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Indoor Biking - How would my device know the accuracy of my distance?

RickOShay
over 4 years ago

I would like to get the indoor biking badges in Garmin Connect. I have a Garmin Instinct and have not done any indoor biking activities yet. But how would it know my distance? It doesn't use GPS and it's a stationary exercise bike....

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Several options there:

    1. The bike transmits speed data over ANT+ (very rare)

    2. Use a speed sensor (but difficult to attach to most indoor bikes, and speed might not correspond to speed displayed by bike).

    3. After uploading to Garmin Connect, edit the activity, and manually set the distance to what your bike shows.

    I use option 3, and so far I have been able to get some of the indoor bike badges.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    If you sync to a power meter it will calculate distance based off your power

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ScottG

    No, it won't. Bike power has no direct relation to speed, and besides the Garmin Instinct does not support power meters.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

    Ah ok well I literally just did an indoor cycling workout with my Fenix 6 synched to my Bluetooth smart trainer as a power sensor and it gave me distance and power. 

    Not sure about the instincts capabilities though.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ScottG

    It's because the trainer calculates speed. It has nothing to do with power comming to the watch.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

    The only sensor I am connecting is power, not cadence, or “speed”. Garmin then calculates the power to a speed reading.

    Most trainers that use power operate this way. As an example of what I mean, if you want to use zwift you are given the option of either a power metre or a speed sensor. You don’t need both.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ScottG

    But yea it’s irrelevant anyway because you are right an instinct can’t connect to a power metre.

    So the only option would be a garmin speed sensor but whether or not that would work will probably depend on what exercise bike the op has.