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Step Credit while biking

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‎01-31-2016 11:43

‎01-31-2016 11:43

Hello, previously I used to get a "step credit" while biking. After a few firmware version updates I dont see the step credit while biking. Does anyone know how to turn on step credit when biking?

 

Thanks

Ganesh

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12 REPLIES 12

‎01-31-2016 11:54

‎01-31-2016 11:54

i wish this feature is present. i had the fitbit one and while biking i clipped it on my shoes and got steps. now with the surge i didnt get any steps. so please give steps feedback while biking... sorry for bad english, i'm not a native speaker
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‎01-31-2016 12:45

‎01-31-2016 12:45

You can't "turn it on" but I also don't know that it's been turned off.

There isn't an algorithm for converting cycling to steps, the tracker simply records the steps it sees while you cycle. If you're on a smooth road, you probably won't get many but cycling over bumps should give you a load. The problem is that the steps don't mean very much, particularly if they are only bump counts.

I don't think this has changed at all in the last year since people are still asking for a cycling mode with no steps.

Mike | London, UK

Blaze, Surge, Charge 2, Charge, Flex 2 - iPad Air 2, Nokia Lumia 925 (Deceased), iPhone 6

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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‎01-31-2016 13:14

In response to MikeF

‎01-31-2016 13:14

MikeF, I'm pretty sure it used to give me steps credit while biking based upon some  (correct or incorrect) algorithm 🙂

When I used to go for an hour bike ride, I usually got something like 4500 steps. Now, after a few, updates to the firmware, it gives me no "step credit" at all for the exact same bike ride.

 

Thanks

Ganesh

 

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‎01-31-2016 13:20

In response to gmurthy

‎01-31-2016 13:20

BTW, MikeF, i agree that there is probably no alogrithm as such to count steps while biking. The problem I have is that it used to somehow calculate steps in the earlier version of the firmware and now with the latest updates, that "feature" is not there anymore.

 

I was just wondering if there is a way to turn that feature on back again.

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‎01-31-2016 15:20 - edited ‎01-31-2016 15:21

In response to gmurthy

‎01-31-2016 15:20 - edited ‎01-31-2016 15:21

Why would you want step credits though? Steps should only count for when you are actually walking. Just add biking to the excerise and be happy IMO.

 

I know it's still excerise and that's good but getting steps for a non stepping activity seems like cheating kinda. It's good excerise but you aren't really walking.

 

Like kayaking. I move my arms around a lot and it's still excerise but I wouldn't want any steps for it.

 

Sorry if I come off as mean. That is not my intention, I was just wondering why you wanted steps counted when technically you didn't really take any steps.

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‎01-31-2016 15:24

‎01-31-2016 15:24

Usually one of two reasons:
- health insurance premium discount
- step competitions

Third reason - few want their entire fitness world reduced into steps.

Aria, Fitbit MobileTrack on iOS. Previous: Flex, Force, Surge, Blaze

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‎02-01-2016 17:21

In response to matt9013

‎02-01-2016 17:21

No, Matt9013, u did not come off as mean to me 🙂

 

Just trying to get Fitbit to give us an option to enable step credit while doing things like biking etc. They seemed to have it earlier and their later firmware changed it but I think there needs to be a user option to enable it or not.

 

How we use the option is up to us. I kind of liked the step credit I got while biking although, I agree with u, its technically not walking.There are some days when i prefer to bike, not walk, and still hit my step goals.

 

 

 

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‎02-01-2016 17:23

In response to gmurthy

‎02-01-2016 17:23

So, Fitbit Moderator, what about it? Can the next version of the firmware release have an option to enable step credit while doing non walking/running excercises?

 

 

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‎02-01-2016 18:12

In response to gmurthy

‎02-01-2016 18:12

@gmurthy

 

I'd make a feature request here so people can vote on it. I'm sure a lot of people would like the feature.

 

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Requests/idb-p/features

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‎05-14-2016 00:43

In response to gmurthy

‎05-14-2016 00:43

I would like the steps counted from riding also - I get why some don't, but I do, cycling is still a similar motion to stepping at least as opposed to kayaking or weightifting or some other activity.

 

You can get the steps to count if you put the Surge into bike mode and wear it around your ankle (against your skin so you still get your heartrate also). The motion is captured better as you pedal and has been pretty acurate in the tests I've done. Be aware though that when riding a bike you don't get nearly the number of steps per mile as you do waking because you are covering so much more distance with each pedal. I prefer a large gear and a low cadance so I get about 235 steps per mile on average on my normal rides as opposed to about 1850 steps per mile walking. Yes, this means you don't get to see your tracker info while riding but I get the important stuff from my bike computer anyway. 

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‎07-22-2018 15:19

In response to matt9013

‎07-22-2018 15:19

Most of us use our Fitbit to see how active we are. Not really how many steps we took per day

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‎10-12-2019 10:06

‎10-12-2019 10:06

i used to get credit at a 20-25 percent rate. a 40 mile bike ride would give me 10k  now nothing.

it is easier to walk 10k steps than ride 40 mile btw

something changed

 

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