Fenix 5x Plus - "bike indoor" do not count distance with Precor Upright Bike in the Gym

I bought one fenix 5x+ this month and is quite new to Garmin watch.

I tried to use "bike indoor" workout on the Precor Upright Bike in the Gym.

the Precor will count the distance/calories burned etc info on the screen, but Fenix 5x+ do not count any distance/speed info on the watch, they are always 0.

Wonder why the garmin "bike indoor" workout cannot count such info and if any special setting or action needed to make it work in the Gym? thanks!

0 kaz911 over 5 years ago

Garmin is not very Gym friendly in general. And most gym machines do not transfer their data outwards - but can only receive HR from specific sensors.

Most gym machines use Polar 5 kHz signals for HR - Garmin does not support that. A Polar H10 HR sensor would be needed if the Precor uses 5KHz - and you want HR data on your watch at the same time.

Some newer Gym equipment can talk Bluetooth - so HR can be read from your check strap if it supports Bluetooth. Polar H10 and I think some of Garmin new sensors can do it as well. Wahoo Tickr is another option (so they do both ANT+ (Garmin) and Bluetooth at the same time) A select few Gym machines does receive ANT+ HR data.

Bikes : For bike data to transfer OUT the bike has to support sending data out via Ant+ or Bluetooth. Not many bikes do so.

The whole indoor training and integration with watches is one of the most ignored features from most of the big Indoor gym companies and training watch makers.

Apple has tried getting better with indoor gym stuff - so many new Technogym devices can talk with Apple Watch and sync data both ways. Garmin is very behind Apple there. A few Lifefitness devices can talk Apple as well - and a few other brands. But roll out is very slow.

So in short - to get gym device info on your watch is not an easy task and there are no open standards so roll out is so limited it is painful.

0 Simon over 5 years ago in reply to kaz911

Thanks for the explanation and I understood now.

In Gym I will try to put on my Apple Watch there is indoor cycling workout and I ever tried before - data also not accurate do not match the one on Preco screen.

BTW for Garmin fenix 5x+, I ever tried several times with the workout for elliptical - Fenix 5+ Calories reading is very close that on Precor screen when I set Precor upright bike Resistance Level = 3. If I put level >3 then the calorie reading on the Garmin fenix 5x will be less than the one on the Precor - delta incremental with resistance level #