Fenix with Edge

I have both the F6 and 530.

Turn on Physio True Up for both devices - this will ensure an activity (and training load, etc) done on one device will turn up on the other (after syncing) without duplicates.

You could record on both devices, and discard rather than saving on one device (after ensuring the activity has saved on the other) to avoid duplicates

Although using Cardio only on the watch is probably the better option. You get the increased HR accuracy from recording an activity and broadcasting (rather than using the HR in 24/7 mode), without the increased battery usage of tracking GPS. Just discard on the watch at the end of your ride.

guinnsquirrel said:

I track cycling on both devices.

Why? Why don't you just use the extended display feature of the Edge 530?

mcalista said:

Turn on Physio True Up for both devices - this will ensure an activity (and training load, etc) done on one device will turn up on the other (after syncing) without duplicates.

Correct, just do not forget to sync both devices before and after each activity! Only in that way, the data between both devices will be synced properly. We use to see here on the forum, a lot of complaints about having different values on each of the devices, and the omission to sync both devices is the typical reason in most cases.

The devices do not share the data directly between them. You have to sync the data to the GC account, and the other device will then load it only when you sync it too. So even better, you repeat the syncing of the first device after syncing the second one again, to make sure the fresh data from the other device is already in Garmin Connect in both cases.

mcalista said:

Although using Cardio only on the watch is probably the better option. You get the increased HR accuracy from recording an activity and broadcasting (rather than using the HR in 24/7 mode)

I do not think that starting an activity is necessary. There is no higher HR accuracy during activities vs the all-day HR. The difference is only in recording of the HR - 2 mins rating sample at daily HR, vs up to 1s at activities, but the recording sampling rate is pointless in this case, since all the calculation (Calories, Intensity Minutes, ...) happens in real time, having the full access to the instantaneous HR data.

Recording the activity on the watch would make sense only, if the Edge device did not support some features, like VO₂max, Training Effect, etc., but in that case it would be necessary to log it as a true Cycling activity on the watch, and then discarding it on the Edge. However, that is not the case with Edge 530 - it supports all of it, as far as I see it in the specs.

How do I do that?

guinnsquirrel said:

How do I do that?

Instructions here:

What is Extended Display Mode? | Garmin Customer Support

Though, I am not sure, whether it helps you. You did not explain why you are tracking the ride on both devices. That is not the way to do it anyway.

Hi,

Thank you for all your help. I am tracking the cycling on my watch, so that during that activity my HR can be transmitted to the Edge device. That's the only reason i do that. Again, if I am doing this wrong, happy to change my processes.

AFAIK, you do not need  to start any activity when broadcasting the HR. I might be wrong, since I do not use the feature, but I see nothing in the docs telling you have to start an activity when turning on the HR broadcasting: Can Garmin Watches Broadcast Heart Rate Data? | Garmin Customer Support 

trux said:

you do not need  to start any activity when broadcasting the HR.

This is correct, however when not recording an activity, accuracy of the built-in optical sensor is impaired, especially in high-intensity activities, probably due to power optimizations.

guinnsquirrel said:

if I am doing this wrong, happy to change my processes.

Then I'd recommend using the extended display feature, i.e. you record the activity on your Fenix 6 and use the Edge 530 as extended display for the Fenix 6.

And if for some reason you don't want to use extended display, then record the activity on both devices, and then discard it on one of them and save it on the other. This is how I do it, because my bike computer does not support extended display.

tmk2 said:

This is correct, however when not recording an activity, accuracy of the built-in optical sensor is impaired, especially in high-intensity activities, probably due to power optimizations.

Hm, I never observed any accuracy issues, but it is true I did not make any extensive testing. If it is really the case, then starting any indoors activity, and discarding it at the end, instead of saving,  would be the best solution. I'd rather recommend using the built-in Indoor Cycling activity profile, since it won't drain the battery, and additionally (unlike for example Cardio) it also prevents recording bumps on the road as steps.