with the Samsung S8, it might be the Fitbit app. 

The Fitbit App sending locations to the Charge 2. the Charge 2 doing the actual recording .

Android by default is always recording your phones position wirhwthe path, time, and distance of any traveling. Did you go to your map timeline to get what the S8 Google maps recorded? You see the S8 by itself can not record the bike ride .

[FrgPrnc]

I compared the map on the S8 to the map created by FitBit. It appears
FitBit failed to record the first mile.

[Turboted]

Same issue when Cycling. 3 miles constantly reads as .32 miles.

Have re named my fitbit to  ****ahem**Bit*

[Sgmills]

It is obvious this is not a user issue. I can use several different apps to track my bike ride on my phone with GPS, like Google fit, mapmyride etc and they all accurately record my distance. My fitbit charge2 synced with my fitbit app, and my phone GPS and selecting my bike ride option on my fitbit, verifying it is synced before starting has never accurately tracked my distance. So can someone in Fitbit please take this issue seriously or just admit your app and Fitbit linked with the phone GPS tracking does not work. Stop falsely advertising that it does work. 

That being said can you create an import function so I can import the data from say my  mapmyride app. or at least let me manually enter in my bike ride data. Please listen to the users before we buy another sports tracking device! 

Moderator edit: format

[jhoff909]

Wow why is this still not fixed?  I have similar issues with my Charge 2 and my OnePlus 5 phone.

[matte8817]

Because FitBit doesn't really care about this issue, nor many others.  This company is one of the worst I have seen for customer service.

[NickA55]

Yeah, it's really a shame.  I mean, it's a fitness tracker.  If I have to use third party apps like Strava or Map my Ride/Run then what's the point of the Fitbit.  The Versa worked better for me, but at the price point of the Versa I sold it and got the Apple Watch.

The Charge 2 HR was my favorite Fitbit, but that's the one I had the most issues with when tracking my rides.  I wish Fitbit would quit trying to be a smart watch company and just focus on what they know, fitness tracking.

[Redwalker84]

I just rode my bike for one hour and 2 minutes. According to the charge 2 I rode 0 miles but burned 302 calories. Never happened before. 

Moderator edit:updated subject for clarity

[AlvaroFitbit]

Hello @Redwalker84, it's nice to have you in the Community for the first time! Sorry to hear about your tracker not showing distance for your biking activity. How did you record this activity with only your tracker on bike mode, auto-detection or using your phone and tracker with Connected GPS? Could you please post a picture of the activity. Try logging our from the app, restart your phone and log back in to see if the data gets updated. Also make sure the app is up to date.

Let me know how it goes!

[Redwalker84]

Hello and thank you for your reply. I was only tracking with the Fitbit. I had my phone with me but didn't track with it since it doesn't give me a bike option until I'm finished riding. When I go to categorize exercise the only options are run, walk, or hike. But when I'm done I can change the walk to bike.  It is confusing to me. Also I am syncing with weight watchers and if I use the app and the Fitbit it picks up both as separate exercises. Not that I mind, but it is cheating. I will try it again and see what happens. 

[josephstory]

Owned a Fitbit Charger 2 for about 30 days, and today had the same experience you have posted on this thread.  The Fitbit was relatively accurate for the first few rides- today's ride recording was very inaccurate- a little more than half the 30 miles ridden was actually recorded, and only about half the speed. Actual mileage and speed were recorded on my cycle computer.  Heart rate and ride time were accurate today, and the mapping was generally accurate- since I ride on a converted rails to trails, the map is pretty much a straight line.  Only difference in the accurately recorded rides and today's ride was that I started an hour or so earlier today.  My phone is a Pixel 2XL.  Hope you all at Fitbit can fix this. . . Thanks,   Paul N Vance

[michaelas603]

If Fitbit isn’t going to fix the gps issue can someone at least explain why? I guess we can start complaining on other platforms & forums.. we can help the next consumer not waste their money

[SimonT1986]

Hi

Recently, within around the last 2 weeks, i've found that my Charge 2 / Fitbit app is not holding the GPS signal from my Galaxy S7 . . . this then affects the recorded length of the ride (for example a 9.5km ride shows as a 0.2km ride, however, it has correctly recorded the map data)

Any help would be appreciated . . . as i'm missing out on my HR data for my rides as i sync up with Strava.

Cheers