Track Cycling on Mobile App with GPS

What would be a great addition to the mobile app would be the ability to track cycling as well as the run, walk, hike options.

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity.

792 Comments
Psherman
Stepping Up
Agree and well said. I'm moving on from Fitbit if they don't resolve this issue for the Charge HR by the time outdoor riding season starts up here in 4-5 months.

Paul
SunsetRunner
Not applicable

What the bean counters don't understand is that fitness trackers do not last all that long.  Especially those of us that are very rough on them.  When it comes time to replace them do they really think we will stay with a company that ignores its customers.  I bought a charge HR and Fitbit stock more than 2 years ago.  I have since dumped the Charge HR, dumped the stock and stared shorting it.  Now a proud owner of a Garmin Vivoactive HR and couldn't be happier.  Does everything I need and more and cheaper than the Surge.

dogenzenji
Tempo Runner

I bit on Fitstar on the new app. Looks nice. Every update I go to that TRACK window and check if they have added cycling yet. Come on Fitbit. You already have cycling Metrics, just add the option to the dropdown. Please?

nhpaulao
Jogger

If the cycling feature on Charge 2 can be made to work, that would be great because the marketing indicates that the device will "automatically track... cycling," and it doesn't. I tried the cycling tracker the first night I wore my new Charge 2 and found that it did not track. The device said 0.67 miles in 25 minutes when clearly I had just ridden 8.25 miles in that time. I stared at the device in disbelief for a couple of minutes, then decided to take a photo of it and tweet it to @fitbit. Unfortunately, their response was, "Thanks for letting us know. We're aware of the issue and our engineers are still working on a fix. We appreciate your patience."

 

If it isn't working, please remove the bike icon from the device firmware, send out an update, and remove all references to cycling from your website and marketing. I'm in process of trying to return the device (via email support) because it doesn't do what it said it would. If it never said it tracked cycling there would not be an issue (at least not within the first 24 hours of ownership). I'm in my fifth and final year as a Fitbit member. You aren't living up to the expectation of quality, accurate data.Charge2Fail.jpg

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

Garmin, hands down better tracker.

maryb66
First Steps

Yes I want this too, and other activites, like skiing, rollerblading 😉

Nancy808
First Steps

I can't walk long distances due to plantar fasciitis but I exercise for physical therapy and weight loss on a stationery bike. I'd love to track this through my device.  

NickysMom2003
Recovery Runner

I agree! A cycling option for gps activity would be a nice addition!

CathyTate
Stepping Up

It is mad not to have 'Cycling' as an activity option on the FitBit phone App. It would even help if you could edit a tracked activity afterwards, then you could change your mislabelled 'run' to a cycle ride.

tyw214
First Steps

please track cycling... 😞

Alex_Bogden
First Steps

Definitely. I'm not sure why the Blaze has an option to "use phone GPS" for biking (exercise>bike>settings-gear), but there is no option within the app. Please add this!

DRU67
First Steps

My wife and I recently got push bikes. We thought that our fit bIts tracked cycling as a standard part of the features. We're a little disappointed that it's not. 

Put us down for another vote to have this incorporated into an update. 

IamPablo
First Steps

This would be a huge improvement while Windows 10 Mobile users are waiting for the GATT updates. I currently have no way to track my bicycle ride using FitBit and Windows 10 mobile and am considering returning my Charge 2 unless I can track bicycle rides in the app or on the device.

Rich_Laue
Community Legend

@DRU67 depending on what Fitbit you have, Blaze, Surge, Charge 2 have a manual start option with or without the connected GPS .

Charge, Charge HR, Charge 2, Alta, Flex 2, Blaze, Surge, All have an auto detect feature for outdoor Bike rides.

 

Yes i personally dont understand why this was left off of the app.

DRU67
First Steps
Awesome. Found it. Thank you very much.

Sent from my iPhone
DRU67
First Steps
Hi. There is a manual tracking function for bike riding on the charge 2.
Press the button on your device to get the display up.
Keep pushing the button until the run symbol comes up.
Tap the device until the bike symbol appears.
When your about to start riding, push and hold the button to activate the tracking.
After a bit, your device will go blank. Don't worry. It's still running. Just push the button to see the screen again.
To pause the tracking, tap the screen. To reactivate, tap it again.
When you've finished your ride, press and hold the button to record your ride.
You can tap the screen to view the stats after your ride, or you can look up the stats on app on your phone.
To view the stats on the app, go to the dashboard. There's a symbol that shows your exercise. ( so many days of so many. Eg 3 of 5 days).
Tap that symbol. It will show the stats of your walks, bike rides and any other exercises you've been doing.
Find your bike ride. There's a little arrow on the right hand side of the map.
Tap the arrow and scroll down to read your stats.
Press Back to get out back to your dashboard.
Don't take your charge 2 back.
It's not all perfect, but it's pretty good.
Hope this helps👍🤠

Sent from my iPhone
Feech
First Steps

Why even have a biking option if you don't use GPS?  I end up having to record the bike ride on the Charge 2 to get the HR, then also track it as a "run" on the phone, to get the route, then manually remove one in the web site, then add the route to MapMyRide so I can actually see where the hell I've been.  Makes me want to go back to my MS Band.

Rich_Laue
Community Legend

The manual bike oprion on the Charge 2 soes use connected GPS @Feech. Simply add the bike mode to your exercise list.

Feech
First Steps

@Rich_Laue- I see no such option anywhere in the app or on the web site.  Using Windows Phone.

Rich_Laue
Community Legend

@SunsetRunner wrote:

What would be a great addition to the mobile app would be the ability to track cycling as well as the run, walk, hike options.

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity.


@Feech. Recording the Bike ride on the Charge 2 is not what this request is about. However by default tour Charge 2 has auto detection of bike rides. You can also manually add the option to the list of wxercises on the Charge 2. This is explained in Ditbits extensive interactive help docs, link found below as help. The document you want is http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1980/

 

Since you say you have a windows phone, the connected gps does not work, but is coming soon

Feech
First Steps

Thanks, anyway Rich.  I have the bike option on the Charge that records HR and time, but no GPS, which is both what I am asking for and what everyone else on this thread seems to be asking for as well.  The bike option is useless without it.  Apologies if you're not a Fitbit employee.

 

majbugman
Recovery Runner

This has been a suggestion for years, and still no biking option on the app.  I don't get it.  Seems pretty simple.  MapMyFitness has a crazy amount of exercise options.  fitbit already has the calorie algorithm figured out for the biking manual start on the device.

MarreFitbit
Premium User
Fitbit Moderator
Fitbit Moderator

Hey @ahsubhan, I’ve gone ahead and merged your idea with this related suggestion to expand the Fitbit’s Mobile Run feature to track cycling. Please also know that it is because of feedback like yours that we released the connected GPS feature for Blaze and Charge 2 and that Surge has GPS onboard. We appreciate the time you took to post this idea, and hope you’ll consider one of the current Fitbit trackers that will meet your needs as a cyclist while we work on improving support for cycling in the app. Charge 2 is beloved by our cyclist community and personally I love it! We hope you give it a try! 

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

I discovered this feature from another forum thread. This would have been a way to work around the lack of Connected GPS support on Windows, but alas.

Bugster
First Steps

Hear, hear!

 

i don't really care about the steps when cycling. The issue for me is that although I can aurodetect when cycling the log doesn't give me a GOS track or, more importantly, the miles done!

 

i can't understand, when the option to track a walk or run is available, that you cannot track "outdoor cycle"?!

 

C'mon, Fitbit!

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