# Fit Bit



## ThirstyFish (Apr 2, 2015)

Anyone using the fit bit to track mileage/mapping of route? etc 

If so hows it working out? 

If not why are you opposed?


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

I use a non-GPS fitbit to track steps and stairs climbed. The GPS models are still early models and are not as featured or ant+ compatible as a decided sports GPS. Good promise but they are not what I want to need now.


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## Bethany1 (Jan 18, 2012)

Most of the fitness trackers seem like glorified pedometers. Which is awesome if you need extra motivation and like numbers to see what you've accomplished. Was looking at some yesterday online trying to decide if I wanted one. The Surge is the only one that has GPS monitoring which would work for cycling but it's 249. Ouch.

My Nike+ watch was 125 with GPS and works great. It doesn't connect to a phone so you just upload when you get home. Just use the built-in USB to connect to my computer. I found a 3rd party app that lets you export from their software to other sites. It will track HR if you have the monitor. Their software is pretty basic.

I couldn't really find on anything for just daily usage and that worked for cycling. That would put me up into the dedicated sport GPS watches as heyall mentioned.


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## ThirstyFish (Apr 2, 2015)

thanks for your replies, id like to just track my mileage,calories and be able to upload my route to a comp for review , both on and off my bike. From what I'm gathering i sounds as if the nike+ is what i should be looking into.


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## Aushiker (Sep 27, 2007)

I have actually been looking around today at "activity watches" and had narrowed my interest down to the Fitbit Surge and the Garmin Vivoactive.

Not sure if I will jump yet but they seem the best all round options at the moment but are pricey for sure.

Andrew


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## alexk243 (Oct 9, 2006)

My issue with both of those is the battery life and the inability to export .gpx files. Fine if you do less than 3 hour rides and upload to their included software, but for anything else it is not practical.


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

The vivoactive looks like it is indeed promising. I went with the Fenix3, but this does look like a nice watch.

There is now an updated in depth review of the device
Garmin Vivoactive In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker


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## Bethany1 (Jan 18, 2012)

The Nike+ watch does not track calories or steps unless you run/ride. It might track steps with the foot pod. It's just GPS enabled to do runs and cycling if you put it in mileage. I used it as a tracker yesterday out of curiosity and it hates when you sit still. I was getting all kinds of weird numbers and everything was off. You can't look at a route on the watch itself. You need to upload it to the computer directly. Which is why it's only around 125 dollars. The Nike+ software can't recognize a run or a bike ride either.

I'm not sure there's a dedicated fitness tracker w/cycling quite yet even though the Surge is supposed to have cycling stuff added after reading the review. 

DC Rainmaker has some wonderful reviews on stuff so check him out. He's brutally honest and tells the good and the bad.


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## Aushiker (Sep 27, 2007)

heyyall said:


> The vivoactive looks like it is indeed promising. I went with the Fenix3, but this does look like a nice watch.


The Fenix 3 is nice, but the price was a bit scary for me ...

Andrew


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

I had a fitbit but got rid of it - it didn't add much. I am ordering an Apple watch tomorrow that I hope will work better by combining with the GPS of the iPhone to give integrated data of route and fitness (why I did not like the fitbit - the results of my rides were only in calories burned, it does not mesh with the GPS data of my Garmin tracking app). There is already a Strava watch app... The watch isn't exactly cheap though, the one I am getting is $1049, thankfully my boss is buying it for me as a bonus.


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## AE Beej (Apr 6, 2012)

You ain't getting a Apple Watch, those things are sold out til June/July already. Trust me I tried at 3:01am and the wait times were already 4-6 weeks after April 24th right from the start.

Guess I will have to resort to my brothers discount/perks since he is an Apple employee and may be able to get me one alot quicker. I am only looking to get the black 42mm sport watch anyhow.


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

Destr0 said:


> I had a fitbit but got rid of it - it didn't add much. I am ordering an Apple watch tomorrow that I hope will work better by combining with the GPS of the iPhone to give integrated data of route and fitness (why I did not like the fitbit - the results of my rides were only in calories burned, it does not mesh with the GPS data of my Garmin tracking app). There is already a Strava watch app... The watch isn't exactly cheap though, the one I am getting is $1049, thankfully my boss is buying it for me as a bonus.


I would take the grand and buy a garmin and take the remaining 500+ and make a destination biking trip.

It will be interesting to see if the apple watch will work in the real world. Battery life and typical apple fragility may be problems.


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## AE Beej (Apr 6, 2012)

you should check out the scratch tests on the apple watch, very impressive because sapphire screen they take a power drill to it and not a mark, even heavy grit sandpaper... nothing

i wouldnt spend 1000 on an apple watch, that is just stupid but i will be getting the sport version and will also be getting it for a discount so that is worth it to me. i wouldnt be able to swallow the 1000$ price tag for it especially since it is so new and noone knows how it will play out.


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

I started refreshing the Apple Store last night at 11:59, the watch store went online 15 minutes later than they stated at 12:15 but I was able to order three of them with estimated 4 week ship date by 12:30. I did have to make two orders though- they had a two watch limit per order. 

Trust mei f i if I was paying I would have only gotten the black sport version but my boss is buying them - one each of us and one for the Vice President. I love my iPhone's - had nothing but an iPhone since the 4 came out. I have tried the Android phones and tablets but I am sticking with Apple. I just hope I can get used to Strava- I have been using the Garmin App to track my rides but the Strava watch app ties into the watch heart rate monitor.


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## falconpunch79 (May 30, 2012)

Fitbit just added cycling support to the Surge two days ago. It now tracks mileage, route, HR, calories and displays average speed. It syncs well with Strava and the dashboard provides a lot of good info. For the price it's pretty good. It's also one of the (the only one I know of really) watches that supports Windows Phones too.


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## Bethany1 (Jan 18, 2012)

Looked at the Surge today. Couldn't justify the 250 dollars. I have a HRM and only need it for cycling. My phone sits snugly in it's case on my bike..best 20 bucks I ever spent and I'm good to go. I can toss my phone in my pack/jersey/ as well.

Tried out the Fitbit app via my iPhone a couple of days ago for a test. Actually really nice but keeping my phone in my pocket is a PITA. While at BB, decided on the Charge for every day usage. Figured it was time to lose some weight and downloaded My Fitness Pal that works with it. Set up a goal, doing an hour of exercise a day, and so far it's helped for the past couple of days. If I'm not riding a bike, I'll walk twice a day. Cheaper than a lighter bike, just not as fun or flashy. 

However; the Charge doesn't notice when you push a shopping cart around Wally World. Had to stuff it in my pocket to get my hour of exercise in. You have to put it in stopwatch mode for it to show up as exercise. 

iWatch won't be out for a while but willing to wait and see how badly I want it.


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## DaHeckler (Jan 18, 2009)

@ AE BeeJ and Other Apple Watch Riders....Have you had a chance to ride with your Apple Watch if so whats the feed back?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

DaHeckler said:


> @ AE BeeJ and Other Apple Watch Riders....Have you had a chance to ride with your Apple Watch if so whats the feed back?


Last post here has a link to a site where the guy has a lengthy description of why he returned his.

http://forums.mtbr.com/gps-hrm-bike-computer/apple-watch-instead-garmin-932336.html


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## DaHeckler (Jan 18, 2009)

Hi All - just wondering if any of you invested in one of these devices since being on this thread. I had the Apple Watch for 24 hrs and took it back, liked it but was really looking for something more sport related.

I told Mrs Clause I want the VivoActive ( thanks for bringing that to my attention Aushiker). So has anyone got any updates on their devise, ?


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## morepower (May 14, 2012)

I have a Surge and have to say I am loving it... I have not used it on the bike yet as I have been working too hard to get out. But I have to take the dog out for a walk everyday and have tracked the walk with GPS and the map looks spot on. Heart rates seem to be accurate overall but as pointed out in a video I saw on YouTube it lags and is possibly 20 to 30 seconds behind a chest strap HRM but ultimately it is accurate. Battery life for me is between 4 and 5 days to which is fine for me too. My wife has a Fitbit Charge HR and she loves that too and the app does sync with most of the other apps if you already use an app you like or you can use just the fitbit app.. We have some friends who both have Apple watches and love those too but admit it has to be charged every night. So if you can cope with a basic display and something that is more fitness based than an Apple watch and a little less smart watch you would be happy. Not sure what discounts you get where you are but the Surge is cheaper than most of the comparable watches here. I am 100% happy with mine.


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## Powereng (Sep 30, 2015)

I used the Apple Watch for about a week and found it to be a cool toy but not what I was looking for. I just got the surge and like what it does very much, I have it synced with my bike app and get a average of 5 days on a charge. Was a little costly but not bad for something I use every day.


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## DaHeckler (Jan 18, 2009)

Powereng & Morepower - thanks for the replays. so far I've had the Apple Watch for 24 hrs loved it but was concerned it would break while riding. After taking it back my wife gave me her Fitbit charge hr which is surprisingly simple, and durable. But I still wanted more, got the VivoActive for xmas and took it back within 24 hrs, I thought I had read it had HR without chest strap like the Fitbit but that's not the case, so I am either sticking with the the charge HR or going to get the surge for some of the extra features. I really like the fact that with Fitbit and Apple phone you don't need to wear a separate heart strap.


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## p08757 (Mar 15, 2012)

I use the FitBit surge, and overall its just Okay. The mapping and GPS for bike rides is spot on as others have said. But I have several complaints after one year of use:

- The HR Monitor can be inaccurate at times of high intensity work load. I find a chest strap to be much more accurate
- The battery life has gone way down for me. I now have to charge mine every day.

I have had the best experience with tracking my bike rides with a smart phone application called Endomondo and a Bluetooth HR chest strap. For 2016, I'm going back to this method.


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